Bass Hall handout
Over the preceding 100-plus years, the mariachi experience has been a staple at weddings, quinceañeras, birthdays, public festivals, and concert venues, such as Bass Hall on Tuesday night.
It dawned on one concert-goer on Tuesday night, however, that one could, and perhaps should, drop these guys into trouble spots around the world where the preferred method of conflict resolution is a call to arms.
These guys can change anybody’s attitude for the better in a real hurry.
Its upbeat and celebratory tone could transform even Vladimir Putin’s mood ring to loveable and accommodating. (If in the event I’m suddenly felled by some mystery nerve agent dropped into my Coke Zero over ice, notify the Scooby-Doo folks and remember that sentence.)
Whatever the case, the mariachis are a wonderful cultural exchange experience even for the gringo que habla muy poco Español. Spanish immersion and fluency are still on the to-do list of new tricks for this aging dog.
This is the music of Mexico, after all, and while it served as cultural exchange for me, for the 95% of all the others who filled seats at Bass Hall, mariachi is their cultural heritage and the emblem that connects them to their roots.
They clapped and sang along as the recently renowned Mariachi Herencia de México enthralled all of us for 100 or so minutes, plus an encore.
The occasion was, quite simply, glorious as the band showed off its versatility, each of the 14, outfitted in a green-and-gold charro suit, taking turns at the front.
Mariachi Herencia de México, founded as a youth ensemble from Chicago’s immigrant barrios, is a two-time Latin Grammy-nominated band, having issued five chart-topping albums and having performed all across North America.
“Nuestra Herencia,” the band’s 2017 debut album, topped the Latin streaming charts and earned the band their first Grammy-nomination for Best Ranchero/Mariachi Album. “Herencia de la Tierra Mía” in 2018 and the two-volume series, Esencia and Esencia, Vol. 2 issued in 2019 and 2020 charted atop all major streaming platforms and industry charts.
In 2022, “Herederos” appeared as the band were performing a wildly successful North American tour. “Herederos” received a 2023 Latin Grammy nomination for Best Ranchero/Mariachi Album.
Each of the members of range in age from 18-32. They are the nueva generación de mariachi.
The band is in New Braunfels on Wednesday in what promises to be a tricultural encounter.
Despite the historical intermixing of Texican and Mexican cultures, mariachi actually is an import. Moses and Stephen F. Austin likely never heard of it, though they could have.
That’s because there is some dispute as to its origins, which are believed to be in Guadalajara in the Jalisco sometime in the 18th century. During the Mexican Revolution from 1910-20, revolutionary Pancho Villa was said to have elevated the genre as a symbol of national pride, evolving from its beginnings as a regional tradition in rural areas.
And, indeed, shouts of “Viva, Mexico” are a common thread of mariachi concerts.
Mariachi programs have become commonplace across Texas. The North Side High School Mariachi program is award winning.
I recall attending a football pep rally at North Side several years ago. When the mariachis were called forth, the mood of the auditorium transformed. That's because whatever the mariachi touches instantly becomes happier.
¡Ay, ay, ay!
