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Spring Sing 2023: Mariachi de Uclatlán takes on nontraditional tunes, explores emotion

The members of Mariachi de Uclatlán stand together, holding their instruments. The group will return to the Spring Sing stage on Friday. (Myka Fromm/Daily Bruin)

By Leydi Cris Cobo Cordon

May 19, 2023 10:34 a.m.

This Spring Sing, Mariachi de Uclatlán is having its own superbloom.

The annual tradition will take place on Friday at the Los Angeles Tennis Center and fourth-year ethnomusicology student Saveena Patel said the collegiate mariachi band will play an arrangement of “Orange Blossom Special.” Blending Western and Mexican music together, fourth-year anthropology student Ricardo Dollero said the nontraditional song choice was made to honor the Mexican-American experience while also appealing to a broader audience. Though the complex arrangement is difficult, Patel said working on it has further unified the group.

“When a song has different challenging aspects to it, it’s more important than ever to make sure that we’re able to stay together, and try to learn the piece together,” Patel said. “It’s very comforting to have others by your side. … (There’s) also that excitement of when you finally get the piece, when the pieces come together. It’s such a beautiful journey to watch the piece come to life.”

(Myka Fromm/Daily Bruin)
Fourth-year ethnomusicology student Saveena Patel stands by a microphone surrounded by the rest of Mariachi de Uclatlán. Patel said rehearsing for Spring Sing has strengthened the group's bonds. (Myka Fromm/Daily Bruin)

[Related: Spring Sing 2022: Naya Zamaana to perform original mashup with Western, South Asian elements]

As opposed to last year’s Spring Sing, the piece is not a traditional mariachi song, Dollero said. However, the genre’s influence is still present, as Patel said the performance integrates violins with the traditional mariachi style. Beyond that, she said the group is encouraged to further honor Mexican culture through the use of “gritos,” which show a musician’s passion in the form of an energetic scream or vocalization.

Patel said the arrangement will be played in a “ranchera” style, characterized by a coordinated strumming pattern in the “armonía” section – which includes multiple guitars and a vihuela, guitarrón and harp – alongside trumpets and violins. Third-year education and social transformation and ethnomusicology student Alexis Romero said in addition to all the musical components, the performance will include movement.

Since the group depends on each other, Romero said preparing for the performance required discipline. For example, Romero – who plays the guitarrón – said they are responsible for maintaining the tempo for the group. Dollero said the piece was arranged by Mariachi de Uclatlán’s faculty director Jesús Guzmán. Furthermore, Patel said Guzmán encouraged the unison of the team.

“(Guzmán) always tells us, ‘Remember, we are one, we play as one, so we must sound like we are one person,’” Patel said. “For example, when all of the people in the ‘armonía’ section are strumming, we must sound like we’re strumming one strum together. … We’re individuals that are equally passionate for the same type of music, … and that has helped us make closer connections and be able to play more in sync.”

Additionally, Patel said the ensemble’s cohesion is crucial because of the genre’s significance within Mexican culture and heritage. By playing together, the musicians are able to better convey the powerful message of each song, she said. Similarly, Dollero said the history of mariachi music gives it the power to conjure various emotions within one song.

“The music of mariachi is very emotion-driven because of its origins,” Dollero said. “It’s music that’s about the people of the ranch, the people who are workers. It’s about love. It’s about sadness. The genre itself is all about feeling, so it’s all inspired by emotion.”

With a name that roughly translates to “Mariachi of the Land of UCLA,” Mariachi de Uclatlán is made up of musicians from many identities and ethnicities who share a love for the genre, Dollero said. On the Spring Sing stage, he said he hopes to dispel the stereotypes of who can become a mariachi and show that the genre exists and is appreciated across the globe.

(Myka Fromm/Daily Bruin)
Members of the collegiate mariachi hold trumpets, guitars and guitarróns. Fourth-year anthropology student Ricardo Dollero said mariachi music elicits powerful emotions. (Myka Fromm/Daily Bruin)

[Related: Spring Sing 2022: Zeinah explores escapism in intimate original song with vocalist Kailynn Wright]

As a South Asian musician, Patel said she didn’t expect to end up in mariachi, but she fell in love as she was introduced to the genre and culture and hopes the audience will seek it out as well. Similarly, Romero said they hope to spark community interest in mariachi and Mexican music.

“(Performing at Spring Sing) is really special to me because, in general, the mariachi’s mission is to preserve and educate (future generations) about Mexican culture and music … so that the culture doesn’t die,” Romero said. “Spring Sing is a great platform, … which is a great thing because everyone should be able to enjoy and be exposed to Mexican music.”

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Leydi Cris Cobo Cordon
Cobo Cordon is the 2023-2024 music | fine arts editor. She was previously an Arts reporter. She is also a second-year student from northern Virginia.
Cobo Cordon is the 2023-2024 music | fine arts editor. She was previously an Arts reporter. She is also a second-year student from northern Virginia.
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