UCLA group Mariachi de UCLAtlan provides opportunity to celebrate Dia de los Muertos in traditional form at Fowler Museum
Mariachi de UCLAtlán, with special guest Baile Folklórico, celebrates Dia de los Muertos with traditional Mexican songs. On Thursday, the group will be performing mariachi music in honor of family members who have passed.
Courtesy of ROMEO GUZMAN
DIA DE LOS MUERTOS
Thursday, 6 p.m.
Fowler Museum, FREE
By Niran Somasundaram
Oct. 26, 2010 1:52 a.m.
While the rest of the campus is getting into the Halloween spirit, Fowler Museum will be preparing to host a holiday celebration of its own. Come Thursday night, the museum’s amphitheater will be covered in marigolds and will play host to a skeleton-clad mariachi, a Mexican musical ensemble, to celebrate Dia de los Muertos.
UCLA’s mariachi group Mariachi de UCLAtlán will be performing Thursday at 6 p.m. as part of Fowler Museum’s Fowler Out Loud concert series.
Dia de los Muertos, meaning “Day of the Dead,” is a traditional Mexican celebration, held on Nov. 2, that focuses on remembering and honoring friends and family who have passed away.
Beginning at 4 p.m., concertgoers will be invited to decorate the concert space by drawing traditional Dia de los Muertos altars, drawing offerings to loved ones who have passed away, and lining the ground of the amphitheater with marigold flowers, which traditionally line graveyards in Mexico and hold a symbolic significance for the holiday. This event will be hosted by guest artist Justin McInteer and will be a part of Big Draw LA, an annual event that is essentially a citywide celebration of drawing.
The idea to hold a mariachi concert for the holiday was proposed by members of Mariachi de UCLAtlán, a mariachi group that has frequently performed at Fowler Out Loud events.
Mariachi de UCLAtlán was founded 39 years ago as a small student organization that eventually grew into a full-fledged mariachi group. The group disbanded after a few years as interest dwindled, but it was revived in the 1990s under the name “Mariachi Nuevo UCLAtlán.” In 2006, the name was changed back to Mariachi de UCLAtlán, and it has remained as such ever since.
The group puts an emphasis on maintaining mariachi’s cultural identity, especially on a campus as musically active as UCLA.
“Our goal is to preserve our cultural heritage and offer a place for people to explore that heritage,” said Miguel Pasillas, a fifth-year ethnomusicology student who plays the guitarrón, which is a large six-stringed acoustic bass, and the trumpet for the group.
Mariachi de UCLAtlán plays traditional mariachi music and features the traditional mariachi instrumentation. The bass line is played by the guitarrón, the rhythm is played by the small high-pitched five-string guitar called the vihuela, the melody is backed by the acoustic guitar and the harp, and the sound is rounded out by violins and trumpets. The members share vocal duties, with different members singing different songs.
“It’s rewarding to play with such a good group of musicians,” said JazmÃn Morales, a second-year ethnomusicology student and violinist for the group. “It’s great to play together and be serious about music we all care deeply about.”
Mariachi de UCLAtlán said that it is glad to participate in the L.A. mariachi scene.
“Los Angeles is one of the most important cities for mariachi music,” said Jessie Vallejo, an ethnomusicology doctoral student and violinist for the group. “It’s great being in a city where you can go see mariachi bands playing in restaurants, go sing mariachi karaoke or go to Boyle Heights, which is essentially a mariachi plaza. There’s just such a variety.”
For Dia de los Muertos, Mariachi de UCLAtlán is planning to put a more festive spin on its show. Mariachi celebrations of Dia de los Muertos usually involve intricate face makeup and special costumes, a tradition that the group said it hopes to follow. For a few select songs, Mariachi de UCLAtlán will be joined by members of Baile Folklórico, a campus group focusing on traditional Mexican dance.
In addition, the group is planning to play a special set of traditional Dia de los Muertos songs to mark the occasion.
“We have a few songs that are only played at this time of year because they are relevant to the holiday,” Vallejo said. “Songs like “˜La Bruja’ (The Witch) and “˜La Llorona’ (The Crying Woman) have a bit of a darker tone.”
Mariachi de UCLAtlán’s Dia de los Muertos celebration offers UCLA students the opportunity to experience a cultural holiday in its traditional form.
“If (you) have ever been interested in mariachi music, you should show up,” Vallejo said. “It’s a good way to explore music, heritage and cultural history.”
