“The Mariachi of Plaza Garibaldi”
[Working Title]
[musica: ‘guitarras lloren guitarras’ canta por Pedro Infante y Lola Beltrán]
A Documentary shot around the lives of the roving musicians, the Mariachi, in a plaza to the north west of the centre of the megopolis of MEXICO CITY. This area thrives with neon traffic and strip bars, illegal pulque [cactus juice] trade, hustle and fairy lit plazas. Plaza garibaldi is the historic centre for the mariachi, a plaza ringed with bronze statues of the heroes of the genre including Pedro Infante and the Queen: Lola Beltran. The kitsch explosion of colour and tears, the passion of classic anthems like ‘El Rey’ the king with no queen, the weeping guitars, the sequined lapels and waxed moustaches in contrast to the post-modern juxtaposition of traditional mariachi wear with facial piercings, mohawk/mullet hairstyles, streaks and cross-boned skulls of some of the younger players in the often family groups.
This film aims to explore this juxtaposition, and to meet some of the differences between the older generation of Mariachi who grew up in an era of right wing one party repression and in the shadow of the northern super power, in relative isolation insofar as propaganda and media, with the younger generation [denoted x and y by the western media] who have access through the internet and a variety of international media to a wider view of the world and their love hate relationship with the United States, culturally, economically, politically and, especially, musically.
We will shoot initially in and around Plaza Garibaldi, a sinking piazza in a ramshackle and fairly rough area of one of the most populated cities in the world, 2600 metres above sea level, 23 million people, the volcano-ringed altitudinous lake bed city, once the spiritual key and symbolic centre and King home of the Aztec Empire.
The Plaza is fading, and hushed by day, but at night with the addition of lights and colour is animated and timeless. Some of the surrounding bars have been trading since the 1930??s eg bar tenampa.. it is a wild area, the urban jungle of mexico city seethes with colour and danger. It is rough. The slightly warped dimensions of the plaza, caused by the sinking foundations of the un-square buildings on their silt bed, add to the confusion and overwhelm of colour and sound. The beeping horns and traffic shouts of the vendors and tourist photographers flow around the groups of mariachi who vie for customers; they aim to outplay each other. Some of the groups have up to 15 players: trumpets, violins, guitars, voices wailing “Aiiie, Ai Ai Ai!!” Many songs converge as the multitudinous groups serenade couples in love, families and groups of friendly revellers tequila cheerful sing and cry along.
We hope to speak with the musicians, especially the younger mariachi about what the music means to them; this rousing passionate tear-jerking music about love and pain and passion, once used as a tool in the revolution to spread word about the movement amongst the uneducated farmers that is now a definitively and uniquely Mexican sound.
We would like to discover any mariachi inspired modern music; electro or punk or variations that are being made by the new breed of mariachi, or cross-over groups. Also if some of these musicians are perhaps inhabiting the worlds of two or more subcultures: both mariachi and punk, without crossover and whether these two worlds contain parallels, if they resonate with one another and are harmonious, or if there is a divergence or clash of ideals. Is the music of the mariachi bound up with the pomp and fanfare of the old system, or is it still the soundtrack to the revolution, the music of the people???
How do the younger generation feel about this?
Are they fiercely nationalistic?
How do they feel about Mexico?
How do they feel about Mexico in relation to the rest of the world?
The contradictions between the rural history and the urban reality of the mariachi, the major key and tragic lyric, the smiling passion, the sequined poverty, the youth, with their punk aesthetic, strumming traditional tunes, Mexico in relation to the states, the young in relation to the old, the new democracy versus the 60 year right wing repressive government of Portofirio Diaz.
Is Mariachi music moving into the context of modern music?
Are new ballads being composed?
Who are these people in their sequined boleros and wide brimmed hats, moustachioed and singing out the heart of Mexico?
