BY STEPHANIE ESLAKE
Mariachi madness is set to defrost the The Kew Court House dance floor this week as the third instalment of the House Party series kicks off. Melbourne-based group Mariachi Los Romanticos will perform at the venue on August 26, and it’s a family affair with the ensemble director William Martinez joined by his brother Julio and father Jose.
William left El Salvador with his family in 1987, searching for a better life and his music embodies the heart of Mexico, telling stories of yesterday, today and tomorrow. Expect Mexican folk and pop music at the event – and as for the rest of the story, William fills us in.
So, tell us your story. When did you first start playing Mariachi music?
I was 16 years old when the Mexican romantic music first grabbed my attention. I found the lyrics of the Mexican music very poetic, particularly the romantic ones. Back in El Salvador, my dad was part of a Mariachi trio. When we were first living in Australia we missed our homeland and culture, so my dad encouraged my younger brother Julio and I to learn Mexican music.
So it was a past-time for you? Where did you like to play, and what is your instrument?
By the age of 17 my brother Julio, Dad and I were performing as a Mariachi trio in our Spanish community. Years later we were performing in the local multicultural festival. By 1992 we engaged additional professional musicians on violin and trumpet, then we were a complete Mariachi band. Now that is 2016 we are a 10-piece Mariachi band, and we play all over Australia.
When I was younger, 16, I was part of a Spanish youth group in Ascot Vale, where I sang in the church choir. Sometime later I taught myself to play guitar. So I sing and play guitar, but my voice is my main instrument.
You left El Salvador in 1987. Why did you leave, and what made you look to Australia?
In 1987, moving from El Salvador to Australia was a one-way ticket. It was a pleasant and happy day for my family and myself as we were re-united with my oldest brother, who had been living in Melbourne for several years.
When you arrived in Australia, you continued to make this music with your family – how did you feel playing the music from a homeland you needed to leave?
Playing music of my homeland was very sad, as it takes you back to your relatives and friends and places where you wish you could go again. However, our lives here in Australia are peaceful, healthier and secure.
What is at the heart of Mariachi music, to you?
I find Mariachi music to be very happy and romantic, and it’s a vibe I can feel and see when people see us dressed in our Mexican suits. I want my audience to understand the meaning of the lyrics of our music – most of the songs we perform are love songs, which sometimes I try to express, but most importantly I let the music take that role.
Experiencing Mariachi music seems very much a full show with the costumes as elaborate as the music. What do you wish for your audiences to feel when seeing and hearing you live?
I take this opportunity to thanks Australia for giving my family and me the opportunity to live and share, but most important to accept our culture.
Click here for info and tickets to the August 26 gig at the Kew Court House.
Image supplied.
