With the choirs of “El Mariachi Loco”, which was the most requested song, Los Angeles celebrated the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month with mariachi music
With an emotional mariachi serenade to its passengers, the Los Angeles Metrolink transportation system celebrated this Thursday the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month in the county, where Hispanics represent 49% of the population.
Hispanic Heritage Month in the United States is celebrated from September 15 to October 15 in recognition of the contribution of this community to the development of the country.
“What better way to celebrate it than with a mariachi serenade to remember that Hispanics have been the life force of Los Angeles since its origins,” said Sylvia Novoa, spokeswoman for Metrolink.
Mariachi Tierra Azteca was chosen to brighten up the passengers with a serenade of more than two hours that included the central station of the Los Angeles train and subway system, and different stops and wagons of various trains.
Novoa said that the mariachi was chosen because this musical genre has crossed Mexican borders. “The mariachi is universal. It is an expression that Hispanics in general have accepted as their own. It really represents us,” she maintained.
The applause and the accompaniment in the songs by the passengers showed that this musical genre is rooted in the community, said Armando Santiago, a member of Mariachi Tierra Azteca.
The most requested song was “El Mariachi Loco”, something that is not strange for Santiago. “They ask us for that song even at funerals,” he said.
Olivia Garcia, a passenger who enjoyed the serenade, said that song represents the joy of Latinos.
“Thanks to that joy and that little bit of madness that we have is that Hispanics have been able to face all the challenges in this country and bring our children forward,” the woman, of Salvadoran origin, deepened.
Among the songs performed by the group are “El Son de la Negra”, “When I met you”, “La Bamba” and “Serenata Huasteca”. Several songs in English were included in the wide repertoire that the mariachi performed.
The serenade turned into a party in which several passengers danced from their seats to songs like “Caminos de Michoacán”.
“You don’t want to get off,” said Emilio López, a passenger of Mexican origin, adding that it was the first time he heard a serenade on the train he takes every day to go to work.
For Santiago, Solís, Julio Carrillo and Julio Basulto –the latter two also members of Mariachi Tierra Azteca-, this was the first time they had to sing on a train.
“We hope that it will be repeated. It was a great experience to share this day with our community,” said Basulto.
For his part, Carrillo hopes that these kinds of events can be extended throughout the year. “We work very hard always and we should always celebrate it,” he said.