Lobos de Plata at UNR reenergizing mariachi for the community
Stephanie Navarro Rocha reports on university students taking part in a mariachi band and why this genre of music continues to be popular.
On a Friday evening, Lobos de Plata, a mariachi band and club at the University of Nevada, Reno, gathers for a rehearsal at the Church of Fine Arts building, with members welcoming each other with a smile, while taking out their instruments, from violins to the large bass guitar known as the guitarrón.
“To me, it’s part of my culture, and it’s also part of what makes me a Mexican,” Pedro Alberto Vázquez Ramírez, a 21-year-old from Durango, Mexico, and currently treasurer of the club, said about mariachi.
“I feel very identified with my music. Overall, it’s more than just music to me. It’s pride in what you do and where you’re from… and passion too,” he said.
Vázquez has been playing music for 11 years and has played mariachi for almost nine years. He was introduced to mariachi through a middle school program. Vázquez plays many instruments, some of which are the guitar, vihuela, and guitarrón.
Twenty-one-year-old Melanie Castillo is the president of the club and runs the rehearsals. She has played the violin for 11 years and has been in mariachi for almost six years. Castillo said that mariachi is a good way to get in touch with your roots as well as find a community and lifelong friendships. Since she started, she has felt more connected to her culture and family.
“My grandma loves mariachi music, so that has always been a plus that I could connect with her in that way too,” she said.
Anthony Del Angel, also 21 years old and the vice president, began playing mariachi when he came to college. In the band, Del Angel plays trumpet which he has played since fifth grade. He thinks it’s important for mariachi to be incorporated in schools and the community.
“Unfortunately, a lot of schools have been cutting the programs,” he said. “We heard about a lot of middle schools and some other high schools that did have programs, but they were cut or don’t have teachers.”
However, Del Angel also said that culture and the people are why mariachi remains popular to this day.
Furthermore, Vázquez mentioned that many artists still make songs with mariachi, such as Pedro Fernández, Alejandro Fernández, and more. There are also a lot of mariachis around that continue to release music, like Mariachi América and Mariachi Vargas.
Mariachi is very versatile, and because of that, it can reach so many different people and convey many emotions, according to Castillo.
“I feel like music is something that’s very universal. It can be understood by a lot of people and… that’s always a good way to connect with them,” she said.
Vázquez also said that you can feel many emotions through mariachi.
“You can be sad, you can be happy, thoughtful, or even mad sometimes,” he said.
Lobos de Plata has played at quinceañeras, other birthday parties, community events on campus, Hispanic events, and more.
They have both public and private shows. Their private performances are charged by the hour. The money they make through these performances and their fundraising goes directly towards things such as their uniforms, what they refer to as trajes. Castillo said that one traje costs an average of $315 to $345. The shipping can be an additional $300 to $700.
If you’re interested in joining, Castillo said that people are welcome to come and sit in during their first rehearsal if they don’t want to play or sing so they can see what the club is all about.
“If you’re just thinking about doing it, it never hurts to try,” she said. “Never miss an opportunity. Take every chance.”
Lobos de Plata holds rehearsals every Wednesday and Friday from 5–6:30 p.m. in the Church Fine Arts building, room 112. The club will also be having a concert later this Spring semester.
