Patricia Greathouse Books & CDs Mariachi

Patricia Greathouse
Gibbs Smith Publisher, 2009
Hardcover. 176 pp. Color photographs. CD included.

From the Publisher
Mariachi is more than the music of trumpets and violins: it is the makings of a celebration, a party, a wedding, a festival, or a concert. Mariachi music has evolved from local musicians playing in small Mexican villages to professional artists now appearing in concert halls,sports arenas, and performance stages throughout the world, including the opening ceremonies of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China. It is taught in thousands of classrooms throughout the United States.

The author’s narrative captures the world of mariachi and its development through her interviews with many mariachis, who give unique perspectives on the culture. Tales of life as a mariachi are interwoven with enlightening biographies of mariachi greats, favorite song lyrics, and forty recipes from the mariachi culture.

Mariachi is taught at UCLA at the Institute of Ethnomusicology and is the center of mariachi graduate studies in the United States.

About the Author
Patricia Greathouse played with Mariachi Azteca for nine years. She is a restaurant reviewer and food feature writer for the Santa Fe New Mexican, The New Mexican, and other publications.

PROFILES OF CLASSIC AND CONTEMPORARY PERFORMERS, FEATURING LYRICS FROM THEIR SONGS, INCLUDE:
Jorge Negrete
Pedro Infante
Miguel Aceves Mejía
Javier Solís
José Alfredo Jiménez
Miguel Martínez and Mariachi Tolteca
Jesús Rodríguez de Híjar
Rubén Fuentes
Nati Cano
Rigoberto Alfaro
Heriberto Molina
And more!

Myriad camps, conferences, workshops, festivals, and a multitude of associations promote mariachi music. Some of the major conferences are held in San Antonio, Tucson, Albuquerque, Las Cruces, San Jose, and Guadalajara (Mexico’s Encuentro Internacional del Mariachi).