Los Mariachis!
An Introduction to
Mexican Mariachi Music

Patricia Harpole, Ph.D.,
and Mark Fogelquist (director of Mariachi Uclatlan)

Click to listen!

ISBN 0-937203-31-9 Book/audio cassette SET $16.95
ISBN 0-937203-79-3 Book/audio CD SET $16.95

Mariachi ensembles provide some of the most distinctive, dynamic music of Mexico. A quick glance at the current popular music scene in the United States reveals the increasing influence and vitality of the Mexican and Mexican-American Mariachi tradition. Linda Ronstadt has recorded (and toured throughout the USA) with some of the best Mariachi musicians. Movies such as Mi Familia highlight this vibrant music.

Los Mariachis! looks at the history, instruments and sounds of the Mariachi tradition‹a sound which is being heard more and more outside of Mexico. States throughout the southwestern US, including Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona and California, and other urban areas, such as Chicago and in Washington state are home to numerous mariachi ensembles.

This enjoyable unit is perfect for one to three classroom sessions. It is equally useful for music, social studies or Spanish language classes, or music lovers who would like to know more about contemporary Mexican culture. (A complete Spanish translation for the narration and study questions is included as an appendix.)

Most suitable for grades 5 and up, this self-contained book and audio unit includes:

• 8 1/2 x 11 booklet with narration and additional information on the history and customs of the mariachi tradition
• Vocabulary and pronunciation sheet
• Study questions (and answers)
• Copy-OK Musical transcriptions
• Complete Spanish translation of the narration and study questions
• Loose map and photos for bulletin board display or overhead projector
• Bibliography/discography
• The companion audio CD or cassette includes the complete narration as well as all the musical examples, pronunciation of the Spanish lyrics and complete performances of two songs, performed by El Mariachi Uclatlan.

About the Authors:

Patricia W. Harpole, Ph. D. received her degree in Music Education/Ethnomusicology from UCLA, specializing in Hispanic music of the southwestern US. She has been a music resource specialist for the Los Angeles Unified School District, and a member of the faculty of California State University, Northridge.

Mark Fogelquist, MA, received his degree in Ethnomusicology from UCLA, specializing in mariachi music. He has been in love with the sound of the mariachis since the age of 14. He has spent years playing with groups in Guadalajara, Tijuana and East Los Angeles, and is both an accomplished performer (violin) and an authority on mariachi music. He is the former director of El Mariachi Uclatlan, one of the top mariachis in Southern California. Mark now teaches music in Wenatchee, Washington, where he has begun a mariachi program in the schools.