Study Guide forCinco de Mayo

With Mariachi Femenil Orgullo MexicanoMay 4, 2010

Written by Nydia Algazzali Gonzalezfor Mariachi Femenil Orgullo Mexicano and Youth in Arts

999 Fifth Avenue, Suite 290San Rafael, CA 94901www.youthinarts.org

Sponsored by

California Curriculum Standards and Performing Arts Field Trips

California’s Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA) framework for students’ learningabout the arts is divided into five strands. Following are ideas for relating eachstrand to a performing arts field trip.

1.0 Artistic Perception

Students perceive and respond to art, using increasingly sophisticated vocabularyand concepts.

Take time before and after the performance to discuss the experience. Ask childrento re-enact scenes or reproduce movements, tones or rhythms. Use study guide toreview vocabulary or key concepts.

2.0 Creative Expression

Students use various media to express meaning and intent in original works of art.

Attending a performance can inspire children to create their own art. Youth in Artscan provide instruction in Mexican music and dance and many other art forms inyour classroom. To learn more, call 415-457-4878.

3.0 Historical and Cultural Context

Students analyze the relationship between the arts and diverse cultures of the pastand present.

Use maps, photos and stories to learn about places and people associated with theart form. Discuss language, costumes, etc. Where was the performance set? Howdo you know?

4.0 Aesthetic Valuing

Students critically assess and derive meaning from arts experiences.

Ask students to respond to the performance, challenging them to go beyond wordslike “good” or “interesting”. How did sounds, movements or lines of dialoguecreate a mood or send a message?

5.0 Connections, Relationships and Applications

Students apply arts learning across subject areas and with respect to their own lives.

Read books related to the performance. Develop projects using the art form (i.e.puppetry, song) to explore academic concepts. Discuss the arts profession. How doperformers learn their skills?

Background:

What is Mariachi?Mariachi music is a folk tradition that originates in Central Western Mexico,spanning the political states of Jalisco, Nayarit, Colima and Michoacan.

In its earliest form, mariachi music was a regional folk genre, practiced only inrural areas of that region for local fiestas; providing the music for traditional dancessuch as sones and jarabes. Mariachi music, dress, repertoire and instrumentationhas grown and changed as its popularity has grown throughout Mexico and theworld.

Today’s modern mariachi groups typicallyconsist of 6-12 musicians dressed in a variantof the traje charro, and playing the modernmariachi instrumentation: violins, trumpets,vihuela, guitar, guitarrón and sometimes harp.Mariachi is still the main attraction at manyfiestas, but is also considered an icon ofMexican culture, performed on stages and atfestivities throughout the world.

“The region of mariachi”; Jauregui, Jesus. El Mariachi. Símbulo Musical de Mexico. pg. 213

Mariachi Chapala in 1960

Mariachi Vargas de Tecatitlan with President LázaroCárdenas; (Miguel Alemán Valdés,1934).

HistorySome scholars believe that the word mariachi comes from the now-extinct Cocalanguage of the indigenous people of central Jalisco. There have been otherexplanations noting the similarity of the French word mariage, but historicaldocuments show that the word was used prior to the French presence in Mexico.

Since mariachis began as a rural tradition, there is not much documentation to tellus about the growth of this genre during early times. Scholars agree that its originsdate back to the nineteenth century in, Central Western Mexico, the epicenterbeing the State of Jalisco. One of the earliest written references to the musical genrewas found in church documentation in 1852. Many scholars believe that its originsdate back to at least the nineteenth century.

After the Mexican revolution,mariachis began migrating to thecities. One of the first urbanmariachis to make permanenceresidence in Mexico City wasMariachi Coculense de CiriloMarmolejo. Although MariachiCoculense held great popularity inMexico City, one of the mostinfluential urban mariachis isMariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán.

Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán wasfounded by Gaspar Vargas in 1898 in Tecatitlán, Jalisco. The original memberswere: Gaspar Vargas (guitarra de golpe), Manuel Mendoza (harp), RefugioHernández (violin) and Lino Quintero (violin). By the 1930s their group wasgrowing in size and moved to Mexico City, when theywere invited to play for President Lázaro Cardenas’inauguration in 1934.

Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán went on to be the groupwith most longevity and influence, setting the stage forall groups that followed, and has since been known as“El Mejor Mariachi del Mundo” (The GreatestMariachi in the World). Once mariachis gainedpopularity in Mexico City, the transformation from arural folk genre, to a symbol of Mexican culture andnationalism began.

(For more information, see Jonathan Clark’s essay onMariachi Vargas de Tecatitlan: http://mariachihistory.com/vargas.htm)

Mariachi Coculense de Cirilio Marmolejo

Mariachi Coculense de Cirilio Marmolejo with Dr. Luis RodríguezSánchez in Mexico City, 1926; Jauregui, Jesus. El Mariachi.Símbulo Musical de Mexico. pg 77

Mariachi Vargas de Tecatitlan in Tijuana, BC, 1931;Jauregui, Jesus. El Mariachi. Símbulo Musical de Mexico.

Jose Sosa, Mariachi Chapala

InstrumentationThe instrumentation of the mariachiensemble includes both instrumentsthat are of European origin:trumpets, violins and guitar; andthose that have European influences,but distinct features that are nativeto Mexico: arpa jaliscience, guitarrade golpe, vihuela and guitarrón.

The most prominent of the earlierconfigurations of the mariachi

ensemble were: harp, violin andguitarra de golpe; violin, guitarrónand guitarra de golpe; or violins with

a guitarrón and vihuela. This depended on the specific region and how theinstrumentation had evolved in that area.

After the revolution of 1910, mariachi ensembles were growing in size, and by the1930’s, were including trumpets, and more violins. Eventually the guitarra de golpewas replaced with the vihuela and guitar, and since the guitarrón served as aconvenient and portable bass, we began to see the rapid decline of harp inmariachis.

Arpa Jaliscience (Jalisco Harp) – This folkharp usually has 35-38 strings (5 or moreoctaves). In a modern mariachi ensemble, theharp is used to play the bass notes and playthe melodies. This harp has the sound holeson the front side of the body. Since theseharps were designed to be played in one ortwo keys, the musician must re-tune the stringswhen changing from one key to another.

Guitarra de Golpe – This instrument was theoriginal chordal instrument used in the firstmariachi ensembles. It is a bit smaller than aclassical Spanish guitar, but has a deeperbody. The tuning pegs are made of wood.The traditional tuning is DGBEA, althoughthere are many variations used to tune thisinstrument. The guitarra de golpe issometimes referred to as a guitarra quinta orjarana.

Gaspar Vargas, Mariachi Vargasde Tecatitlan

Ninfa Iglesias, MariachiFemenil Orgullo Mexicano

Juan Marmolejo, MariachiCoculense de Cirilo Marmoleja

Laura Sobrino,Marachi Mujer 2000

Adela Valdez, MariachiLas Generalas

Guitarrón – The guitarrón serves as themain bass instrument for a modernmariachi. It is a large guitar-likeinstrument with a convex shaped back,(like the hull of a ship) and 6 strings on afretless neck. The tuning for the guitarrónis ADGCEA. The top three strings arenylon and the bottom three are metal.Typically, guitarrón players double thebass notes at the octave by plucking twostrings at once.

Vihuela – The Mexican vihuela, named after theSpanish instrument used in the sixteenthcentury, is a small, deep-bodied rhythm guitarbuilt in a similar fashion to the guitarrón, with aconvex shaped back. Its five strings are tunedlike the first five of a guitar: ADGBE. The A,Dand G strings tuned one octave above, similar

to a ukulele.

Guitarra (Guitar) – Modern mariachis use theclassical Spanish guitar. This guitar is usedfor harmonic accompaniment in combinationwith the vihuela. The guitar has 6 nylonstrings and is tuned EADGBE.

Violín (Violin) – Mariachi musicians use thetraditional European violin. Although it hasancient origins, the modern-day violin wasperfected in Italy during the 16th century. Ithas 4 metal strings with wooden tuning pegsand tuned in perfect fifths: GDAE. Modernmariachis will typically have 3 to 6 violins inthe ensemble.

Lucia Perez, MariachiFemenil OrgulloMexicano

Trompeta (Trompet) – Mariachi musiciansuse the European trumpet. The trumpethas the highest register in the brass family.Modern mariachis will typically have oneor two trumpets in the ensemble.

RepertoireMariachis were commonly associated with the rural fiesta or fandango (danceparty), and with the tarima (wooden platform) upon which couples would dancesones and jarabes, the two most important genres of the early mariachi music. Thetraditional sones combine elements of folk music from Spain, Africa andIndigenous American tribes. Examples of these sones antiguos (early sones) ofmariachi sones are El Limoncito, El Súchil, La Chachalaca and El Tecolote.

As the mariachi repertoire has expanded and become more representative ofMexico as a nation, other regional sones are now part of the repertoire. Examplesof this are: “La Malagueña”, a son huasteco from the eastern coast of Mexico,known for its falsettos and Arab and Spanish influenced melodies; and “La Bamba”,a son jarocho from Veracruz, known for its syncopated African rhythms, and acombining of Spanish, African, Arab and Indigenous traditions.

The modern mariachi repertoire has expanded from just sones, to a variety ofgenres from all over Mexico and Latin America including:Cancion Ranchera – (2/4 or 3/4 meter) Songs that are usually about love, courtingor nature.Corrido – (2/4 or 3/4 meter) These songs usually tell a story about a person orplace, and were used as a tool for oral history and storytelling.Polka - (2/4 meter) Influence of the European polkas brought to the northernregions of Mexico.Pasodoble – (2/4 meter) Directly interpreted from the Spanish music in La Fiesta delos Toros (The Party of the Bulls).Vals – (3/4 meter) Influenced by the European Waltz, these are usually played forformal dance occasions.Bolero – (4/4 meter) A genre brought from Cuba, having roots in the contradanzas(contredanse) of 18th century England.Danzón – (4/4 meter) A result of the criollo (people of Spanish descent living in theAmericas) music of Cuba and the coastal region of Veracruz.Cumbia – (4/4 meter) Popular dance music that originated in South America(specifically Colombia) with influence from African rhythms.

Lucha Villa

Mariachi Las Generalas, 1976

ClothingPrior to the Mexican Revolution of 1910, mariachis had no uniform and made noattempt to dress alike. Some mariachis dressed in calzon de manta (homespunwhite cotton pants and shirts) and huaraches (leather sandals) and others wore thetypical attire from their region.

After the Mexican Revolution, mariachis were spreading beyond the rural settingsand were able to afford nicer attire. By the 1930s the traje charro emerged at thepreferred dress of mariachi musicians. This was the classic outfit the Jaliscohorsemen or charro, consisting of a waist-length jacket and tightly fitted wool pantswhich open slightly at the ankle to fit over a short riding boot. The fancy version ofthis outfit, worn by modern mariachis, is decorated with embroidery, intricately cutleather designs, or silver buttons in a variety of shapes. This was the style of thewealthy hacienda owners of that time, and the upper class horsemen. In modernmariachis where women participate as musicians, they typically wear a skirtversion of the traje charro.

Women in MariachiWomen have played an important part in the advancement andpopularity of mariachi music. During the “Golden Era” ofMexican cinema (1935-1959), many Mexican movie had amariachi ensemble playing music, and commonly, a leadinglady singing with them. Some of the lead women singers of thistime were Lucha Reyes (“La Reina de la Cancion Ranchera”),followed in later years by Lucha Villa ("La Grandota deChihuahua") and Lola Beltrán (“La Grande”).

During the 1950s, women were not onlysinging with mariachis, but also playinginstruments. All-female mariachi ensemblesbegan to surface in Mexico: Mariachi LasCoronelas, Mariachi Las Adelitas and theMariachi Estrellas de México. These womenbattled incredible resistance and disapprovalfrom their families and male peers.

In the United States, women mariachisstarted out by joining traditionally all-malegroups. In the U.S., the earliest knownfemale mariachi musician was documentedto have been performing as early as of 1971. The first all-female mariachi groupsformed in the U.S. in the late 1970s: Mariachi Las Generalas in Los Angeles,California and Mariachi Estrellas de Topeka in Topeka, Kansas. Since then, therehave been many more women mariachis and all-female groups thanks to advocatesand leaders such as Laura Sobrino, Musical Director of mariachis Mujer 2000.

Mariachi Femenil Orgullo Mexicano, 2010

Mariachi Femenil Orgullo MexicanoAs one of the first and only current femalemariachi in the San Francisco Bay Area,Mariachi Femenil Orgullo Mexicano iscomprised of women of varying ages,ethnicities and professions, ranging fromhigh school students to teachers. We havea strong focus on education and supporteach other in our musical and academiceducational endeavors. As a group, we arecommitted to making a difference in ourcommunities and providing a supportivevenue for young women to express

themselves artistically, enhance self-esteem and develop leadership skills. For moreinformation, contact Lilia Chavez at 650-219-5874 or visit myspace.com/mfom1

Agradecimientos (Special Thanks)Special thanks to Jonathan Clark, who has served as a mentor and resource for theshaping of this study guide. Jonathan Clark has dedicated much of his life toresearching the history and evolution of mariachi music. He founded the San JoséState University Mariachi workshop in 1991, which he directed for eight years, andcontinues to lecture and write about mariachi music and history. Thank you fortaking the time to disseminate the mariachi tradition to students around the world.

I would also like to thank William Faulkner, a mentor, teacher and expert on theJalisco Harp.

Sources and Resources:

William Faulknerhttp://www.jaliscoharp.com

Jonathan Clarkhttp://mariachihistory.com/

The History of Women in Mariachi Musichttp://www.mariachi4u.com/hwm/

Mujeres en el Mariachihttp://www.mujeresenelmariachi.com/

Mariachi Education Resourceshttp://www.mariachieducationresources.com/

Jauregui, Jesus. El Mariachi. Símbulo Musical de Mexico. Santilla EdicionesGenerales, S.A. de C.V. 2007

Classroom Activities

In order to facilitate these activities, you will need to have some mariachirecordings available for students to listen to. You could use any recordings thatyou already have, which include a variety of traditional songs. For those who donot already have such a collection, we recommend this album*:Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlan: Serie 20 ExitosThe activities include suggested songs from this recording, although you can findthe same songs from many sources and recordings.*There are many recordings available, and this just happens to be one that contains a nice variety of temposand genres.

Learning about BeatSet-up:Have students form a circle and have at least one mariachi song available to playduring the activity.Materials:CD Player, CD: Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlan: Serie 20 Exitos (or a similarcollection of songs)Procedure:• Have students put their hand on their heart and feel their heartbeat. Discuss the

importance of a pulse.o Why is your pulse important?o What happens if your heartbeat (or pulse) stops?

• Discuss how the “pulse” (or beat) is what gives you life. The beat also gives lifeto the music.

• Discuss the difference between the pulse and the rhythm:o Pulse: rhythmical beating, vibrating, or sounding whose value is

normally constant.o Rhythm: A strong, regular repeated pattern of movement or sound.o An easy way to describe how they work together: The pulse (downbeat)

remains constant and stable while the rhythm kind of dances around it.The rhythm may change, while the pulse stays the same.

o In a mariachi, the guitarrón usually plays the downbeat with the bassline.

• Play a compilation CD of mariachi music, mixing different rhythms, like son (LaNegra), ranchera (Cielito Lindo), polka (Jesusita en Chihuahua), etc. Try to varythe tempo and beat patterns. Have students find the pulse (or downbeat) ofeach piece and clap to it.

Dancing to the RhythmSet-up:

Have students form a circle and have a compilation recording of mariachimusic available to play during the activity. This should be done after studentshave successfully participated in “Learning about Beat”.

Materials:CD Player, CD: Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlan: Serie 20 Exitos (or a similarcollection of songs).Procedure:• Play a son jaliscience (La Culebra) Have students find the pulse of the music

playing. Once they have found the pulse, experiment with rhythms that go withthe music, by clapping them.

• Once students have explored the rhythm with their hands, have each studenttake a turn creating a body movement that goes with the beat that is playing.The other students mimic the movement.

• To directly relate this exercise to Mexican Folk Dance that accompaniesmariachi son, have students transfer the rhythms to their feet and practice foottapping movements called zapateado. Some good sones for dancing are: LaNegra, El Jarabe Tapatío, El Carretero, and La Bamba. Students can do this ingroups or as individuals and share it with the class. This exercise helps thestudents really understand the concept of beat and rhythm.

Listening and ReflectionSet-up:

Students can sit at their desks with paper and pencils. Have at least onemariachi song available to play during the activity.

Materials:CD Player, CD: Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlan: Serie 20 Exitos (or a similarcollection of songs), paper, pencils, Mariachi Femenil Orgullo Mexicano StudyGuide, pictures of modern mariachi groups and instruments for students to review.Procedure:• Review the mariachi instrumentation with your students, using the study guide

section “Instrumentation”.• Once they are familiar with the instrumentation, have students close their eyes

with their heads on their desks as they listen to a son jaliscience (such as LaNegra).

• After students have had an opportunity to listen once, play it again, this timeasking them to raise their hands every time they hear the trumpet, violins orharp (guitarron, guitar, and vihuela are usually constant throughout the song).

• Students can then create drawings of the instruments.• If working with upper grades, they can write about how each part of the music

makes them feel. If working with lower grades, students can create a drawingto accompany each instrument they hear.

Imaginary MariachiSet-up:

Have students work in groups of 4 to 6 people. Provide pictures of variousmariachis from different periods and with different attire available so thatstudents may reference them. This can be done either via a slideshow or acollection of photos that they can sort through in their groups.

Materials:Mariachi Femenil Orgullo Mexicano Study Guide, pictures of modern mariachigroups and instruments for students to review, papers, pencils.Procedure:• Each group should imagine that they are a mariachi group. Together they must

decide:• a name for their mariachi (in English or Spanish)• what instrument each of them plays• where their group is from• what their traje charro (mariachi uniform) looks like• what event they are hear to perform for (real or imaginary)

Once students have decided, hey can also design their group uniforms andcreate drawings of their groups with instruments and all!

• After completing the “Reporting Live From…” activity, someone from anothergroup may act as a reporter, asking the imaginary mariachi questions, so thatthe whole class can learn about their group.

Reporting Live From…Set-up:Students can participate in this activity as a large group from their desks. Studentsshould have access to pictures of different mariachi groupsMaterials:Papers, pencils.Procedure:

• Ask students to imagine that they were reporters for the local news channelfor cultural events.

• What questions would they ask a mariachi that has come to their town foran event.

• Compile a list of these questions and have students act as news reporters sothat they may interview one of the mariachi musicians after the show.

Make an InstrumentSet-up:Choose one of the instruments for the whole class to create, or split the class upinto groups so that they may play together as an ensemble composed of differentinstruments.Procedure:

• Straw Horns (Materials: straws, scissors)o Cut the ends of straws in a "V" shapeo Press down on the ends of the straws, flattening themo Blow into the straws to produce interesting sounds!o Experiment with the length of straws. Discuss relationship between

length and pitch.o Discuss how length of air columns affect sound in things like

recorders, flutes, etc.• Rubber Band Guitars (Materials: 1 sturdy box with lid per student, 6 rubber

bands of different thickness and size per student, 2 pencils per student,scissors)

o Cut a circle in the lid of the box for the sound holeo Stretch rubber bands, or thin elastic bands around the box, stretching

over the sound holeo Tuck a pencil under the bands on each side of the sound hole, lifting

the bands up to avoid buzzing.o Discuss the effect of different lengths of elastic, different thickness,

and different tensions and how it affects pitch.o Explain similarities with guitars and violins and other string

instruments.• Bottle Flutes (Materials: 1 recycled bottle per student, water)

o Students place their bottles side by side on a surfaceo Start by filling the first bottle half way with watero Add water to each bottle, making sure every one has a little more

than the bottle before ito When blowing across the top of the bottle, each one should produce

a different frequency.o Discuss the effect of depth of water and how it affects the pitcho Students can adjust the levels of the water to “tune” their instruments

and play a collaborative piece!

Mariachi Worksheet

Circle the area in which mariachi music started in it’s earliest form:

Name 5 of the instruments used in Mariachi music.

1. 4.

2. 5.

3.

Label as many instruments as you can.

1.__________ 2._________ 3.________ 4._________ 5._________ 6.______________