The January concert in the Perry Fine Arts Series will feature the Trio de Colores Mariachi Band at the Perry Performing Arts Center, 1200 18th St. in Perry. The performance is Sunday, Jan. 21 at 2 p.m.
Trio de Colores specializes in Mexican music and is composed of three musical virtuosi who perform with various ensembles all over the U.S. and Latin America. Based in Iowa and Latin America, the trio’s repertoire includes everything from well-known mariachi music to lesser known Native American tunes and contemporary Mexican folk music and popular compositions.
Trio de Colores, Spanish for the Colorful Threesome, has a mission to expand awareness about the true diversity of Mexican music. Sunday’s concert program will offer a colorful sampler of short pieces that reflect primarily the Iberian influence on the popular music of Mexico.
This Spanish influence is illustrated by Mexican folk tunes such as “La Petenera” from the state of Veracruz and “El Sinaloense” and “La Charreada” from the state of Jalisco, which all carry a European brand of harmonies in thirds and the rich string accompaniments first introduced from Spain: the harp, the guitarrón and the vihuela all trace their roots to Europe.
Yet this is not European music, nor are the string instruments of Trio de Colores from Spain. Each piece carries a sound unique to Mexico, and all of the string instruments used by Trio de Colores were invented in the Americas.
Musical ideas brought from Spain were only the starting point. The syncretism of European and Native American traditions that led to cultures all their own in Mexico is palpable throughout the program.
This cultural blending is particularly notable in the waltz “María Chuchita,” sung in the Native Pur’épecha language, and in the cumbia “El Mariachi Loco,” played to an Afro-Latin dance beat. These songs remind us very explicitly that Latin America is a land of mixed cultures with a unique voice in every region, depending on the particular blend that has taken place there.
Perry Fine Arts concerts are free and open to the public. Free-will donations are accepted. The Perry Performing Arts Center is handicapped accessible.
Once again, a great concert with very poor attendance. What does it take for the community to support these concerts and attend? This concert featured Mexican mariachi music, and there were only a half-dozen Hispanics in the small crowd and no high school students.