One need not understand Spanish, but just the expression and rhythm of the Mexican Mariachi songs by Flor-de-Toloache, New York City’s first all women Mariachi band, would make one dance to it. This was proved right at the recent workshop they conducted at K M College of Music and Technology recently.
The band’s current tour is sponsored by the US Consulate and includes Delhi, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Chennai. Promoting the Mexican flavour of music, the band members interacted with the students at KM college of Music and Technology, about the origin of Mariachi and their band.
Mariachi is a genre of music that originated in the State of Jalisco, in Western Mexico. It is an integration of stringed instruments and is highly influenced by the cultural impacts of the historical development in Western Mexico. In Mariachi, musicians have experimented with brass, wind, and percussion instruments in the past and now traditional instruments like violin, trumpet, guitarron, vihuela and guitar is being used. Mariachi’s theme basically involves around love, betrayal, death and politics, The genre has extroverted singers, sauve string and brass harmonies and romping rhythms.
What makes this band special are its members, who are from different cultural backgrounds, with their unique voice and appearance. These ladies have redefined Mariachi, which was considered a bastion for males. Their diversity makes them explore and blend different genres in Mariachi music. The nine members in the band are from different parts of the globe like Puerto Rico, Mexico, Singapore, Germany, Cuba, Colombia, Dominican Republic and the USA.
Maya Lalitha Shanker, a band member from Singapore, who is now settled in the USA but was born in Chennai, said, “All of us not only come from different cultural backgrounds, but from different musical backgrounds as well. This compliments the genre as it originated as a music of migrants. We all have had different experiences in different bands. This helps us in creating refreshing music every time.” Maya is happy to be back to her homeland and get inspired by Indian music.
For others in the band, it is their first time in India and they seem to be having an exciting time visiting places and getting exposure to the diversity in Indian music. “We are totally enjoying this tour. This is the first time in India for me and I am loving the culture and music here,” said Shae Geever Fiol, lead vocals, lead guitar/vihuela.
This workshop amazed the students as they were hearing such peppy folk for the first time. “They are amazing. This genre of music is new to us and we are inspired to do something creative like this,” said one of the students.
Before moving to Hyderabad for the next part of the tour, the band also performed at Alpha School and Express Avenue in Chennai.
