Writing Prompt: Write about a new music scene or culture you discovered during your travels...
So this Spring Break I was fortunate enough to get to travel with my family. This vacation was a little different for me since I knew this might be my last vacation before I entered college. Apart from that we were planning to visit a lot of our family in Mexico during this vacation, a lot of them I haven't seen in 8 years. We were visiting a different kind of lifestyle and culture for the first time, and one of those big differences was of course... the music.
Now since I got to travel to two different places in Mexico during my spring break vacation, I'll skip the first place since the 2nd place is where I experience a new different kind of music culture/vibe. We ended up going to the great city of Guadalajara, the 2nd biggest city in Mexico. It was the land where my dad was born and grew up most of his childhood. I've heard great stories and things about Guadalajara, so of course I was pumped to finally get a chance to visit.
My first initial reaction when we finally arrived at Guadalajara was how beautiful the city was. It's pretty much the ideal city for me! I loved the unique buildings, the historic culture, and the amazing food. Each morning I would wake up even more excited to see the new places we were going to discover. I was stuck in paradise and there was still more I wanted to see each day. Apart from that it was sort of a nostalgic trip for my dad, so I was even happier for him.
Now since I got to travel to two different places in Mexico during my spring break vacation, I'll skip the first place since the 2nd place is where I experience a new different kind of music culture/vibe. We ended up going to the great city of Guadalajara, the 2nd biggest city in Mexico. It was the land where my dad was born and grew up most of his childhood. I've heard great stories and things about Guadalajara, so of course I was pumped to finally get a chance to visit.
My first initial reaction when we finally arrived at Guadalajara was how beautiful the city was. It's pretty much the ideal city for me! I loved the unique buildings, the historic culture, and the amazing food. Each morning I would wake up even more excited to see the new places we were going to discover. I was stuck in paradise and there was still more I wanted to see each day. Apart from that it was sort of a nostalgic trip for my dad, so I was even happier for him.
Now we were staying in the neighborhood of Tlaquepaque, a beautiful peaceful area full of rich food and amazing historic buildings. Near the hotel we were staying at, we were close to the what many consider the biggest bar in the world; La Parian. It was a curious big square plaza with about 6 different bars surrounding the middle gazebo, where at night they would have mini festivals. It wasn't anything like a crazy bar at Vegas, but it was much nicer since you had more of a opportunity to enjoy the atmosphere. This where I really got myself appreciating the popular Mexican music genre... Mariachi.
After a long day of walking around in downtown Guadalajara, we decided to head back early to our Hotel room to get some rest. We arrived and got some sleep before we headed out to the La Parian at night. We wanted to go check it out quickly so my parents can have a quick drink and head back to the hotel room to get more sleep. We ended up staying most of night, thanks to a little mini festival they had going on. What stood out to me was the Mariachi music they had playing live. It was a interesting type of music, full of mostly all string and air instruments. The little "band" performing started out with a uptight energizing song that got the crowd dancing and singing a lot. These songs continued for a while until they started playing more of the slower songs. These are songs I really ended up enjoying since they gave off a bittersweet atmosphere to the place. It was amazing unique experience.
What I really liked about Mariachi was how each instrument has it's own unique sound that brings a lot to the whole composition of the song. Without the guitars, trumpets, violins, or bass it wouldn't sound the same. What I really liked the most was the voice and the story Mariachi brings to the overall big picture. If your lucky, you can get a singer with a beautiful voice singing about stories of lost loves, breakups, and treasured memories. It's probably why everyone enjoys it so much, it's a trip through memory lane that everyone likes to go through.
After a long day of walking around in downtown Guadalajara, we decided to head back early to our Hotel room to get some rest. We arrived and got some sleep before we headed out to the La Parian at night. We wanted to go check it out quickly so my parents can have a quick drink and head back to the hotel room to get more sleep. We ended up staying most of night, thanks to a little mini festival they had going on. What stood out to me was the Mariachi music they had playing live. It was a interesting type of music, full of mostly all string and air instruments. The little "band" performing started out with a uptight energizing song that got the crowd dancing and singing a lot. These songs continued for a while until they started playing more of the slower songs. These are songs I really ended up enjoying since they gave off a bittersweet atmosphere to the place. It was amazing unique experience.
What I really liked about Mariachi was how each instrument has it's own unique sound that brings a lot to the whole composition of the song. Without the guitars, trumpets, violins, or bass it wouldn't sound the same. What I really liked the most was the voice and the story Mariachi brings to the overall big picture. If your lucky, you can get a singer with a beautiful voice singing about stories of lost loves, breakups, and treasured memories. It's probably why everyone enjoys it so much, it's a trip through memory lane that everyone likes to go through.
Now I haven't listened a lot of Mariachi since I was barely introduce to it, but I do recommend checking out the great famous Mexican artists like Vicente Fernandez or Juan Gabriel who have brought amazing work to this genre. Even just checking out a bunch of songs on Youtube is totally worth it, and you will discover a lot of interesting work. It's still nice to see how it remains a popular genre with groups around the world competing for the best Mariachi band of the year. If you have time I totally recommended checking out Mariachi and the amazing music it brings all over to beautiful country of Mexico and the world.