June 12, 1998
Musical Tribute to Mariachi Film Legends At Hollywood Bowl Father's Day Weekend.
Hollywood - The Mariachi USA Festival at the Hollywood Bowl will be BOTH an exceptionally nostalgic experience, with a moving musical tribute to mariachi film legends AND opening of the window to the future of mariachi music with, with the performances of the new mariachi mavericks - two all-female ensembles. The musical tribute, performed by five internationally renowned mariachi groups, will be highlighted by vintage film clips featuring mariachi legends who made their mark in mariachi Mexican films.
The five-hour musical festival, June 20 and 21 , (Father's Day weekend) also features Ballet Folklorico Tonantzin, spectacular fireworks shows, and performances by Maricahi Las Adelitas and Mariachi Las Alondras, two of the leading all-female mariachi groups in the US.
Rodri J. Rodriguez, creator of the award-winning festival, explains that although an all-female mariachi group is new to Mariachi USA, booking the two groups was not easy. Before 1991, finding an all female-mariachi group was not that easy. Determined to bring an all-female mariachi group to her audiences, she did the next best thing and formed on herself. She put the group together by recruiting female musicians who were performing in male dominated mariachi groups throughout California. The group, brought together for the first and only time, created such a sensation that it became an inspirational springboard for the formation of other all-female groups.
Las Adelitas and Las Alondras each bring to the Festival their own distinct style and interpretation of this popular music that the Cuban-born Rodriguez fell in love with and passionately embraced as a child growing up in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
It is Rodriguez's deep passion for the mariachi music that led the entertainment empresario to explore the role of the Mexican film industry in transforming mariachi singer and composers into international legends. More significantly, she discovered, it was because of the film industry that mariachi music really became known throughout the world.
"Even if the lyrics were dubbed," she said, "the music stayed intact." The Festival's retrospective on mariachi film legends, which dates back to the `30's, includes clips of the film legends that highlight the versatility of legendary actors, singers and composers whose recording careers were either launched or enhanced as a result of the Mexican film industry.
Among the legendary figures is Jorge Negrete, who as a young man aspired to be a soldier, but whose talent as a singer changed the courst of his life and ultimately led him to the big screen and fame. "Gallo de Oro,"(Gold Rooster) the film that launched the international career of singer Lucha Villa in 1964, also starred Pedro Infante who, alrady at the height of his career , had several memorable roles to his credit, including the character of Pepe "El Toro" (The Bull) which he protrayed in the movie trilogy "Pepe Toro",1952: "Nosotros Los Pobres", (We the Poor)1947 and Ustedes Los Ricos" (You the Rich) in 1948.
Lucha Reyes was pushing the envelope of the mariachi genre as early as 1937 when she left behind an unsuccessful opera singing career and boldly presented Mariachi on center stage in a theatre. Lola Beltran, whose tremendous talent and influence as a singer earned her the title "La Reina de La Musica Ranchera," also carved out a successful film career as an actress and producer. Othe legendary mariachi giants included in the tribute are Flor Silvestre, La Prieta Linda, Rosa de Castilla, Amalia Mendoza, Maria de Lourdes, Lucha Villa, Antonio Aguilar, Luis Aguilar, Jose Alfredo Jimenez, Javier Solis and Miguel Aceves Mejia.
The Uniqueness of the Mariachi USA Festival is that no two shows are ever alike. Although each Festival differs in theme from year to year, the universal appeal of the music in its basic traditional form is never compromised nor lost in tis various presentations. What also remains a constant is Rodriguez's phenomenal passion to bring to her audiences concerts of this musical genre that continue to highlight the beauty and richness of the music, as well as the extraordinary talents of world famous professional artists and rising new stars.
The line-up to date includes: for Saturday, June 20, Mariachi 2000 from Mexico, Mariachi Cobre, which has been a regular attraction at the internationally famous Epcot Center at Disney World in Florida, since 1982; Mariachi Imperial and the two all-female groups, Mariachi Las Adelitas and Mariachi Las Alondras. Performing on both days will be the Ballet Folklorico Tonantzin, and both nights will conclude with a spectacular fireworks show.
Sunday's program, June 21, includes: Mariachi 2000, Mariachi Cobre, Mariachi Las Adelitas, Mariachi Las Alondras and the perfoemance of the Los Angeles group, Mariachi Sol de America.
For ticket information call 1-800- MARIACHI USA or 213-848-7717