Southland Sessions

Mariachi: from Romance to Resistance
Hosted by Mariachi musician Julian Torres, this episode explores the tradition of Mariachi music and its transformation through time and circumstance. See how groups are finding ways to survive and support one another, like Mariachi Aguilas de Oxnard, who took to the fields to celebrate farmers. Featuring special performances by La Marisol and Quetzal.
TRANSCRIPT
[PLAYING SLOW TUNE]
MAN: WELCOME TO "SOUTHLAND
SESSIONS." EVERY WEEK, WE
SHOWCASE THE VIBRANCY AND
RESILIENCE OF THE CREATIVE
COMMUNITY ACROSS SOUTHERN
CALIFORNIA. MY NAME IS JULIAN
TORRES. I AM A PROUD MARIACHI
SINGER, SONGWRITER, AND
MUSICIAN. I HAVE BEEN PERFORMING
THIS BEAUTIFUL ARTFORM SINCE THE
AGE OF 7. IT IS MY HONOR TO BE
YOUR HOST. TODAY, WE ARE LOOKING
AT HOW MARIACHIS AND TRADITIONAL
MEXICAN MUSIC HAVE ADAPTED FROM
VIRTUAL SERENADES TO BACKYARD
SING-A-LONGS AND TRIBUTES TO OUR
ESSENTIAL WORKERS. THIS IS HOW
MY COMMUNITY HAS RESPONDED TO
THESE CHANGING TIMES. THE
PANDEMIC MIGHT KEEP US APART,
BUT IT WILL NEVER SILENCE THE
MUSIC.
ANNOUNCER: "SOUTHLAND SESSIONS"
WAS MADE POSSIBLE IN PART BY...
THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES
DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS
AND THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR
THE ARTS.
WOMAN: BUENAS TARDES DESDE
CASITA. BUENAS TARDES FROM THE
BACKYARD.
[SPEAKING SPANISH]
[GUITAR PLAYING SOFTLY]
[MAN SPEAKING SPANISH]
PEPE!
[WOMAN SINGING IN SPANISH]
[BOTH SINGING]
[BOTH SINGING]
ECHALE, PEPE.
[PEPE CONTINUES PLAYING SOFTLY]
[BOTH SINGING]
LA MARISOUL: WHOOEE!
THAT WAS LA MARISOUL, THE VOICE
OF L.A. AND BANDMATE AND
GUITARIST FROM LA SANTACECILIA
PEPE CARLOS SINGING A CLASSIC
COVER FROM JOSE ALFREDO JIMENEZ
"LA CIUDADES" SAFELY FROM HER
BACKYARD IN NORTHEAST L.A. AS
YOU CAN SEE, MARIACHI MUSIC HAS
BEEN DEEPLY ROOTED IN THE
HISTORY OF LOS ANGELES AND IS
BLOOMING NOW MORE THAN EVER,
STARTING WITH THE CREATION OF
THE WORLD'S FIRST MARIACHI
DINNER SHOW LA FONDA IN 1969.
THE TRADITION OF THE SOUNDS AND
SIGHTS OF MARIACHI SURGED FROM
LOS ANGELES THROUGH THE U.S. AND
THE WORLD. SINCE ITS BIRTH ON
THE OCCIDENTAL COAST OF MAINLAND
MEXICO, THE SPIRIT OF MARIACHI
HAS ALWAYS BEEN A WAY TO BRING
PEOPLE TOGETHER. I REMEMBER
ATTENDING MY FIRST MARIACHI
CONCERT AS A KID WHEN I WAS 6
YEARS OLD AND TELLING MY DAD,
"PAPA, THAT IS WHAT I WANT TO BE
WHEN I GROW UP.
[MUSIC PLAYING AND BOY SINGING]
AS A PANDEMIC LOOMED OVER THE
MARIACHI COMMUNITY, WE WERE LEFT
WITHOUT GIGS, WITHOUT WORK,
WITHOUT SUSTAINING INCOME. BEING
THAT I AM A TRUMPET PLAYER WITH
AN UNDERLYING CONDITION, IT HAS
BEEN VERY DIFFICULT TO RISK
BEING OUT IN PUBLIC WITHOUT A
MASK. MANY OF US HAVE BEEN
FORTUNATE TO HAVE THE ABILITY TO
FIND AND CREATE DIFFERENT WAYS
OF KEEPING THE SOUNDS OF THE
VIOLINS, TRUMPETS, GUITARS,
GUITAR OMBRES, AND VIHUELA
GUITAR ALIVE. WELL-KNOWN
MARIACHI GROUPS LIKE MARIACHI
AGUILAS DE OXNARD,
FOR EXAMPLE, WERE ABLE
TO EXPRESS THEIR GRATITUDE AND
BRING JOY TO THE ESSENTIAL
WORKERS IN THE FIELDS OF
VENTURA COUNTY.
[SPEAKING SPANISH]
[SINGERS SINGING IN SPANISH]
[OZUNA SPEAKING SPANISH]
[SINGING IN SPANISH]
[CHORUS SINGING]
[OZUNA SPEAKING SPANISH]
[PLAYING QUIET TUNE]
JULIAN: AMONG THE UNCERTAINTIES
OF THE SHELTER-AT-HOME ORDER,
MARIACHIS AND OTHER MUSICIANS
HAVE FOUND CREATIVE WAYS TO KEEP
PERFORMING AND REACHING THEIR
AUDIENCES.
[WOMAN SINGING IN SPANISH]
JULIAN: I, MYSELF, HAVE CREATED
A FRIDAY NIGHT LIVESTREAM
CONCERT SERIES CALLED "NOCHE
DE..." WHERE I PLAY CLASSIC
MARIACHI STANDARDS. I'VE ALSO
OFFERED VIRTUAL SERENATAGRAMS
FOR ANY OCCASION AND MOVED ALL
MY MUSIC TEACHINGS TO ZOOM.
LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT HOW OTHERS
ARE EMBRACING TECHNOLOGY.
[PLAYING UPBEAT MARIACHI MUSIC]
JULIAN: LIVE PERFORMANCES ARE
NOT COMMON OR APPROPRIATE THESE
DAYS. I HAVE HAD TO PERFORM ON
MY FRONT PORCH, HAVE SHOWCASED
MY NEW SONGS ON INSTAGRAM LIVE,
AND HAVE HAD A SUCCESSFUL
MOTHER'S DAY VIRTUAL CONCERT ON
ZOOM, WHERE I WAS ABLE TO
INTERACT WITH THE AUDIENCE AND
SEE THEIR BEAUTIFUL FACES. AS
STRANGE AS IT IS, THIS TIME HAS
GIVEN US A MORE INTIMATE SPACE
TO PERFORM AND CONNECT. MI
COMPANERO AND WONDERFUL REGIONAL
MEXICAN SINGER DEYRA BARRERA,
CO-FOUNDER OF HER OWN MARIACHI
QUARTET, MARIACHI CORAZON DE
MEXICO, PERFORM SOLO AND WITH
GUESTS ON INSTAGRAM LIVE ALL THE
TIME, AND THE LIKES GO CRAZY.
HAILING FROM SONORA, MEXICO, SHE
HAS A LONG HISTORY AS A MARIACHI
MUSICIAN AND HAS PARTICIPATED IN
MANY NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL
SINGING REALITY TV SHOWS. MOST
RECENTLY, AS ONE OF THE 4
FINALISTS OF UNIVISION'S "LA
REINA DE LA CANCION." DURING THE
LOCKDOWN, DEYRA HAS BEEN HANGING
OUT IN HER BACKYARD WITH HER
FAMILY. HERE SHE IS CELEBRATING
HER TIA'S BIRTHDAY PARTY.
[WOMEN SPEAKING SPANISH]
[JOSEFINA SINGING IN SPANISH]
[DEYRA PLAYING GUITAR]
[BOTH SPEAKING SPANISH]
[SINGING IN SPANISH]
[JULIAN AND DEYRA SPEAKING
SPANISH]
[DEYRA SINGING IN SPANISH]
JULIAN: [SPEAKING SPANISH]
CANCION "VAS A CAER"
WAS WRITTEN BY MARIA
COCO VILALOBOS. THIS
SINGER/SONGWRITER FROM TIJUANA
IS A TOP-CLASS ARTIST. HER
MOTHER, GRANDMOTHER, AND
GREAT-GRANDFATHER WERE MARIACHI
MUSICIANS, SO SHE HAS THE GENRE
IN HER BLOOD. HER CAREER LED HER
TO WIN PRESTIGIOUS AWARDS. COCO
EVEN OPENED UP FOR THE LATE,
GREAT MEXICAN POWERHOUSE JOSE
JOSE. CURRENTLY, COCO IS ALSO
REGULARLY ACTIVE ON HER FACEBOOK
LIVE FEED SINGING HER OWN PENNED
CLASSICS TO A LOYAL GROUP OF
FOLLOWERS. WHO WOULD HAVE
THOUGHT THAT YOU'D BE GETTING AN
INTIMATE VIRTUAL PERFORMANCE BY
AN INCREDIBLY CHARISMATIC ARTIST
MAKING YOU FORGET THAT WE'RE
LIVING IN THE TIME OF A
PANDEMIC?
[COCO SINGING SOFTLY IN
SPANISH]
JULIAN: WHILE DEYRA AND COCO
HAVE THE MORE TRADITIONAL
MEXICAN INFLUENCE,
BACKGROUND, AND VISION,
L.A. TREASURE LA MARISOUL
IS SINGING A NEW SOUND
BORN OUT OF L.A. WHILE
PRESERVING THE ESSENCE OF HER
MEXICAN HERITAGE AND ADVOCATING
FOR IMMIGRANT RIGHTS. AS WE SAW
AT THE OPENING OF THE EPISODE,
LA MARISOUL AND HER COMPADRE
PEPE CARLOS
HAVE BEEN BUSY PLAYING
MUSIC AT HOME, EVEN WHILE MAKING
SALSA.
[PLAYING LIGHT TUNE]
[LA MARISOUL SINGING IN SPANISH]
JULIAN: LA MARISOUL AND THE
MUSIC OF LA SANTACECILIA
ARE AN INSPIRATION
TO A NEW GENERATION OF YOUNG
ARTISTS TAKING THE MANTLE OF THE
CULTURE. EVEN IF MEXICAN FOLK
MUSIC HAS ALWAYS BEEN CONSIDERED
A MALE-DOMINATED GENRE,
17-YEAR-OLD ANESSA HAS BEEN
RECORDING HER OWN PERFORMANCES
AT HOME IN OXNARD, CALIFORNIA.
HERE SHE IS SINGING AND PLAYING
EVERY SINGLE INSTRUMENT OF LA
SANTACECILIA'S "COMO DIOS
MANDA."
[SLOW TEMPO]
[ANESSA SPEAKING SPANISH]
[ANESSA SINGING IN SPANISH]
JULIAN: AS A NEW GENERATION
TAKES OVER THE MANTLE OF PUSHING
MEXICAN TRADITIONAL MUSIC
FORWARD, IN 2014, MARIACHI
ARCOIRIS BECAME THE WORLD'S
FIRST LGBTQ+ MARIACHI BAND IN
THE NATION. THIS ENSEMBLE IS
CONTINUING THE TRADITION OF
MEXICAN REGIONAL MUSIC WITH
FRESH ENERGY AND PRIDE. THEY
HAVE BECOME A STAPLE OF THE
"BRADY BUNCH" MARIACHI ZOOM
PERFORMANCES TODAY. HERE THEY
ARE WITH A TRIBUTE TO EL REY
DE BOLERO ALVARO CARILLO.
[UPBEAT TEMPO]
[MAN SPEAKING SPANISH]
[TRUMPET SOLO]
[MAN SPEAKING SPANISH]
[VIOLIN SOLO]
JULIAN: AS THE GENERATIONS
CONTINUE, SO DO THE TRADITIONS.
MARTHA GONZALEZ AND QUETZAL
FLORES OF THE
GRAMMY-WINNING CHICANO
BAND QUETZAL HAS SPENT TIME
GETTING DEEP INTO THE ROOTS OF
THE MUSIC AND ARE PASSING THE
TORCH. THEIR SON SANDINO WROTE
THE SONG YOU'RE ABOUT TO HEAR IN
QUARANTINE. INSPIRED BY "FOLLOW
THE DRINKING GOURD," A SONG
TAUGHT TO BLACK CHILDREN DURING
SLAVERY TO GUIDE THEM TO
FREEDOM, THE SONG IS A STARK
REMINDER OF THE HISTORICAL
INEQUITIES IN OUR SOCIETY AND
THE ROLE THAT MUSIC HAS ALWAYS
PLAYED IN BRINGING HOPE, TRUTH,
AND JOY TO EVERYONE. HERE IS THE
QUETZAL FAMILY TRIO PERFORMING
"ESTRELLA DEL NORTE."
[PLAYING UPBEAT TEMPO]
[SANDINO SINGING IN SPANISH]
[ALL SINGING TOGETHER]
[SANDINO SINGING]
[ALL SINGING TOGETHER]
[SANDINO SINGING]
JULIAN: HOLA, QUETZAL AND
SANDINO. COMO ESTA?
QUETZAL: HOLA QUE TAL.
BUENOS DIAS.
JULIAN: BUENOS DIAS. GOOD
MORNING. THIS BEAUTIFUL SONG YOU
JUST PLAYED--WHAT IS THE HISTORY
BEHIND IT?
SANDINO: WELL, "LA ESTRELLA
DEL NORTE" TRANSLATES TO "THE
NORTH STAR," WHICH IS LIKE A
STAR IN THE CONSTELLATION THE
BIG DIPPER. SO I--THIS SONG I
WROTE IS ABOUT FORCED MIGRATION,
AND IT HAS A LOT OF REFERENCES
TO THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD. SO
THE MELODY IS BASED OFF OF THE
MELODY FROM "FOLLOW THE DRINKING
GOURD," WHICH IS A SONG WRITTEN
BY THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD
CONDUCTOR PEG LEG JOE. HE HAD A
PEG LEG, A PROSTHETIC.
JULIAN: HA HA! WOW. SPEAKING
ABOUT HISTORY AND TRADITION AND
EVERYTHING, WHY IS IT IMPORTANT
TO KEEP--FOR INSTANCE, THE MUSIC
ALIVE, THE RHYTHMS, THE SON
JAROCHO, BOLEROS, MARIACHI? WHY
IS IT IMPORTANT NOT ONLY FOR THE
YOUTH BUT FOR ALL OF US TO KEEP
THESE SOUNDS AND THIS MUSIC
ALIVE?
SANDINO: IT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE
WE'VE BEEN SYSTEMATICALLY
DEHUMANIZED THROUGHOUT HISTORY.
AND ESPECIALLY RIGHT NOW, IT'S
IMPORTANT TO SHOW PEOPLE THAT WE
HAVE CULTURE, WE HAVE A HISTORY.
WE'RE ANCIENT PEOPLE. WE HAD
CIVILIZATIONS, AND WE'RE JUST
RICH IN ALL OF THIS CULTURE. AND
THROUGH THAT PROCESS, WE CAN,
YOU KNOW--WE'RE HUMAN AND WE CAN
SHOW THAT, AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO
KEEP THAT ALIVE.
QUETZAL: SO, IN ADDITION TO WHAT
SANDINO JUST DESCRIBED, I WANTED
TO SAY THAT THESE RHYTHMS THAT
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, THESE
MELODIES, THESE ARE THE
ANCESTORS SPEAKING THROUGH US.
THESE ARE THE CONTINUED VOICES
OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE REFUSED THE
DESTINY THAT WE'VE BEEN HANDED
WHO HAVE CREATED THE POSSIBILITY
FOR ALTERNATIVES FOR
"RE-MEMBERING" 'CAUSE WE'VE BEEN
DISMEMBERED. AND THESE RHYTHMS
AND MELODIES ARE WAYS FOR US TO
RE-MEMBER OUR HUMANITY AND TO
REMEMBER THE IMPORTANCE OF
CRITICAL CONNECTION. AND THROUGH
THESE PROCESSES, WE'RE ABLE TO
HOLD ONTO EACH OTHER AND TO
THESE DEEP, DEEP, DEEP ROOTS
THAT ALLOW US TO MOVE FORWARD.
JULIAN: BEAUTIFUL. IT'S AMAZING
TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THAT RICH
HISTORY WHERE WE CAN IDENTIFY
THROUGH MUSIC, LISTENING TO A
CERTAIN RHYTHM AND FEELING IT IN
OUR BONES, IN OUR SOUL. HOPE YOU
GUYS KEEP BEING HEALTHY AND GOD
BLESS YOU GUYS. THANK YOU FOR
BEING HERE WITH ME.
QUETZAL: THANK YOU SO MUCH.
[JULIAN SPEAKING SPANISH]
MEN: SI, SEÑOR!
[JULIAN CONTINUES SPEAKING]
WE HOPE YOU'VE ENJOYED YOURSELF
HERE AT "SOUTHLAND SESSIONS."
HOPE TO SEE YOU SOON NEXT WEEK.
[SPEAKING SPANISH]
[SLOW TEMPO]
[JULIAN SINGING IN SPANISH]
ANNOUNCER: "SOUTHLAND SESSIONS"
WAS MADE POSSIBLE IN PART BY...
THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES
DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS
AND THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR
THE ARTS.
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