AUSTIN, Texas - Mariachi music has been played all over and while the music and tone hasn’t changed much in the past two centuries, one local group has a different look.
The backstory:
For generations, mariachi music was shaped by tradition; charro suits inspired by horsemen, bold, bravado-filled songs, and stages mostly filled by men; while women were often left watching from the audience.
Mariachi Chicana said we’re going to change that.
"I was moving here from California to go to school at Texas State University. And I was doing research, because in California, I was part of an all-female mariachi over there as well, called Mariachi Divas. And I knew that I wanted to continue that. I wanted to continue being an all-female mariachi. So, when I did research, I noticed there was none in Austin. So I thought, I need to move to Austin and I need (to) start that there," says Alicia Rubio, co-founder of Mariachi Chicana.
What they're saying:
"A difference that I wanted to bring because some of the women on another mariachis wear their hair up. So that does play to our femininity, and I love that. Why not express yourself and highlight those things that you have that are positives. And as well, we wear skirts. So that's another feminine thing, but we did want to keep the traditional moño," says Rubio.
"I think mariachi, you know, it's wonderful. I love mariachi music, but I feel like with it all female, we get to dress cute and, you now, all match in the earrings and then the voices sound really good, you know, when harmonized. It's just different. I think it's like more angelic," says Mireya Batres, lead singer for Mariachi Chicana.
Jacy Malicia is a 5th generation Austinite. She says she’s grown up surrounded by music and seen the music scene change throughout the years.
"My mom would take me to Artz Rib House on South Lamar, and we would listen to rockabilly music. So that bass, I fell in love with it, that standup bass. And I started in orchestra in middle school. And then in high school, I wanted to wear the outfit. I thought it was the coolest thing in the world. And little by little, my love grew from orchestra to mariachi," says Jacy Malicia, guitarron player for Mariachi Chicana.
Mariachi Chicana is a full ensemble with violins, guitar, trumpets, and guitarron which are instruments some in society might say were made for a man to play. Malicia took that as a challenge.
"I've been playing for almost 20 years now and I'm proud and to this I'm still learning things, but I taught myself and my teacher was an orchestra teacher who was a female and we learned together," says Malicia.
Dig deeper:
Behind the traje, the members of Mariachi Chicana are cultural leaders, educators, mothers, students, and working professionals who embody excellence both on and off the stage.
"We're breaking those barriers and I look forward to the day that any female can play any instrument and nobody's going to blink an eye or even think about why is that one? It's just you play what the instrument picks you, whatever you feel in your heart. So, I'm glad that they all play different instruments because you can make a mariachi," says Rubio.
What's next:
The group is working on releasing an original song.
You can check it out here.
The Source: Information from reporting by Jessica Rivera and interviews with Mariachi Chicana members Alicia Rubio, Mireya Batres and Jacy Malicia.