Panorama of my Mariachi Class
Maestro Pedro Guitiérrez, who has to be one of the most patient music teachers in the world, is in charge of teaching five different instruments to students of all ages.
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Pop, Rock, and Coca-Cola
The students I’ve interviewed at the School of Mexican music seem confident that the old tunes will never die. People will keep singing them at the top of their lungs at festivals and parties, and no Mexican wedding will ever be complete without them. Alejandra, the talented ranchera singer who sits next to me in chorus, sums it up like this:
“I used to go out to clubs with my cousins. I’d dance to the hits, electronica, rock en español, and all that. But whenever we had a party, at the end of the night, it was always me who sang. Everybody drunk, and I would sing. They never forgot that I would sing. So somehow, Mexican music has always had an important role. Maybe in different intensities, but it’s always been present in everybody.”
Despite the cultural value of singing old, “pure” Mexican songs (which have plenty of European ingredients, like guitars and waltzes, themselves), day-to-day Mexico City pulses with lots of imported sounds, too.
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Audio Flipbook: Weekend in Acapulco
Ok, I know that a weekend on the beach doesn’t have much to do with my research project. But my trip DID get me listening to more tropical music upon my return, and now I’m itching to share some of it here. The only downside to listening to this music is that it underscores how freezing it is in Mexico City right now—I’m literally typing this with mittens on.
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Making the mariachi
Here’s a quick summary of how the School of Mexican Music works: Every day students show up at 4 p.m. and buckle down for four hours of non-stop music study. They clap out esquemas rítmicos (rhythmic schemes) to dozens of Mexican music styles, sing scales and practice complex strumming patterns over and over again. They leave at dark, instruments slung over their shoulders, and go home to practice more before class the following day. Repeat each week for three years, which is how long it takes to complete the program.
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Audio Flipbook: Day of the Dead
On November 1 and 2, Mexicans celebrate All Saints’ and All Souls’ Day. In the weeks leading up to this “Day of the Dead,” Mexico City bursts with color. Residents build ornate altars to their deceased loved ones, and dress up skeletons like scarecrows as a reminder that death is a part of everyone’s life.
