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Mariachi Los Camperos Makes Its Mark on the Son Legacy with Sones de Mariachi
Announcing Sones de Mariachi, the latest album from the groundbreaking Mariachi Los Camperos. Sones de Mariachi will be released digitally and on CD on January 19th and is available for pre-order here.
A staple of the mariachi repertoire that dates back to the 1920s, Mariachi Los Camperos’s first single "El toro viejo - The Old Bull" depicts scenes from rural life. Master mariachi musician Jesús “Chuy” Guzmán's new arrangement of the standard son offers a spirited contrast of vocal and instrumental call-and-response.
Mariachi Los Camperos’ Sones de Mariachi is a high-spirited and upbeat collection that features a variety of sones and includes many well-known mariachi classics. The mariachi son is a fast-paced genre of mariachi music that heavily utilizes the guitar-playing section to create complex rhythms. Its bright and colorful sound captivates listeners, immersing them in an energizing experience. Los Camperos takes the classics on this album and reinvigorates them with fresh, energy-packed arrangements. According to Guzmán, “This album identifies with the mariachi tradition, and what identifies mariachi tradition is the son.”
With its driving energy and spirited flair, the son has held the essence of mariachi music for more than 150 years. Even today, the modern mariachi dips into the son repertoire to punctuate its performances, evoking boisterous yells and percussive zapateados from its listeners. In Sones de Mariachi, multi-Grammy-winning Mariachi Los Camperos makes its mark on the son legacy, powered by the group’s lauded signature sound and leader Jesús “Chuy” Guzmán’s uplifting arrangements. This meticulously curated mix of popular and lesser-known sones rooted in the western Mexican heartland of mariachi tradition is played with the typical virtuosity, superb vocals, and rhythmic precision of one of the world’s greatest mariachis.
Mariachi Los Camperos Makes Its Mark on the Son Legacy with Sones de Mariachi | Smithsonian Folkways Recordings