Watch

All-Female Mariachi Band Breaks the Mold

Creator:
Published:
January 29, 2024
June 27, 2020
Watch how this all-female mariachi band is breaking the mold in a male-dominated arena.|Watch how this all-female mariachi band is breaking the mold in a male-dominated arena.

In a field that can be a bit macho, this all-female mariachi band in Texas has broken through. "We've got a unity with this group and a sisterhood, so being able to experience that together and share our music with the audiences and our passion for the music has been pretty special," Valerie Vargas explains.

Transcripción de Video

Carla Medina: Siempre digo que haría esto gratis. Sólo que resulta que nos pagan por ello. Es un verdadero placer salir y entretener a la gente. Hay tanta emoción ligada a la música que es un papel muy satisfactorio.

Narrador: Conocida como una de las mejores bandas de mariachi de Texas, el grupo es único. En un campo que puede ser un poco machista, esta banda femenina se ha abierto paso.

Ángela Campos: Tal vez no todo el mundo sabe que la música de mariachi es un género musical dominado por los hombres.

Carla Medina: Sabes que hay muchos estereotipos con respecto a las mujeres en el mariachi, y creo que eso ha sido algo grande.

Valerie Vargas: Tenemos unidad con este grupo y una hermandad. Por lo tanto, el poder experimentar todo esto juntas y compartir nuestra música con el público y nuestra pasión por ella, ha sido muy especial.

Ángela Campos: Es realmente impresionante inspirar a otras chicas que son más jóvenes para que puedan ver que también pueden hacerlo.

Narrador: A pesar de romper el molde como un grupo femenino, Las Altenas toca el fuerte y apasionado estilo de música clásica de mariachi.

Ángela Campos: El canto tradicional del mariachi es una canción, la comparación con... Así que es muy diferente, más agresivo al rascar las cuerdas.

Narrador: Unidas por su pasión por el mariachi, estas mujeres han derribado barreras y se han acercado a el público de jóvenes y mayores.

Carla Medina: Hay muchas veces en las que la gente llora cuando les cantas porque les recuerda a un ser querido que amaba esa canción, o "Esa fue nuestra canción de amor cuando nos casamos y escuchamos por primera vez".

Mariachi en el coro, mariachi en la banda, ambos están dentro de los instrumentos, con voces, pero la diferencia, creo, es que uno siente todo. La emoción que viene con la música de mariachi es lo que la distingue. Es algo espiritual. Te hace regresar. Me hace pensar en mis antepasados, mi abuelo que era músico, mis padres, mi familia y los acontecimientos de la vida. Todo está ligado a un lugar espiritual donde se ve la belleza, se ve a Dios, y todo se une al final.

Video Transcript

Carla Medina: I always say I would do this for free. We just happen to get paid for it. It's just a real pleasure to go out and entertain people. There's just so much emotion tied to the music that it's a really fulfilling role.

Mariachi, San Antonio, Texas.Narrator: Known as one of Texas's greatest mariachi bands, the group is unique. In a field that can be a bit macho, this all-female band has broken through.

Angela Campos: Maybe not everybody knows that mariachi music is a male-dominated genre of music.

Carla Medina: You know there's a lot of stereotypes when it comes to women in mariachi, and I think that's been a big thing.

Valerie Vargas: We've got a unity with this group and a sisterhood. So being able to experience that together and share our music with audiences and our passion for the music, it has been pretty special.

Angela Campos: It's really awesome to inspire other girls who are younger so they can see that they can do it, too.

Narrator: Despite breaking the mold as an all-female group, Las Alteñas play the strong, impassioned style of classic mariachi music.

Angela Campos: The traditional mariachi song is a song [plays violin] comparison to [plays violin]. So it's a lot different, more aggressive in digging into the string.

Narrator: Joined by their passion for mariachi, these women have broken barriers and broken through to audiences, young and old.

Carla Medina: There's so many times when people just go to tears when you sing to them because it reminds them of a loved one that loved that song, or "That was our love song when we first got married."

Mariachi in choir, mariachi in band, they're both within instruments, with voices, but the difference, I think, is that you feel everything. The emotion that comes with mariachi music is what puts it aside. It's a spiritual thing. It just takes you back. It makes me think of my ancestors, my grandpa who was a musician, my parents, my family, and life events. It's all tied to a spiritual place where you see beauty, you see God, and it just all comes together in the end.

Live Bold.

Creators:
Grotto
Published:
January 29, 2024
June 27, 2020
On a related note...
Grotto's Game Day Playlist

Grotto's Game Day Playlist

Grotto

Why I Finally Decided to Watch 'Star Wars'

Why I Finally Decided to Watch 'Star Wars'

Emily Mae Mentock

3 Plays to Get Your Super Bowl Party to the End Zone

3 Plays to Get Your Super Bowl Party to the End Zone

Josh Flynt

How to Find a New Creative Outlet in Haiku

How to Find a New Creative Outlet in Haiku

Robert Christian

“The Saint Who Became a Leper”

“The Saint Who Became a Leper”

Josh Noem

3 Questions to Ask Your S.O. Before Marriage

3 Questions to Ask Your S.O. Before Marriage

Mike Tenney

Grotto’s Travel Guide to Yellowstone National Park

Grotto’s Travel Guide to Yellowstone National Park

Andrew Mentock

Women Find Healing Through Kintsugi Workshop

Women Find Healing Through Kintsugi Workshop

Grotto

What’s the Point of Abstract Art? Maybe It’s How it Works on our Hearts

What’s the Point of Abstract Art? Maybe It’s How it Works on our Hearts

Grace Spiewak

What Does the Church Say About the End of the World?

What Does the Church Say About the End of the World?

Dan Masterton

5 Steps to Becoming More Body-Inclusive

5 Steps to Becoming More Body-Inclusive

Jessica Ping-Wild

Life at Home Should Reflect Your Deepest Values

Life at Home Should Reflect Your Deepest Values

Marye Colleen Larme

Using Art and Science to Restore Coral Reef Habitats

Using Art and Science to Restore Coral Reef Habitats

Grotto

"Peace on Earth"

"Peace on Earth"

Bond Warner Strong

Opening Up the STEM World to Girls of Color

Opening Up the STEM World to Girls of Color

Grotto

Cocktail Recipes for the Bud Light Drinker

Cocktail Recipes for the Bud Light Drinker

Isaac Huss

DACA Recipient Who Can’t Vote Encourages Others Who Can

DACA Recipient Who Can’t Vote Encourages Others Who Can

Grotto

Teaching English and Building Community with Immigrants

Teaching English and Building Community with Immigrants

Grotto

Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows Spotify Playlist | #GrottoMusic

Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows Spotify Playlist | #GrottoMusic

Grotto

The Missing Hero in ‘Joker’ Isn’t Batman

The Missing Hero in ‘Joker’ Isn’t Batman

Josh Noem

newsletter

We’d love to be pals.

Sign up for our newsletter, and we’ll meet you in your inbox each week.