Mariachi del Pacífico
January 2011

Juan, our founder and Music Director, studied at the National Conservatory of Music in Mexico City. He started the first full-band mariachi in 1994. Being a professional level violinist in both Classical and Latin-American folk music, he uniquely features the VIOLIN(s) in Solo, Duo, Trio, and full band; expert in other Latin American musical instruments, is able to offer performances off Spanish and Latin-American folk music according to original style. Mexico has 5 musical provinces, and Central, S. America, and the Caribbean many more. Though we all speak Spanish (Castilian - the main language originated in Spain), to us the music from each subculture is as distinct as the Spanish accent in each.

If you need more than just singing with guitar accompaniment for your private party, contact Mariachi del Pacífico directly, with no intermediaries. This allows us to plan even better; for a celebration is a very important matter - well planned - where people must feel both excited and comfortable; or, ¿why have it?

 
1994

The 13 member band Mariachi in Hawaii grew out of the mini Mariachi "Los Amigos" and the long standing "Las Señoritas" band on the Island of Oahu, led for more than 20 years by two highly talented sisters, Luisa & Teresa, who began their long musical career at the National Conservatory of Music in Mexico City, and accompanying their father in musical presentations in Mexico at a young age.

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3 Directors of Mexican music in Hawaii, year ~1994. From the Left: Juan, Luisa and Alfonso, each with more than 20 years experience performing Mexican styles of live music.

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Hawaii has long since been a good place for celebrations (many romantic weddings per year). A full mariachi band consists of some 10 players, but we decided to form as large a band as the local economy could support. Hawaii's society is very transcient, and travel to the other counties (islands) is time-consuming to say the least, and a peril to our instruments. But nevertheless, we persevered and gradually a good repertoire began to flourish. We found out, our instrumentalists need not speak Spanish, but rather play with precision and be able to memorize music quickly. Mariachi en Hawaii is a happy semi-professional group of musicians who are willing to share the remuneration with more players for the joy of playing Mariachi music with a full band. Mariachi comes from a land where labor is cheap. Having one in Hawaii, where rents are sky-high, took some doing and experimentation.
 

We are a mixed band

For us, being able to integrate women instrumentalists (guitarrón, viola, violin), not just as vocal soloists, merely shows that Mariachi music has now been to some extent finally disassociated from low bars, alcoholism, and places of ill repute. The essential traditions in Mariachi are more directly related to musical style than to the musician's gender, or to garment style.
 

Mariachi music is a transplant in Hawaii, where beautiful music of Hawaiian heritage abounds, music historically linked to the guitar family of instruments, Mexico and Spanish California. That is why we called ourselves initially Mariachi en Hawaii- a Mariachi in "Paradise" as some people put it. Just another way of celebrating Life in Hawaii.

Under the non-profit umbrella of the Hispanic Center of Hawaii, Mariachi en Hawaii began performing often after their premier at Mamiya Theatre in Honolulu on February 19, 1999. After that it has sustained a series of public and private performances. Contact us via email at the address above for inclusion in our event announcement service by email, or if you have skills to contribute of any sort.

Philosophy

The Mariachi del Pacífico is based on the ideas and varied experience of Juan Muñoz, trained in violin and guitar at the National Conservatory of Music in Mexico City. He believes in the merit of the part time professional musician, who is often a pioneer able to create and undertake contracts in a creative, independent manner.

Each Mariachi must appeal to its own audiences. So Mariachi bands must be somewhat different. Just that is enough to strike a heavy controversy... Visiting Mariachi musicians from the Mainland will often not understand the need to adapt to the local market, which, in Hawaii, is definitively not Latino.

Since Hawaii has a very small Latino population, relatively speaking,that means emphasizing what each of our Asian descendant audience types can assimilate, and within that, what we are able to produce within our resources. If the focus is on quality and purity, respecting tradition, much can happen. Another emphasis is on live, acoustic, custom performances above all, not recordings. Who really needs more CD's? More than that, we need music that brings us all together again.
 
 

What Mariachi can be: This month's (July) featured "video/audio":

Mexican elementary schools often feature folk dancing, and so most of the population knows a few mariachi steps, which involve foot tapping (zapateado), on a wooden stage (tarima), and is a form of dancing that requires great stamina. This dance's name is translated "The Bottle", and involves doing some fancy footwork over a glass bottle. As you can see, sometimes the bottle falls over, and the couple are supposed to stop, having failed.

What Mariachi can be: Former month's (February) featured "video/audio":

A famous mariachi band arranging the lively Jarocho traditional music of Veracruz,
a separate musical region of Mexico which originated "La Bamba".

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In honor of our Marketing Director, and founder of AIWANA Artists and Events Coordination/Honolulu, we would like to thank Sonia C. Fabrigas for her enduring work in helping establish Mariachi del Pacífico. Her dedication to our work, accuracy, and love for all humanity is appreciated. Sonia is now doing television editorials, and is excellent in project development from start to finish. Not many know, but she's also a sensous and classy Middle-Eastern dancer and choreographer.

Music Director, Juan Muñoz
Tel: 808/225-8970
eMail: Please@hawaii.rr.com

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