Most MariachiMusic.com readers are already familiar with University of Texas-Pan American at Edinburg’s award-winning Mariachi Aztlán. Truly in a class by itself, this is the most acclaimed ensemble to yet emerge from the U.S. mariachi educational movement that originated at UCLA in 1961. Mariachi Aztlán was founded in 1989 by Dr. Dahlia Guerra, who continues to oversee UTPA’s mariachi program. The group is currently under the direction of Prof. Francisco Loera. Over the past 15 years, this unparalleled assemblage of student musicians has won more first-place awards at more mariachi competitions than any other group in history. The most competitive of these is San Antonio’s Mariachi Vargas Extravaganza, where for nearly two decades UTPA’s mariachi took top honors yearly, and where many of its members have served as workshop instructors. Mariachi Aztlán currently alternates with Mariachi Vargas as accompaniment for Pepe Martínez’s new mariachi opera El Pasado Nunca se Termina. The group’s latest CD, Mi Nombre es México, reaffirms Mariachi Aztlán’s preeminence as the world’s premier collegiate mariachi ensemble.

This new CD, in celebration of Mariachi Aztlán’s 25^th anniversary, was produced and directed by José Hernández, director of Mariachi Sol de México — a group whose recordings are renowned for having some of the highest production values in mariachi music. Since 2005, all of Sol de México’s CDs have been recorded at Hernández’s own Lake Arrowhead Studios, located in that scenic resort community nestled in the San Bernardino Mountains, about an hour-and-a half drive from Los Angeles. While Mariachi Aztlán was in southern California last summer to compete in the José Hernández Mariachi Nationals (where they took top honors), they recorded this CD at Lake Arrowhead. Until now, the only other mariachi to be recorded at that studio has been Mariachi Reyna de Los Ángeles.

Michael Sital, Francisco Carreón, Eddy López, Dahlia Guerra, José Hernández, Francisco Loera, Nathan García, Carlos González, and José Pérez at Lake Arrowhead Studios.

Mariachi Aztlán boasts a superabundance of outstanding singers and instrumentalists who can hold their own against the very best professional mariachis. Furthermore, two of its musicians are accomplished arrangers. Of the eleven arrangements featured on this CD, four were written by Josué Eduardo “Eddy” López, and one by Alán Arce. Both group members are alumni of Boston’s prestigious Berklee College of Music. Of the six remaining arrangements, five are by José Hernández and one is by Fernando de Santiago of Mexico City.

“The musical level of college and university mariachi musicians has soared to amazingly high levels,” says producer/director José Hernández. “All the Aztlán members were extremely responsive to my direction, and the different instruments and voices quickly united in tight rapport to achieve precisely the style I’d envisioned for this CD. The rhythm section arrived well-rehearsed, so with them it was only a matter of polishing tiny details in the huapangos and sones.”

Champion vocalists Mónica Fogelquist and Clyde Guerra
(Photo courtesy Mónica Fogelquist)

Without underrating the virtues of any of the talented vocalists who give outstanding performances on this CD — not the least of whom include Carlos González, José Pérez, and Micheal Sital — Mariachi Aztlán has two singers who possess voices that are nothing less than angelic: Mónica Fogelquist and Clyde Guerra. It may not come as a surprise that each won first place in their respective division at the 2014 Mariachi Vargas Extravaganza vocal competition. Both singers are so extraordinary that I wouldn’t be surprised if we see solo CDs by them in the near future.

Also worthy of special mention is Iván Velasco, whose virtuoso harp playing gives a unique touch to this CD. The Xalapa, Veracruz native particularly shines on sones jarochos and sones huastecos, and this album’s three huapangos (“La Morena,” “El Huérfano,” and “El Alegre”) and one pseudo-huapango (“Ojalá Que Llueva Café”) provide magnificent vehicles for showcasing his instrumental prowess. In the manner of a master jazz musician, when given a chord progression to vamp on, Iván can improvise chorus after chorus of breathtaking solos, and he never seems to run out of interesting musical ideas.

Musical highlights from this CD

Well-chosen for this album’s title track and opening theme is “Mi Nombre es México,” singer-songwriter Gao de la Cruz’s patriotic hymn to his homeland that won first place at the famous Viña del Mar (Chile) songwriting competition in 2006. Previously recorded by singer Juan Valentín, this Eddy López arrangement outdoes the original. The outstanding vocal performance given here by young Clyde Guerra — currently a high school senior and soon to be a UTPA freshman — makes this recorded version even more memorable.

José Hernández’s adaptation of “Paloma Querida,” José Alfredo Jiménez’s classic ranchera made famous by Jorge Negrete in 1951, is by far the most ambitious, complex, and technically challenging arrangement on this CD. If you want to know why, check out Aztlán member Eddy López’s video blog where he gives a detailed explanation.

The rhythmic accompaniment of Rigoberto Alfaro’s magnificent “Puro Michoacán” evokes the regional flavor of the conjuntos de arpa (prototype mariachis) of Rigoberto’s home state. This son first appeared on Vicente Fernández’s 1985 album De un Rancho a Otro, where it was a sleeper, never receiving much radio airplay. Although Juan Mendoza, Jr. “El Tariácuri” later recorded it, I’ve always thought this was an underexposed contemporary son that needed to be heard more. Mariachi Aztlán first learned this piece when its musician-arranger Fernando de Santiago gave a workshop at UTPA in 2010, and the group has been performing it ever since. “Puro Michoacán” is a tour de force that showcases the magnificent Aztlán rhythm section at its best.

One of the most successful Mexican songwriters of all time, Roberto Cantoral (1935-2010) was an original member of the famous trio Los Tres Caballeros. Eddy López assembled three of the late maestro’s most famous boleros into a Popurrí Roberto Cantoral that he is particularly proud of, as he explains in this linked video interview. The solo vocals and vocal trios in this medley are exquisite, as is the arrangement.

Often used by Mariachi Aztlán as the group’s opening number or theme song, Popurrí Tierra Mexicana, another Eddy López arrangement, stands quite well on its own as a solid mariachi popurrí.

Both “Ése” and “Historia de un Amor” represent exemplary unions of artist, repertory, and accompaniment. These two extraordinary tracks leave little wonder why a jury comprised of members of Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán chose both Clyde Guerra and Mónica Fogelquist as first-place winners at last year’s Mariachi Vargas Extravaganza vocal competition.

In 1958, huastecan musician-songwriter Nicandro Castillo (1914-1990) and his trio Los Plateados made a series of immortal recordings accompanied by Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán. One of the most outstanding of these is Nicandro’s huapango “El Alegre.” Mariachi Aztlán closes this CD with a tasteful and authentic remake of that classic, original version, transcribed and rearranged by Eddy López.

Clyde Guerra, Michael Sital, Orlando de León, Alán Arce, Erick Hernández, Miguel Gutiérrez and Danny Díaz record the violin parts to Mariachi Aztlán’s latest CD.

Without question, Mariachi Aztlán’s 25^th anniversary CD, Mi Nombre es México, sets a new standard for any recording by a college/university mariachi group. This album should please even the most discriminating mariachi fans — whose main complaint will probably be that it contains only 11 tracks and leaves them wanting to hear more!

—Jonathan Clark

Mi Nombre es México will soon be available on iTunes. To purchase a copy of the compact disc, please call (956) 665-2175.

See and hear Mariachi Aztlán perform material from their latest CD in San Antonio on Saturday, May 9 at the Empire Theater, in a Mother’s Day tribute titled “Serenata para las Madres.” Tickets can be purchased at ticketmaster.com beginning at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, April 1.

Track list

1. Mi Nombre es México (Gao de la Cruz)

Arrangement: Eddy López

Vocal: Clyde Guerra

2. Paloma Querida (José Alfredo Jiménez)

Arrangement: José Hernández

Vocal: Alán Arce

3. Puro Michoacán (Rigoberto Alfaro)

Arrangement: Fernando de Santiago

Vocal: José Pérez

4. Popurrí Roberto Cantoral (Roberto Cantoral)

Arrangement: Eddy López

—Aléjate

Vocals: Carlos González, José Pérez

Vocal trio: Julián Torres, Carlos González, José Pérez

 —Regálame Esta Noche

Vocal: José Pérez, Julián Torres

 —Reloj

Vocal: Carlos González

Vocal trio: Julián Torres, Carlos González, José Pérez

5. Ojalá Que Llueva Café (Juan Luis Guerra)

Arrangement: José Hernández

Vocals: Carlos González, Michael Sital

6. Popurrí Tierra Mexicana (Bermejo-Esparza, Trigo, Fuentes)

Arrangement: Eddy López

 —Mi Tierra Mexicana (Felipe Bermejo-Alfonso Esparza Oteo)

Vocal chorus: Mariachi Aztlán

—Mi Ciudad (Guadalupe Trigo)

Vocal: Mónica Fogelquist

—Qué Bonita es mi Tierra (Rubén Fuentes)

Vocal: Rubén de los Santos

7. La Morena (traditional)

Arrangement: Alán Arce

Vocal: Michael Sital

8. Ése (Carlos Lico)

Arrangement: José Hernández

Vocal: Clyde Guerra

Trumpet solo: José Hernández

9. El Huérfano (Esmeralda Guzmán)

Arrangement: José Hernández

Vocal: Carlos González

10. Historia de un Amor (Carlos Eleta Almarán)

Arrangement: José Hernández

Vocal: Mónica Fogelquist

Vocal trio: Julián Torres, José Pérez, Alán Arce

11. El Alegre (Nicandro Castillo)

Arrangement: Eddy López

Vocal trio: Rubén de los Santos, José Pérez, Fernando Mendoza

Musicians who performed on this album

Violin: Alán Arce, Orlando de León, Danny Díaz, Mónica Fogelquist, Clyde Guerra, Miguel Gutiérrez, Erick Hernández, Josué Eduardo “Eddy” López, Michael Sital

Trumpet: Francisco Carreón, Valentín González, David Moreno, Ricardo Munguía

Vihuela: José Pérez

Guitar: Adolfo Estrada

Guitarrón: Francisco Carreón

Harp: Jorge Iván Velasco

Additional musicians: Carlos González, Rubén de los Santos, José Hernández, Fernando Mendoza, Julián Torres