McALLEN — By day, they work as teachers, professors, coaches and engineers.
In the evenings, they’re burning up the stage with violin riffs, trumpet runs and mountainous vocals as “Mariachi Los Arrieros del Valle.”
The 13-member mariachi group formed in 1996, Mariachi Los Arrieros has made a name for itself, receiving frequent requests to play at weddings and other social functions. The group has also performed in California, New Mexico and Arizona; the musicians have also performed a couple of times at the Hollywood Bowl, the same location where Frank Sinatra, The Beatles and Pavarotti have played, among others, said Marcos Zarate, a Los Arrieros violinist.
“It’s a very prestigious stage,” said Zarate, 26, who teaches mariachi at Edcouch-Elsa High School. “We’ve backed up a lot of famous singers, such as Joan Sebastian, Pedro Fernandez.”
The band also plans to perform a Christmas concert this season at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, although the performance hasn’t yet been posted on the venue’s Web site.
“The thing that I enjoy the most doing is just spending time with the guys,” Zarate said. “They all have hectic schedules. When we have an out-of-town gig and an out-of-town performance, it gets you involved with the guys.”
One of their trademark performances, ironically, isn’t a mariachi piece at all; they love playing “The Devil Went Down to Georgia,” with the violin accompaniment ripping to the delight of audiences. The group is also known for its trios and for playing its signature song, “Los Arrieros.”
“It’s one of the most traditional types of music styles in mariachi,” Zarate said. “Not only playing, but as far as rhythm wise. There are a lot of different time signatures, rhythm changes. It can be a little difficult to play.”
Marcos Garcia, another violinist, said he enjoys playing “El Fandanguito” with the group.
“It’s a really unique piece, and there’s not another group that really plays it,” he said. “As a matter of fact, it’s one of the arrangements that was done by our musical director, and it’s pretty unique from any other mariachi groups.”
Garcia, who also teaches mariachi at Edcouch-Elsa School District, appreciates the difficulty of some of the music and the musicianship of the entire group. He moved here recently from San Antonio so he could join Los Arrieros.
“I was offered a teaching position as well, but they were the deciding factor, definitely,” said Garcia, 29. “It’s a really good challenge, and it’s a chemistry that the group has.”
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Travis Whitehead covers features and entertainment for The Monitor. You can reach him at (956) 683-4452.
