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.
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.
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 DeVilbiss-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.
In honor of our Marketing Director, and founder of AIWANA Artists and Events Coordination, we would like to thank Sonia C. Fabrigas for her enduring work in helping establish Mariachi del Pacífico. Her dedication, accuracy, and love for all humanity
will always be remembered.
This site is maintained by
Juan DeVilbiss-Muñoz
No_Squint Technologies
