From Kutztown University
KU Presents! will kick off its Performing Artists Series with the Chicago-based Mariachi Herencia de Mexico at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 26, at the Schaeffer Auditorium at Kutztown University. The band is known for its energy, virtuosity, and innovative approach.
Mariachi Herencia was founded in 2017 by director Cesar Maldonado, who opened a mariachi music academy in Chicago for local, inner-city youth. After the first year of classes, an audition was held for advanced students to form Mariachi Herencia de Mexico. This new generation of 14 mariachi musicians (ages 18 to 32) debuted their first of five albums, the Latin Grammy-nominated “Nuestra Herencia,” that year; “Herederos” was also nominated in 2023. Their latest album is “Viva La Musica.”
Mariachi music, which is recognized as Mexico’s Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO since 2011, is beloved all over the world for its passionate singing, beautiful and exciting blend of instruments, and beautiful melodies. Developed in the rural areas of Jalisco in the 19th century, traditional mariachi is based on the folksong genre known as son Jalisciense. The songs were accompanied by a vihuela (a small high-pitched Spanish-style guitar); two violins; and a guitarron (a very large acoustic bass guitar).
As the form moved from the country to the urban center of Guadalajara, it evolved into the larger ensemble that we recognize today: up to eight violins, two trumpets, guitar, guitarron, and vihuela. The players often take turns singing lead, and all participate in backup singing.
Mariachi music now incorporates many forms, including polkas, waltzes, rancheras, cumbias, boleros, and more. Members wear charro costumes — a nod to the ranching origin of the music — which include long pants or a skirt and a short, highly embroidered jacket, a silk tie, and a big sombrero.
The music grew very popular in Mexican film during the mid-20th century, and a few of the lead singers became screen idols, particularly “Los Tres Gallos:” Jorge Negrete (1911-1953), Pedro Infante (1917-1957), and Javier Solis (1931-1966). In Mexico City, the Plaza Garibaldi is a tourist attraction, where many mariachi bands can be heard.
In the 1940s and ’50s, the traditionally all-male Mariachi bands began adding women, like Lola Beltran and Lucha Villa, who became famous in their own right.
There is an annual International Mariachi Festival in Guadalajara, where for 10 days, more than 500 bands gather to perform. In the United States, many high schools in the Southwest and elsewhere have school mariachi programs, and the annual Tucson International Mariachi Conference showcases the student bands. Since 1991, the Las Vegas International Mariachi Festival has attracted many devotees.
What sets Mariachi Herencia apart from most Mariachi bands is their biculturalism. Growing up in Chicago, these musicians were steeped not only in their families’ Mexican music traditions, but they heard everything from hip hop and rock to jazz, soul, salsa, bolero, bossa nova, and many other genres. They have incorporated some of those sounds into their arrangements, which use the traditional Mexican instruments plus Puerto Rican and Cuban timbales, conga, bongos, and keyboards. They have also added a folk harp, used in the music of the Veracruz region of Mexico, Paraguay, Venezuela, and other areas of South America.
“We’re not afraid to take mariachi to new places,” Maldonado said. “I think we do an amazing job at fusing our instruments with other genres, while retaining the essence of our music. We reimagine music we grew up with and give it a contemporary twist. We do our own arrangements generally. Some of our members compose music, but we’ve also worked with other legendary arrangers in the mariachi genre, like Rigoberto Alfaro. Rigoberto wrote music for legends, like Jose Alfredo Jimenez and Vicente Fernandez.”
“We are thrilled to take ‘La Nueva Generacion Tour’ across the U.S. through next year. I think it’s an important time to share the beauty of our culture. Additionally, we are already working on our next recording project, a new sones album where we rescue and reimagine traditional music from 16 regions in Mexico. We expect to make our debut in Europe and in Latin America in 2026.”
Tickets for Mariachi Herencia de Mexico are $44 for adults, $42 for seniors, and $19 for students. Tickets can be purchased at www.KutztownPresents.org or by calling the KU Presents! Box Office, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday, at 610-683-4092. Established to be the center of cultural life at Kutztown University, KU Presents! serves the campus and community by bringing world-class live arts that entertain, educate, and enrich.
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Source: bctv