ALBUQUERQUE, NM —The United States Postal Service celebrates the sound of mariachi, a traditional Mexican music that is very popular in the United States, with the first issue of the 20 Mariachi Forever stamps on the 30th. Annual Mariachi Spectacular de Albuquerque.
“The Postal Service is proud to unveil these new Mariachi stamps to celebrate and celebrate the sound of this music that is a part of Mexican American culture and has fans around the world,” said Peter Pastre, government relations and the post office and its assistant. president, who served as the official for the dedication of the stamp ceremony.
“Today, the sound of mariachi is in the air, with musicians providing music with tales of life and love and exciting dances as this festival will continue with these 18 million postage stamps now sold at post offices across the United States,” he said. he said.
Other participants of the event were Monica Trujillo, director of education and arts of the Mariachi Spectacular de Albuquerque; Brian O’Connell, chief financial officer and chief operating officer of Atrisco Cos.; and Amelia Garcia, assistant principal at Ysleta High School in El Paso, Texas.
Rafael López designed the logo and created the art. Derry Noyes served as art director.
Each of the five new stamps in the 20 bet features a singer, dressed in traditional mariachi costumes, playing one of the five most popular mariachi instruments: guitar, guitarrón, vihuela, violin, and trumpet. The geometric shapes behind each logo are reminiscent of the villages of Mexico, where mariachi music originated.
“It is our honor and our pleasure to host the Mariachi Spectacular de Albuquerque in 2000,” said Monica Trujillo. create, it is our hope that every person who meets these stamps can find some magic that we can experience with every text, song, and nuance. that’s mariachi.”
“Mariachi” means many things: to the music itself; to an individual singer or band; and, when used as an adjective, for anything identified with music – be it dance or dress or ritual. The first known written mention of the word “mariachi” was made in the 1850s, but the roots of the music go back even further.
“Growing up, I remember wonderful weekends listening to the unique sounds of Mexican mariachi music at Plaza Garibaldi in Mexico City,” said logo designer Rafael López. “Mariachi music is a symbol of Mexican culture with roots in the United States and followers all over the world and I am happy and excited to share the spirit of this music with these brands.”
Although the exact origins of mariachi are unknown, it seems to have started in western Mexico, where itinerant musicians traveled from village to village and visited rural ranches to perform. Early mariachi music included traditional cultures from Spain, Mexico, and Africa that morphed to create a new indigenous music style, son. Sones are developed in various regional styles, including jalisciense from Jalisco; a huasteco, from northeastern Mexico; and son jarocho or veracruzano, from the area around the Gulf port of Veracruz. A famous example of a jarocho is the song “La Bamba.”
Beginning in the 1930s, mariachi music reached new audiences as it was picked up by urban radio stations and used by Mexican filmmakers on soundtracks. It soon became one of the most popular music genres in Latin America.
Mariachi groups traditionally use a backing guitar called a vihuela, which gives mariachi music its power; the guitarrón, which is the bass guitar; and the Mexican harp, arpa. In the 1940s and 1950s, the modern urban mariachi sound emerged with expanded instruments that included violins and trumpets. Today, congregations continue to expand the use of musical instruments, with some groups adding six to eight violins, two to four horns, an accordion, and a harp, which have fallen out of use but also found a comeback in between professional groups. This combination of instruments creates a unique music that is beautiful and expressive.
While mariachi music has existed in the United States for decades, in the 1960s, American churches, schools, and universities began to develop and sponsor mariachi programs that produced a new generation of musicians and those who are interested. Immigrants to different parts of the United States created regional mariachi traditions that expanded the appeal of this traditional music to new audiences. In addition, the first, second, and third generation Mexicans spread the American mariachi movement as a way of expressing ethnic pride and remaining connected to traditional culture.
Mariachi musicians are immediately recognizable in their traditional clothing called the traje de charro or charro suit. Adapted to the Spanish equestrian costume, it consisted of silver-buttoned breeches for men and full skirts for women, a short jacket, an embroidered belt, a wide bow, and a wide hat. Although black and silver jewelry is the norm, today the mariachi wears many colorful clothes.
Another beloved mariachi tradition is dancing, because this music is meant to get the audience moving. Each regional variation of the son has a traditional dance style. While other types of dance are loved by mariachi enthusiasts, the most popular folk dance is the Jarabe Tapatío—the Mexican Hat Dance. Very stylish with traditional steps and movements, it is the traditional dance of Mexico. This dance has spread from Mexico to the United States, where it is often performed at festivals, public performances, and dance competitions. Enjoyed all over the world, mariachi has reached a global audience through recordings, films, live concerts, and television shows.
Due to the importance and prevalence of mariachi music and culture, UNESCO added them to the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2011.
Customers can purchase stamps and other philatelic products through the Postal Store at usps.com/shopstamps, by calling 844-737-7826, through USA Philatelic Mail or at national Post Offices.
Perpetual inquiries will be priced at the current First-class mail rate. Information for ordering first-day postage stamps and covers is at usps.com/shop.
The Postal Service generally receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of mail, products, and services to finance its operations.
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