Mariachi the sound and feel of Mexico past and present

By David Eyerly

JAKARTA (JP): The trumpet pierces the air sharp and strong. Soon guitars, basses and violins join in and the music picks up.

The beat is forceful and impossible to resist -- feet start tapping and heads bobbing. The music sweeps up everything into a swirl of pure exhilaration and joy; it and everything it touches become vividly alive. Then it stops. There is silence, which is broken by the plaintive cry of the trumpet, a heartbreaking sound that speaks of sorrow and hardship.

These are the two sides of mariachi, the music that expresses the heart and soul of Mexico. The songs played by mariachi bands tell stories about the people of Mexico, according to Jose Naranjo, the leader of the mariachi band and cultural troupe performing at the Regent Hotel in Jakarta.

Love and death and everything in between are the subjects of the songs; the only constant is that all the songs tell the story of Mexico and its people.

And that is what Naranjo and his Mexican Mariachis and La Compania Estatal de Danza want to do; share the culture of Mexico with the people of Indonesia. So for the third straight year they traveled from the State of Aguascalientes, about five hours to the north of Mexico City, to give the people here an understanding of Mexico that they can't get from the telenovelas (Latin soaps) that make up the majority of contact Indonesians have with the country.

The mariachi band and cultural troupe, besides performing at the Regent, are also putting on performances and giving talks in shopping malls, elementary schools and at Trisakti University and the Jakarta Arts Institute, meeting with people and giving them small lessons in the history and culture of Mexico.

In his three visits to Indonesia, Naranjo has noticed the differences as well as the similarities between the art of Mexico and Indonesia.

"The music and dance of Mexico is typically bold, with strong moves and steps, while traditional Indonesian music and dance is softer and smoother," he said.

One of the similarities Naranjo noted about Mexican and Indonesian arts is the use of vibrant colors in painting, in traditional costumes and textiles from the two countries.

What is mariachi?

Mariachi bands include violins, guitars, a guitarron (a large bass guitar-like instrument) basses, a vihuela (a five-stringed guitar) and trumpets. Typically, the bands include nine to 12 members, with the mariachi band at the Regent featuring 12 members.

The standard attire for a mariachi band is the charro, which basically consists of a sombrero, a large bow tie, short jacket, boots and pants with silver studs running up the sides of the legs.

More often than not, when you find a mariachi band you will also find dancers. Once you hear the music you will understand why this is, because it just begs to be danced to. Traditional dance from around Mexico are often associated with mariachi music, and you get a taste of this from the cultural troupe at the Regent, which includes seven female and seven male dancers performing different traditional dances from their homeland.

Unlike traditional music in many countries which is only played at certain ceremonies or for busloads of tourist, mariachi remains an important part of the daily lives of Mexicans.

"Mariachi is for everything, parties, special events, ceremonies, gatherings," Naranjo said.

It is also a feature of many restaurants and bars, where people go to watch mariachi bands like they go to watch rock bands in other countries. Naranjo also said many pop musicians in Mexico and southwestern U.S. states like Texas and California use mariachi bands in their music.

Mariachi music has clearly maintained its immense popularity in Mexico and in U.S. states with large Mexican populations. And now it is making inroads around the world, something that Naranjo and his group are certainly helping. Last year the group performed in France, the U.S. and around Mexico, besides the time they spent in Jakarta and other parts of Asia. From here they will bring the soul of Mexico to Singapore and Hong Kong.

You can catch their performances at lunch and dinne at the Regent Hotel until Sept. 16.