p.o. box 30122 tucson, arizona 85751 +1 520 326 4400 fax +1 520 326 3333

Mariachi Cobre

THE MUSIC

THE ARTISTS

Forget any mariachi recordings you have ever heard before! Mariachi Cobre is a whole new generation of this traditional Mexican folk music and it will leave you exhilarated. This may be the first time you have ever listened to talented mariachi musicians recorded by the latest digital techniques. The sound is tight and crisp, with every emotional nuance shining through, from joy and love to despair. Trumpets, guitars, violins, and exceptional vocalists combine to produce music that is both strong and sensitive. Mariachi Cobre may force you to rethink your idea of mariachi music. Forget the strolling guitar bands in Mexican restaurants—Mariachi Cobre will introduce you to one of the most highly developed folk traditions in the Western Hemisphere. Like the legendary dance bands of Cuba, Mexico's mariachi tradition has roots in the chamber orchestras of Baroque Europe, the indigenous music of the Native Americans, the rhythmic drive of West African music, and the passion of Spanish folk and flamenco music. The sound of Mariachi Cobre is as tightly-knit as the finest orchestras. With a complement of six to eight violins, two trumpets, and three different members of the guitar family, Mariachi Cobre is close to orchestral size itself! But as strong as the group is instrumentally, it is the voices that take center stage. Those voices sing with fire and tenderness, and even listeners who do not understand a word of Spanish will have little trouble grasping the message of mariachi songs; joyous songs about being in love, tender lullabies to a loved one, remorse at having lost love. And the group varies the textures within each song: solos, duos, and trios will appear.

In 1964, an Irish-Catholic priest organized the first young Mariachi group of Mexican-Americans in the United States. Later, in 1971, after having collaborated almost from the birth of this group, Randy Carrillo, a student, organized Mariachi Cobre with the participation of his younger brother Steve and his friend Mack Ruíz. Completing this eleven member professional ensemble are: Christopher Figueroa, Pablo Héctor Gama, Adolfo Roman García, Francisco Grijalva, Roberto Juan Martínez, Israel Gálvez Molina, Miguel Ángel Molina, and Antóñio Hernandez Ruíz. Most of the members have been playing together since they were teenagers in Tucson, Arizona, a center for this traditional music. They are distinguished representatives of their Mexican-American families and their ancestoral music of Mexico. In 1981, Mariachi Cobre planted the seed from which the Tucson International Mariachi Conference would grow. This celebration is a concept that has spread to other U.S. cities where similar events are held. These cultural events have not only increased the exposure of Mariachi music but have caused an emergence of dozens of young groups and have heightened the level of study related to Mariachi music. Since 1982, Mariachi Cobre has delighted millions of visitors with their performances at the EPCOT Center at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. Mariachi Cobre remains the forerunner in traditional mariachi music.

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11095-2 Mariachi Cobre Mariachi Cobre is the first release for the internationally acclaimed ensemble by the same name. The thirteen members bring a wealth of talent and experience to the group. The pieces on Mariachi Cobre cover a spectrum of traditional Hispanic music. Most come from a Mexican heritage, but there are also selections from Cuba, Puerto Rico and Spain. This release will truly touch the hearts of listeners worldwide. A thirty-page booklet explains the background of mariachi music and contains all the lyrics in both English and Spanish. Mariachi Cobre will appeal to listeners who have enjoyed this type of music for years and to world music fans who are searching for new doors to open their musical horizon.

11105-2 Este Es Mi Mariachi On this second release by Mariachi Cobre, the group is joined by Linda Ronstadt, courtesy of Elektra Entertainment, who celebrates her own Hispanic heritage. After all, she grew up in Tucson and went to school with several of the musicians. She joins in a pair of duets with bandleader, Steve Carrillo, and by producer/arranger Brian Keane, the noted composer and multi-instrumentalist. Much of the album is devoted to traditional mariachi music, but both Carrillo and Keane contribute several deft and contemporary arrangements of older songs; and a well-known piece from the classical guitar tradition, Manuel Ponce's Estrellita, gets a traditional mariachi treatment. Este Es Mi Mariachi is a lively, accessible introduction to a type of music that Americans—to their surprise—do not really know. Mariachi Cobre explodes the stereotypes of this music; after all, as the group's album title says, "this is my mariachi."

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15022-2 xxv aniversario 1996 marks a quarter century during which this professional group of young Mexican-American men (nearly all from Tucson) have sung and played the music of Mexico, not only in the United States but as ambassadors to other countries and on international television. The XXV anniversary celebration is a source of pride for the renowned Mariachi Cobre who, with their strong sense of tradition, promotes the music of Mexico to the entire world.

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