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Blog Post
Blog author: Dr. Dahlia Guerra Greetings, mariachi friends! We hope that you all are healthy and safe, and we hope your year is off to a great start!! These continue to be unusual times, to say the least, and we are told that the Spring of 2021 continues in like fashion. But FESTIBA 2021 must go on, so let’s plan for a virtual festival! The literary and performing arts have seen the world through many times of crisis. As we adjust to new realities during the ongoing pandemic, FESTIBA 2021, in general, will focus on Building Resilience Through Arts...
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Blog Post
For many years, Miguel Guevara’s love for music, culture and community was shared with all who were part of the Mariachi Vargas Extravaganza family. He wore several hats throughout the 26-year history of the music festival he loved so much. At times, he could be seen as the master of ceremonies for some of the mariachi group and vocal competitions. On other occasions, he would act as a bodyguard backstage for Mariachi Vargas members. Miguel had profound respect and love for Mariachi Vargas and for the many artists who participated in the Extravaganza throughout the years. He...
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Blog Post
A Full Recap of the 26th Annual Mariachi Vargas Extravaganza For the past 25 years, mariachi musicians from all over the country have traveled to the city of San Antonio, Texas take part in our Mariachi Vargas Extravaganza. Every year we look forward to seeing thousands of mariachi students, parents, and directors fill the halls and rooms of the Lila Cockrell Theatre, where the National Group and Vocal competitions are held. Hosting the Extravaganza in San Antonio during this COVID-19 pandemic was no longer a possibility, but our goal of bringing mariachi music and its culture to the people who...
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Blog Post
The 26th Annual Mariachi Vargas Extravaganza is the largest and longest-running mariachi music festival in the United States. Each year, more than 1,000 student mariachi musicians and vocalists convene in San Antonio from throughout the U.S. to participate in musical workshops, national competitions and grand performances. The event culminates with a concert featuring competition winners and Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán. Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, the Mariachi Vargas Extravaganza will go virtual this year with dozens of online educational initiatives and a fiercely competitive online vocal competition. Continuing with the desire to keep youth engaged through these challenging times,...
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Blog Post
Some called him “Santo Cecilio”; others, “the Mozart of mariachi.” To members of Mariachi Vargas, he was affectionately known as “El Chachalaco.” Regardless of what you called him, Pepe Martínez was a towering giant of mariachi music—a musical figure that none of us who had the privilege of knowing him will ever forget. Four years after his passing, mariachimusic.com and the Mariachi Vargas Extravaganza pay tribute to Pepe Martínez on what would have been his 79th birthday. José Martínez Barajas was born on June 27, 1941, in the southern Jalisco village of Tecalitlán, where he demonstrated a vocation for music at...
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Blog Post
Mariachi musicians knew her as “La Grandota,” while the media often referred to her as the “Mariachi Queen.” At 6-foot-one (1.85 meters), her presence was larger than life. As a mariachi musician, educator, researcher and tireless promotor of the genre, she left an indelible mark on the U.S. mariachi scene. On the fifth anniversary of her passing, mariachimusic.com pays a well-deserved tribute to Laura Garciacano Sobrino. Early history Laura Ann García was born on September 25, 1954 in the central coast agricultural town of Watsonville, California. In elementary school she began studying the violin. “The first moment I held a violin,...
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Blog Post
I had a chance to chat recently with Francisco Garcia about how he’s holding up during this COVID-19 pandemic and here’s what he had to say: Cynthia: How are you? Francisco: I’m fine. How are you? Cynthia: Great thank you. It’s good to hear your voice! How are your parents? Francisco: My parents are good... in Mexico working right now with the grocery store they have in Nueva Ciudad Guerrero. It’s about 15 or 20 minutes from Roma. Cynthia: How are you doing dealing with COVID-19? Francisco: It’s really scary, but at the same time, it’s given me more time...
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Blog Post
https://youtu.be/Q8ufULsKorE At last year's 25th Annual Mariachi Vargas Extravaganza, Mariachi Vargas performed the group's classic popurrí Fiesta en Jalisco. First released in 1970 as the title track to Mariachi Vargas’ album of the same name, Fiesta en Jalisco has become standard in the mariachi repertoire and is still performed regularly by groups around the world. The track itself is a medley of various traditional rancheras from the golden era of mariachi music and Mexican cinema. Mariachi historian Jonathan Clark provided the following information about the songs that comprise this classic popurrí: The introduction to Fiesta en Jalisco is an instrumental...
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Blog Post
Many of us have seen the video of Mariachi Nuevo Santander varsity students performing “El Relámpago” together, each from their own home. Since that video went viral over the past week, Eloy Garza, the mariachi director responsible for it, has been deluged with media interview requests and questions from other group directors and individual musicians on how he accomplished this feat. MariachiMusic.com contributor Jonathan Clark contacted Maestro Garza to ask him how the video was made and how he got the idea for it. Mariachi Nuevo Santander Varsity mariachimusic.com: Have you been using this technology for a long time? Eloy Garza: No....
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Blog Post
Muchos hemos visto el video de los estudiantes del Mariachi Nuevo Santander Varsity ejecutando juntos "El Relámpago", cada quien desde su propia casa. Desde hace una semana que el video se volvió viral, Eloy Garza, el director responsable, ha sido inundado con solicitudes para entrevistas con los medios y preguntas de otros directores y músicos, todos queriendo saber cómo logró esta hazaña. Nuestro colaborador Jonathan Clark contactó al maestro Garza para preguntarle cómo se hizo el video y cómo se le ocurrió la idea. Mariachi Nuevo Santander Varsity mariachimusic.com (mm.com): ¿Tienes mucho tiempo usando esta tecnología? Eloy Garza (EG): ¡No! Apenas comencé...
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