[Dixielandjazz] Mariachi & Dixieland -- Mexican Banda Music

[Dan Augustine]

Tom and DJML--
     This is called 'banda' music if there is a tuba/sousaphone 
(almost always a sousaphone) in the band.  Here's a post about it 
that i sent to the Tuba-Euphonium list.       Dan
-----------------
To: tubaeuph at smartgroups.com
Subject: [TubaEuph] Banda Music
From: Dan Augustine <ds.augustine at mail.utexas.edu>
Subject: Banda Music

Folks--
     I've been desultorily collecting banda music the last couple of 
years, and believe me, some of the sousaphone players are monsters. 
The first time i heard this kind of music was on TV in the music 
video by Gabriela Beltran, and i bought the CD with the song i liked 
so much: "Hasta Que Amanezca" on _La Reina Del Pueblo_ (EMI Latin H2 
72438 21434 2.0, from 1997); there are even some extra beats in some 
of the measures, which was rather enjoyable.  Basically, any 
recording that says it has a 'banda' will probably have a 
sousaphone-player in it (if it's from Sinaloa, at least).
     There's also the Banda Sinaloense del El Recodo's CD called 
_Sinfonola con Tambora Volumen 1_ (BMG Music/RCA 74321-46942-2 from 
1997), with a nice rendition of "Peanuts" ("La Cacahuata").  And 
these others by the same band: _Coleccion Original_ (BMG Music/RCA 
74321-56503-2 from 1998)(with "El Barrillito", otherwise known as 
"Beer Barrel Polka").  And _De Cruz Lizarraga_ (BMG Music/RCA 
3294-2-RL from 1991).  A collection of various bandas is on _Todo 
Banda_ (BMG Music/RCA 74321-74338-2 from 2000) with "El Sinaloense" 
by Juan Gabriel con Banda El Recodo, "Dos Hojas Sin Rumbo" by Julio 
Preciado, "El Disgusto" by Julio Preciado, and "Costena Y Ahora Que" 
by Banda La Costena.
     This last CD inspired me to find more recordings by Julio 
Preciado and his band, which has a fantastic tuba-player, so in 
October in San Francisco i bought _Cadetazos_ by Julio Preciado y Su 
Banda Perla del Pacifico (BMG Music/RCA 82876-58418-2, from 2004). 
The unnamed sousaphone player plays up above middle C a lot, does 
double- and triple-tonguing, and does intricate rhythmic figures on a 
number of tunes, notably #7 "El Palomito", #12 "La Entalladita", and 
#13 "El Sinaloense y El Cora".
     Check 'em out.  You won't believe 'em.  Fly a whole German band 
over to Mexico a century ago and make them play Mexican songs--you'll 
get beer-garden two-steps and waltzes in Mexican culture, and it's 
unlike anything you've ever heard before.  I like it a lot.

     Dan
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>Date: Fri, 16 Jun 2006 13:37:31 -0400
>From: tcashwigg at aol.com
>To: dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com
>Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Mariachi & Dixieland
>
>Hi folks:
>
>Yesterday I was driving and switching radio stations as I went to 
>find something different than the normal station tuned in on the 
>car, and I hit a Spanish station playing some really great Mariachi 
>Music  with a TUBA whomping alon g at a nice funky pace.
>
>Probably List mate Dave Richoux knows more about this kind of 
>Mariachi music and maybe even Dan Augustine,  I found it very 
>pleasing and I think the OKOIM audiences at Festivals would as well. 
>Especially in California where we have a large Hispanic population 
>that would attend the festivals if it had something to attract them.
>
>I know I have witnessed packed houses at all performances of Paco 
>Gatsby  act Sacramento in the past and the audiences loved his show, 
>even though it is not Traditional Dixieland by any means.   It is 
>however some very high energy and beautiful music that is certainly 
>akin to Dixieland.
>
>It certainly could start to swell those attendance figures back 
>upwards,  and it could have it's own venue, as could Traditional 
>Jazz,  just like the festival Steve posted about Bonneroo,  which 
>has a Special Tent just for Preservation Hall Jazz Band.
>
>Food for thought guys.   There is a tremendous market of Great 
>Entertainment out there in the world to choose from,  so why do we 
>often limit our festivals to only Dixieland?   expand your horizons 
>and your audience base,  music lovers are music lovers and they show 
>up with money for interesting acts, as they get bored with the same 
>ole same ole every festival.    Festivals need to keep that flow of 
>NEW acts to keep attracting new audiences, even though they still 
>maintain their old audience and cater to them proportionately, the 
>counter exposure to differing music will cross pollinate if done 
>tastefully.
>
>Some of those Hippies and Yuppies are your Kids and grand kids, so 
>how can they be all that bad? :))
>with" Music we CAN All get along"
>Musical content: " Play it again Sam "  :))
>
>Cheers,
>Tom Wiggins

-- 
**--------------------------------------------------------------------**
** Dan Augustine  --  Austin, Texas  --  ds.augustine at mail.utexas.edu
**     "I often ask myself how Beethoven would have written a
**      particular passage if he had wanted it to sound the way
**      I'm playing it."  --  Robert Shaw when at Cleveland Orchestra
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