Search - Mariachi Vargas De Tecalitlan :: Mejor De Rca Victor

Instrumental Album

09/28/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I love Mariachi but both for the singing and the musicianship, especially when it is done well. I've also seen Mariachi Vargas live and love them. However, if you are expecting to have all the glory of Mariachi complete with the soulful singing, don't get this album. With few exceptions, there is no singing. Also to point out that most of these recordings are old--1950's and 1960's."

The diverse mariachi experience

Enrique Torres | San Diegotitlan, Califas | 11/21/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is a little disappointing in terms of what you might expect from a Mariach Vargas de Tecalitlan disc but it is still good nonetheless. I say a little disappointing because I love the vocals associated with the mariachi. If you love the vocals they are practically nonexistent. There are a few vocals, like on the birthday song,"Las Mananitas" but basically this is the wrong album if want to hear singing.These are old recordings and have not had a sonic make over. The result is they have a certain charm of their own. Some of the traditional mariachi flavor is lost in the process as at times it sounds like some old time ballroom music. "Siboney " is a good example of that feeling where the is music is from another era. Also some of the tracks have that old school mambo dance groove like the song "Juarez." The songs seem to organized around themes where on some you almost get this small symphony feeling, especialy those that are vals(waltz) like "Rio Rosa," "Viva mi Desgracia," "Morir Sonando" and "Cuando escuchas este vals." There are also alot of songs centered around la fiesta brava(bullfights) like the Agustin Lara tribute song to one of Mexico's premier bullfighters "Silverio," the song to another great torero(bullfighter) "Fermin, " another honoring the lineage of toreros(and actors) in the "Capetillo" family and several other greats like "Lorenzo Garza" including agueably the best ever and the pride of Spain "Carlos Arruza." These classics are played in bull rings throughout the world and are known as pasodobles. There are some folkloric songs like "El Rascapetate" the familiar "El Jarabe Tapatio" and "Los Machetes" in which dancers dance with machetes in their hands and tap them on the ground in a rhythmic swirling fashion that defies logic as to how their partner escapes without even a scratch. There are several such songs that are folkloric and used for dances from the various distinct regions of Mexico. This is a nice addition to a good mariachi music collection especially those that like to have it all. This is also good for someone beginning their collection since so many (40) songs are included. The disc begins with the one song that anyone who has ever heard mariachi music can usually identify, "La Negra." From this point on you will be in for a treat of a wide variety of songs represenative of different places in Mexico. These are old recordings so you wil have to put up with a sound that is not as rich as the digital masters of today. The interior of the cover has muiscal credits for the authors and the year of the original release. The songs were originally released from 1958-1967. The disc itself has the old look of a vinyl record complete with "record grooves".Recommended for your up coming fiesta."

MARIACHI VARGAS DE TECALITLAN

EPHRAIM APOLINAR | SAN JOSE, CA United States | 08/07/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"With out a doubt this is the number one Mariachi in all of Mexico. I have quite a few mariachi albums but this one stands as the best one in Mexico. This is the first and original mariachi group.Linda Ronsthad made her recordings and the firsts appearances with this mariachi group. This mariachi is the pride of Mexico."