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Carol Schmidt

Nov 26, 2003, 8:05 PM

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Mariachi serenade in our courtyard

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This is the kind of thing that makes me love Mexico.

Tonight at 9 I was in the kitchen putting together cereal and milk when I heard loud music. I thought it was commercials on TV, which are always loudder than the regular programs, but then the "Law and Order" voice intro came on and the music continued, even louder.

I grabbed my keys and went out on our balcony porch to discover nine mariachi musicians down below in the courtyard, serenading the newly reconciled couple downstairs. All the other residents of the eight casas came out to listen in on the serenade, which lasted half an hour.

Four violins, two trumpets, and three guitars of various sizes (the largest may have been a portable bass?) entertained the neighborhood with wonderful Mexican love songs, though they ended with an obviously less rehearsed "I left my heart in San Francisco."

One neighbor asked the guy how much it had cost, and he said "Expensive." More than $50 US? "Much more." So we decided we didn't have to tip them ourselves, too.

What a wonderful interruption of our TV watching! Now back to see "Law and Order" on the VCR.

Carol Schmidt

jennifer rose

Nov 27, 2003, 6:07 AM

Post #2 of 5 (994 views)

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Re: [Carol Schmidt] Mariachi serenade in our courtyard

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One neighbor asked the guy how much it had cost, and he said "Expensive." More than $50 US? "Much more."

At least $2,000 M.N. And up.

One December morning a year ago, I was awakened by the most pleasant music around 3 a.m. Like a
symphony. Living here as long as I have, you'd think I could figure out where the music was coming from, but my bedroom balcony faces west, and the street's on the east. So I threw on some clothes, went downstairs, opened the gate and had a look. Mariachis. Not that piercing shriek of trumpets that's the usual mark of mariachis, but soft, smooth music. And they went on for half an hour.

The Neighbor on the Corner has 3 daughters in university, which means 5 cars, plus boyfriends' cars, which often means that simply negotiating the block can be a Rubik's Cube experience.

A few days later I saw the Neighbor on the Corner with her daughter in the car, and I told the daughter how much I enjoyed the mariachis.

The mother chimed in “Those mariachis were for me. My daughter stayed out too late, and her boyfriend hired them to get back in my good graces.”

SteveInPVR

Nov 27, 2003, 6:30 AM

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Re: [Carol Schmidt] Mariachi serenade in our courtyard

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Carol....I'm in Puerto Vallarta, living in a small condo complex. Last year, in December, our doorbell rang and when I went to answer it there was a group of Mariachis in front of our building singing their hearts out. Apparently, they rang all the doorbells and hoped that people would come out, listen to them and tip them. Haven't seem them since, but would love to have them come by again!

Last year I had seen some "street performers" on Olas Altas. It was a guy playing a harp, and a woman dancing on a board she carried with her. Both were from Veracruz, and were stunning. I was having a fiesta later in the week, and asked them if they would come and perform for a half hour. They did, and the cost was $100USD. People are still talking about that night.

Steve
Steve

esperanza

Nov 27, 2003, 6:35 AM

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Re: [Carol Schmidt] Mariachi serenade in our courtyard

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Here's a glossary of the instruments the mariachi play:

Violín...............................violin
Trompeta.........................trumpet
Harpa..............................harp (this one isn't played very often now)
Vihuela............................the one that looks like a very small guitar
Requinto.........................the smallish guitar with a cutout at the top of the sound box
Guitarra...........................guitar
Guitarrón.........................the huge bass guitar

http://www.mexicocooks.typepad.com

jrice

Nov 29, 2003, 10:21 PM

Post #5 of 5 (918 views)

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Re: [jennifer rose] Mariachi serenade in our courtyard

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There's a fun record (or CD) you can sometimes find by the Mariachi Charanda that was recorded during an earlier moment in Mexico City when the government was financing children's concerts all over the place rather than subsidizing the elderly.

At any rate, in between songs, the musicians talk about the history of mariachis. As you might imagine from the name, they're a bit prickly over the idea that mariachis come from Jalisco and they're very interesting on the subject of what sorts of instruments, and where, make up a standard mariachi. They're also good on why there's not exactly a standard mariachi.

And they play pretty well, too.

Cheers.