SOUNDTRACK: MARIACHI FLOR DE TOLOACHE-Tiny Desk Concert #499 (January 8, 2016).
I enjoyed Mariachi El Bronx not too long ago. I guess I didn’t expect much more from Mariachi Flor De Toloache. But wow, they blew me away.
I compared them to Mariachi El Bronx because they also wear the traditional Mariachi outfit and they use the somewhat comically over sized guitarron (played by Lisa Maree Dowling).
But about a minute through the first song, “Let Down” when the three women sing harmony (a wonderful three-part harmony)–it’s already amazing. And it just gets better.
“Let Down” is a slow song sung (in English and Spanish) by Shae Fiol who also plays vihuela (which has a great sound for a tiny four-stringed guitar). The trumpet solo (by Anna Garcia) is great and interesting and the pizzicato violin notes really add character. But when the song suddenly picks up tempo half way through it gets really fun. And then Shae sings the first of several beautiful and amazingly long notes.
The second song is a cumbia called “Dicen.” This one is sung by the violinist Mireya Ramos who says “dont be shy, shake you shoulders “. There’s group harmony and then she gets the audience to sing the chorus “Ay Ay Ay.” The song merges into a verse of “Blue Skies” which makes the song even more fun. Shae sings this part and once again shows off her vocal skills with some more amazingly powerful high notes. And then Mireya really shows off her fiddling skills with a great solo and some dexterous bow work. And then she shows off her own amazing vocal notes–holding an incredibly long note through several octaves with great control.
After those first two songs (16 minutes worth), they do yet another one. This one straight from Mexico (the roots of mariachi) called “Guadalajara.” It opens with great harmony vocals and a cool vihuela strumming until the trumpet announces a good old mariachi song. Shae once again amazes with her high shrieks and calls. And by this time the entire audience (even those of us listening at home) are totally into it.
How do they hold these notes for so long? (Some are around fifteen seconds). It is truly a wonder to behold.
This was only a fraction of the band and apparently when they are all together live they are really something to see.
[READ: January 9, 2015] “The Reptile Garden”
With a name like “The Reptile Garden,” this story did not do anything that I thought it was going to. In fact, when I finished I had to rethink the story to remember why it was even called that. That’s pretty cool (since it works).
The story is set in the fall of 1972. The narrator is a half Native American woman who is going to study at the University of North Dakota. She is very smart but she knows she doesn’t fit in. She chose to study French because she dreamed of going to Paris some day.
She says the white girls listen to Joni Mitchel and grow their hair long, while other girls–Dakota, Chippewa or mixed blood like her were less obvious on campus. Aside from a few who swaggered and had American Indian Movement boyfriends. (more…)
I Just Read About That... 