Corazon de Mariachi History

Homesickness.

    It was as simple as that. We all got together because a young woman missed home. She had a very simple idea on how to bring her home to Houston. It was 1999 and Maria simply asked her music teacher if she would help organize a mariachi at the University of Houston. Other universities have them. Why should UH be any different? However, I will admit that perhaps there was a little something missing in all of our hearts, not just Maria's. That something was the music of our culture. It was this music that is distinctly ours, something that gives us all a sense of pride. 
    

    The music of the mariachi is something special to us all. I remember growing up with this music. My mother and grandmother would play it on AM radio stations while making homemade tortillas. It was on the tape player in the van on our road trips to visit family in Waco, Austin, El Paso, and Mexico. It was in the mass at all three of my sisters' quinceaneras and my oldest sister's wedding. We all love mariachi music for different reasons. The point is it that it belongs to us and we are very proud to share it with the rest of the world.
    

    So with this "homesickness" that was affecting us all, we began to attempt to play this music with which we were so familiar. It has been a very slow process. We have no true maestro to teach us. We are doing this on our own, and we are damn proud of it. Our intention is not to be the best, there are already awesome groups out there and we respect them a great deal. Yet, we are going to try to win their respect by showing that we have the ganas. And each time we play, we play with the same passion and heart of the mariachis of yesteryear as well as those who are now just being exposed to our music on their way to visit grandma's.

Rodrigo Tristan
Corazon de Mariachi
February 5, 2002