LOS CENZONTLES: El Toro Viejo, LOS CENZONTLES with JULIAN GONZALEZ, Traditional Mariachi Volume 4

Los Cenzontles

El Toro Viejo, LOS CENZONTLES with JULIAN GONZALEZ, Traditional Mariachi Volume 4

© 2006 Los Cenzontles Mexican Arts Center (700261208954)

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Los Cenzontles Mexican Arts Center is proud to announce the release of its fourth – and finest – volume of little-known traditional mariachi songs and dances. EL TORO VIEJO breaths new life into the forgotten tradition of the pre-commercial mariachi.

tracks

1 El Toro Viejo
2 Ojitos Provincianos
3 La Iguana
4 El Tigre
5 El Caballo Bayo
6 El Son de Ameca
7 El Pasacalle
8 La Piñita
9 El Capulinero
10 El Huisache
11 Ya Va Saliendo La Luna
12 Los Javalines

notes

Los Cenzontles Mexican Arts Center is proud to announce the release of its fourth – and finest – volume of little-known traditional mariachi songs and dances. EL TORO VIEJO breaths new life into the forgotten tradition of the pre-commercial mariachi.

Los Cenzontles (The Mockingbirds) is a group of artists based in San Pablo, California that explores and promotes Mexican folk music in a handful of regional styles. Its goal is to work with master artists who learned their art forms as part of is native community life – not simply as performers.

In 2000 the group met an elder musician who knew a forgotten style of mariachi music, a style which reflects the character of the rural people of Southern Jalisco - raw, proud and energetic. This old style fell victim to the overwhelming popularity of the contemporary mariachi which sought to gentrify the image of Jalisco and Mexico in general. Instrument by instrument Julian Gonzalez showed the group members the music and dance of this tradition that he learned in his youth on the ranch of Camichines, Jalisco.

The group was immediately taken by this elder gentlemen and this quirky old style of playing. Its bowings and style were certainly different from that of the contemporary mariachi which had become standardized and often abbreviated. Instrumental technique is closely tied to the rhythms and articulations of the dance. Indeed Don Julian’s repertory is comprised mostly of sones – a music meant to accompany zapateado (percussive) dance. Another element that distinguishes the traditional from the modern mariachi is the emphasis on improvisation and hearty rhythmic drive.

In the six years of practice and performance the group has recorded four CDs, two anthologies and a PBS DVD documentary – Pasajero, A Journey of Time and Memory. El Toro Viejo represents the 4th volume of traditional mariachi music.


Julian Gonzalez, 2nd violin & voice
Hugo Arroyo, guitarron & voice
Tregar Otton, 1st violin
Lucina Rodriguez, voice, zapateado
Fabiola Trujillo, voice

reviews

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  • El Toro Viejo
    author: Bruce Whitehouse

    I found this recording delightful, a certain earthiness about it reminds me of out of the way villages. But be aware that this is early traditional Mariachi so there are no trumpets.

  • Chicano folklorico group revives traditional rural mariachi
    author: Patty Fong, DJ, KBCS 91.3 FM Musica de la Raza Saturdays 5-7 a.m

    Los Cenzontles have produced many recordings of traditional Mexican regional music such as son jarocho, son abajeno, and rural mariachi, which predates the contemporary brass and wind instrumented mariachi. This is another fine production showcasing again for the fourth time with Los Cenzontles, Don Julian Gonzalez from Jalisco, an elder and violin player in the rural mariachi style. The music is delightful, sweet and unpretentious, giving you the pure country feeling of mariachi as it was before the trumpet was added – with strings, playing sones. Very enjoyable to listen to and learn from a young group who has matured remarkably well. It’s always a pleasure to hear from Los Cenzontles!

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