The night air was cold, but El Mariachi Los Dorados infused Carlin Hall with the warmth of Mexico.
Canada’s premier Mariachi band was established in Vancouver in 2003 by its director Alex Alegria. His goal was, and remains, to bring to Canada the traditional music of Mexico.
The Mariachi Los Dorados name comes from the Mexican revolutionary General Francisco Villa’s army, “ Los Dorados,” in which some members were from Canada and had deserted the American army in order to fight on the side of Mexico.
The band recently celebrated the 10th year of bringing the music of sunny Mexico to the B.C. Interior – a fiesta of sound featuring guitars and unique guitar-like instruments, along with violin and two trumpets.
Allegria’s pride in his country of birth and its music are evident in his playing and fascinating explanations of the Mexican Revolutionary era and description of the instruments and the country’s culture, provided in snippets throughout the concert.
El Mariachi Los Dorados delivered the passion, love and respect they feel for México and its culture to a packed Carlin Hall on March 23, along with much-appreciated and good-natured ribbing.
The band also performed original mariachi music that forms a new CD and showcases songs created by four of the group’s composers and arrangers.
“We rehearsed and recorded the songs and they turned out great; it’s wonderful music we’ll be submitting to the Junos in the World Music category,” says enthusiastic band rep Diego Kohl.
Adding to the fiesta fun at Carlin Hall was Blu & Kelly Hopkins, an award-winning, songwriting, multi-instrumentalist duo, who opened for the band.