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Mariachi and Ranchera Music Resources

by Bob Diaz

 
Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlan in performance at El Teatro Degollado, Guadalajara Mexico, 2006. photo by  Bob Diaz

Bibliographies and Research Guides

• Academic References  (Mariachi Publishing).  A useful bibliography of articles, books and dissertations about mariachi and ranchera music.
• Recent Books about Mariachi Music..   A select list of recently published and readily available  books about mariachi music. Includes titles in English and Spanish.
  
• Mariachi Bibliography by Noe Sanchez. This is a very useful list of articles, books, theses and dissertations. To acquire this material, visit your local library's interlibrary loan department.
• Mariachi Music Article and Site Collection. (The Mariachi Connection). An interesting and varied collection of fulltext mariachi related articles, websites and other documents.
  
• Researching Mariachi Music, by Noe Sanchez. This research guide is a useful starting point for researching mariachi music. MENC Mariachi Newsletter, January, 2008.
  

• Allmusicguide.com   Provides biographical information on mariachi groups and ranchera singers. Includes song lists, discographies. 
  
• Answers.com.   An all-purpose reference source that provides biographical information on groups and performers.
  
• Billboard Guide to Tejano and Regional Mexican Music. By Ramiro Burr. New York : Billboard Books, 1999. Available at UA Fine Arts Library and at various branches of the Pima County Public Library. Also available at Amazon.com. A one-of-a-kind resource useful for finding biographical information on Tejano, Norteno, and Mariachi/ranchera musicians from the U.S. and Mexico. Includes birth and death dates and some discographical information.
• Harpers & harp makers of Mexico and beyond. Includes photos and bios of folk harpists and harp makers.
  
• Mariachi Groups. (Bob Diaz's Mariachi and Ranchera Music Resources)
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Blogs and Bulletin Boards

Cancioneros/Song Lyrics

• Cancionero Mexicano Online This online resource contains lyrics to many classic rancheras. See the norteno section as well as the sones and ranchera sections for relevant songs.
• Mariachi Lyrics (Mariachi4u). An alphabetical listing of hundreds of song lyrics.
• Mariachi Song Lyrics  (Elmariachi.com) This site includes lyrics for over 350 boleros, corridos, sones, rancheras and other songs typically performed by mariachi groups.
• Song Lyrics  (Fiesta del Mariachi) Includes lyrics to a variety of song, including rancheras, boleros and corridos. Searchable by song title as well as by browsing entire list.

Conferences and Festivals

     Events Calendars:

• Mariachi Events and Conferences  A calendar of upcoming concerts, with strong coverage of events in  the state of Texas.
• MENC Mariachi: Events.     
  

• Encuentro Internacional del Mariachi y la Charrieria. Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. Late August, early September.
  
• Las Cruces International Mariachi Conference.   High quality annual festival with lots of educational opportunties, concerts and other events. Early November.
  
• Mariachi USA  Annual event takes place every June in Los Angeles.
  
• Mariachi Vargas Extravaganza (San Antonio TX). This annual event takes place in mid-November immediately after the Las Cruces International Mariachi Conference, and  attracts visitors from all over the world.
  
• Las Vegas International Mariachi Festival.    Annual event that takes place in early September. Produced by Elias Entertainment. 
• Mariachi Spectacular de Alburquerque. Annual event that takes place every July.
  
• San Jose Mariachi and Mexican Heritage Festival  . Occurs annually in late September. Produced by Linda Ronstadt.
  
• Tucson International Mariachi Conference.    Occurs near the end of the month every April. Includes workshops, student showcase performances, espectacular concert, Fiesta de Garibaldi, a mass service, among other activities. A benefit for La Frontera Community Mental Health Services.

Directories

• Ethnomusicologists and Historians.  (Mariachi Publishing).
  
• Findamariachi.com  Booking agency for several mariachi groups and solo performers, including Mariachi Cobre and Los Arrieros.
  
• Mariachi4u. A multi-purpose site that provides directories of mariachi groups in the U.S, Mexico and throughout the world.
  
• Mariachi Groups Directory An International directory of mariachi groups. Searchable by name, country and state. 
  
• Mariachi Directory  Probably not up-to-date but useful for historical purposes. 
• Mariachi Talent Register. Directory of mariachi groups in Texas, ranging from elementary to professional. 

• Experiencing Mariachi Music Aurally: Building a Student Listening Library.  (MENC Mariachi Newsletter).
  
• Discographies. (Fiesta del Mariachi).  Links major Mexican recording artists, including vocalists and groups,  to available works listed in Amazon.com.
• Internet Movie Database.
  
• Lucha Villa films and recordings: The Seventies
  
• Lucha Villa films and recordings: The Sixties
• Mariachi Vargas Discography. by John Vela. Lists all of this group's recordings and songs  from the 50's to the present.
  

Education Materials and Resources

• Analyzing Mariachi Traditional and Popular Song Forms    (Mariachi Publishing). This resource uses musical notation to describe various song forms, including boleros, rancheras, polkas and corridos.
  
• Building a Successful Mariachi Program.    A  powerpoint presentation outlining how to start a mariachi program. Mention is made of  many useful resources and links to other sources.
  
• Foundations of Mariachi Education: materials, methods and resources. By William Gradante. Lanham, Md. : Rowman & Littlefield Education ; [Reston, VA] : Published in partnership with MENC, c2008- Available for purchase from Amazon.com and for checkout from the University of Arizona Libraries. This brand new source is intended for individuals who teach mariachi music in the classroom. It includes chapters on teaching the various instruments and includes lots of musical examples.
  
• Mariachi Class Method Book Recommendations. (Noe Sanchez).
  
• Mariachi Curriculum.  Developed by Noe Sanchez.
  
• Mariachi Curriculum Resources (VirtuosoMariachi.com) Includes sheet music arrangements and other teaching resources 
  
• Mariachi Education in Texas.   Texas Music Office.
  
• Mariachi Education Movement in the U.S.  by Jeff Nevin and Noe Sanchez.
  
• Mariachi Master Apprentice Program.   Sponsored by the City of San Fernando. An education program led by Nati Cano and Los Camperos. 
  
• Mariachi Standards.  A list of songs students should know, compiled by the MENC National Mariachi Advisory Committee.
  
• MENC Mariachi Curriculum   The resources listed on this web page have been suggested by the MENC Mariachi Advisory Committee.
• MENC Mariachi Newsletter Archive.  Provides fulltext access to a number of articles related to mariachi education.
  
• MENC Mariachi Resources.  Includes method books for elementary, middle and high school mariachi. Also has curricular resources.
  
• Music Theory Book Recommendations.  By Noe Sanchez.
  
• Virtuoso Mariachi. by Jeff Nevin. Lanham, Md; Oxford: University Press of America, 2002. Available at the UA Fine Arts Library and from Amazon.com.   This book offers a wealth of information on the history of mariachi music as well as information about musical styles and technique employed in mariachi music.

History of Mariachi

• Definition and History of Mariachi (From the Latino Encyclopedia). A concise overview of mariachi music.
  
• Historia Del Mariachi por Jose Hernandez. Reminisces by the leader of Mariachi Sol De Mexico, the first mariachi group to win a Grammy.
• History of the Tucson International Mariachi Conference, The.  by Gregory S. Rodriguez. This publication provides a detailed history of one of the longest lasting and most popular mariachi conferences in the U.S. Included are reproductions of some of the posters used for publicizing the conference as well as a list of cited references.
• History of Women in Mariachi, The This site offers a fascinating look at various female mariachi musicians going back to the 1940s to the present.
• Horn of Plenty: Miguel Martinez.   by Judi Blackwell. Discusses the influence that Martinez, trumpeter for Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlan, had on the sound of mariachi music.
  
• An Interview with Miguel Martinez  Part I.   MENC Marichi Newsletter.
  
• An Interview with Miguel Martinez Part II.  MENC Mariachi Newsletter.
  
• Jonathan Clark's Mariachi History A compilation of articles written by Clark, including encyclopedia entries, and interviews with musicians.
• El Mariachi: simbolo musical de Mexico. By Jesus Jaurequi. México, D.F. : Santillana Ediciones Generales, c2007. Available at the UA Fine Arts Library, and for purchase from Amazon.com. Written in Spanish, this new book is a welcome addition to the scant literature available on mariachi music. It fills a huge void, in that it provides a thorough overview of the genre and includes lots and lots of graphics and photos.
• Mariachi, Origen y Significado, El. por Patricial Alamilla. Essay on the history and significance of mariachi music.
• Recuerdos del Mariachi Vargas del Tecalitlan, 1925-1939: Fragmentos de Mi Autobiografia. by Nicolas Torres Vasquez.
  
• Sin Pena, Ni Gloria: Honoring Forgotten Mariachi Heros Who've Recently Passed On.  by Jonathon Clark. MENC Mariachi Newsletter.
  

Tiendas/Stores
(sheet music, clothing, recordings, instruments)

• Amazon.com.  Premier one-stop online shopping source that carries mariachi and ranchera cds, dvds,  and books, including out of print items.
  
• Candelas Guitars.  This site sells high quality, handcrafted guitars and other musical instruments.
  
• Casa del Mariachi, La.  Located in Los Angeles, this store specializes in charro and folkloric clothing.
  
• Elmariachi.com store.  Features cds and dvds of major popular Mexican singers and groups.
  
• Instrumentos Morales. Located in Guadalajara, this company offers a variety of handcrafted mariachi instruments, including vihuelas, guitarras de golpe, guitarrones and arpas.
  
• LatinTrumpet.  Sells mariachi trumpet play-along cds. Also sells Latin music play along cds for saxophone.
  
• Lucida Guitars.     Handmade guitars from Spain. Has a fine line of Spanish classical and flemenco guitars and traditional mariachi instruments.
• Mariachi Connection, Inc. This site sells musical instruments, mariachi clothing, sheet music, videos, cds and other merchandise for musicians and students.
  
• Mariachi Publishing Company. Sheet music site that provides traditional mariachi music transcriptions.
  
• Mariachi Sheet Music.  This online store sells musical arrangements written by Jorge Vargas,  a leading mariachi educator and arranger in south Texas. Levels:  beginner level to professional level.
• MENC Mariachi Sheet Music Vendors  Provides links to a number of different vendors that sell mariachi arrangements and method books.
  
• Mixta Publishing Company. A music book company dedicated to preserving the traditions of Mexican and Latino music.
  
• Sandpiper Instruments.  Makers of the Jalisco-style harp.
  
• Santiago Violins.   Makers of fine, handcrafted violins.
  
• Tienda, La  (Fiesta Del Mariachi). La Tienda offers hard-to-find  CDs, books and strings.

 Web Portals

• El Mariachi.com. One can find a variety of things here, including  biographies of professional performers, an international directory of mariachi groups, a calendar of upcoming mariachi events, song lyrics, and online discussion groups. Sheet music and recorded music are also available for sale at this site.
  
• Fiesta del Mariachi   This site provides a  mariachi directory,  biographical and discographical information, song lyrics, links to related sites, and an online store.
• Mariachi4u An international directory of mariachi groups in the USA, Mexico and elsewhere. Also includes an online bulletin board and classified ads.
• MENC Mariachi Education Site. This is a very useful resource for mariachi educators and anyone else interested in mariachi music. Of particular interest should be the archive of newsletters, that cover a broad array of topics.
• Sitio del Mariachi, El. A Spanish-language website from Mexico that includes articles on mariachi history, a mariachi radio station, audio and video clips as  well as biographies of a number of the best known ranchera singers.
• VirtuosoMariachi.com.  A website created by Dr. Jeff Nevin, performer, composer, and author of the book, "Virtuoso Mariachi".

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