Teenage Mariachi Ensemble Records Album With Music Legend Rigoberto Alfaro During Pandemic, While Social Distancing
The historic tradition of mariachi music has roots in Mexico, especially Guadalajara and Mexico City, places where the festive folk style lives since the glory days of the mid-1900s. Today, the future of the mariachi genre may rest in the hands of a young, dynamic ensemble from Chicago, IL, Mariachi Herencia de México.
This mariachi comes from an unlikely source: a four-year-old ensemble that started as a student group in Chicago Public Schools and is mostly composed of teenagers between 14 and 18. Their debut CD four years ago was nominated for a Latin GRAMMY®.
This group of young Mexican-American musicians released their fourth studio album Esencia, Vol. 2, May 29, 2020. The new album features 18 musicians on 13 classic songs, with arrangements by GRAMMY® award-winning composer and musical director Rigoberto Alfaro; It’s a collection of classics from the Mexican songbook.
Recording an album with 18 musicians during a pandemic presented a special challenge. Mariachi instruments are usually recorded by section, but on this album, each young musician was recorded individually. Alfaro was unable to travel to Chicago to be in the studio with the group, due to COVID-19. However, sixteen-year old trumpet player and singer Marco A. Villela stepped-in as musical director.
One of the most important outcomes of Mariachi Herencia’s collaborations with Alfaro is how much the kids and Marco learn from each other. At such a young age, Marco has demonstrated an understanding of music at a more in-depth level. He closely studied Alfaro’s arrangements, developing an ear for his unique rhythms and harmonies. Marco has already begun to compose music for the group on his own.
Sixteen-year-old violinist and singer Karla de la Cerda says the goal of the Esencia albums is to record classic Mexican songs with a fresh and progressive quality while staying true to the original sound that made these songs so popular before.
“We’re teenagers and we feel a responsibility to share these songs with our own generation, so they’re not lost. These songs are part of our culture, our history, and it’s our job to make sure they’re not forgotten. One of my favorites is Amor Eterno. There are so many different versions of this Juan Gabriel classic, but our version has a modern and elegant twist to it.”
Esencia, Vol. 2 includes very special collaborations with two famous mariachis, Mariachi Cobre and Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán. Mariachi Cobre is vocally featured on Cuando México Canta, while Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán is vocally featured on Vamos a Darnos Tiempo.
The album also includes other songs from the Mexican Songbook to Ranchera standards, including México Lindo y Querido, Los Laureles, and Si Nos Dejan.
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