It’s a Merry-achi Christmas
Johnson County Community College |
Performing with them is El Ballet Folklorico Atotonilco, the dance and performance company of Guadalupe Center, Kansas City, Mo.
The nation’s premier mariachi, José Hernandez, and his group have brought world attention to the passionate and colorful music, culture, spirit and tradition that is uniquely Mexican. Born in Mexicali, Mexico, Hernandez is a fifth-generation mariachi who started playing with his five brothers at the age of 3. In 1981, he founded the Los Angeles-based Mariachi Sol del Mexico, which is greatly responsible for the increased recognition of this world-class music.
Mariachi Sol del Mexico is the rightful owner of the title "The Nation’s Premier Mariachi." Hernandez’s compositions are progressive with new rhythms added to a centuries-old style of music. His absolute mastery of the medium led him to assist in many film scores and compose, arrange, produce and tour internationally to sold-out audiences.
Hernandez is well known for his contributions to Hollywood. His first movie sound tracks were for Old Gringo with Jane Fonda, followed by American Me with Edward James Olmos. Other movie tracks are Seabiscuit, Don Juan DeMarco, Disney’s The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit and A Million to Juan.
He has recorded with the most respected and recognized names in the industry including Selena, Linda Rondstadt, Vikki Carr, Vicente Fernandez and Lola Beltran.
Hernandez is serious when it comes to expanding the boundaries of mariachi music. He possesses an excellent knowledge of music history, and his musical inspirations range from Bach to Augustine Lara. Mariachi Sol de Mexico is the first mariachi to perform on the classical music circuit. The group has performed with the prestigious Los Angeles Philharmonic and New Mexico, Colorado, Sacramento, San Francisco, San Diego and El Paso symphonies. Hernandez also produced "Tu solo Tu" on Selena's Dreaming of You album. Mariachi Sol del Mexico was the first mariachi ever to perform in the socialist countries of China and North Korea.
Mariachi music originated in the southern part of Mexico’s state of Jalisco sometime in the 19th century. Different theories postulate the meaning of "mariachi" ranging from the French word for "wedding" (a marriage of French and Mexican music) to the more recent scholarly view that the name comes from an indigenous tree whose wood is used to make guitars.
In the complete mariachi group today there are as many as six to eight violins, two trumpets and a guitar – all standard European instruments.
There is a high-pitched vihuela guitar, a deep-voiced guitarrón ("large guitar" in Spanish), and a Mexican folk harp – uniquely Mexican.
Although the roots of mariachi are hundreds of years old, there were no well-known mariachi composers. The music belonged to country people, and until the 1930s, mariachi groups were local and semi-professional, unknown outside their regions. In 1934, Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán was invited to play at the inauguration of a populist Mexican president, taking music from Jalisco to Mexico City, where they gained instant fame. With the development of recordings, radio and film, mariachi grew in prominence and professionalism. Today mariachi music is played around the world as pop, classical and jazz ballads.
When not on tour, Mariachi Sol del Mexico is at home at the Cielito Lindo (beautiful sky) Restaurant, El Monte, Calif.
El Ballet Folklorico Atotonilco teaches Latino children and youth about their culture and history through dance. Participants study traditional Mexican dance, Caribbean dance and the cultures from which these dances developed. El Grupo puts on three major performances and some 45 other performances a year.
Tickets for Mariachi Sol de Mexico are $30 adult and $15 youth (12 and under), available by calling the Carlsen Center box office, 913-469-4445, or online at www.jccc.edu/CarlsenCenter.
