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An interview with Miguel Aceves Mejia from the magazine El Mariachi Suena.
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One day I was singing in one of the best cabarets in Buenos Aires, it was called the Embassy, and a man approached me who was the Minister Of Education, I’m not sure what his title was... He told me they were going to commemorate an event where the president was going to invite all of the foreign artists that were in Argentina at the time. This was going to be in one of the best opera houses in Buenos Aires and the world. Only foreign artists would be invited and there were many foreigners. Argentina was always it. The money was good and artists from all over the world went there. And this minister that came to me said: |
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"Do you want to participate at the function that is going to be held at the Colon Theatre?" "How could I not? And with everything and my mariachi", I said. I was the first one to take mariachi music to South America, they had never heard of mariachis. They didn’t know what mariachi music was. Well, in the end they left it up to me because mariachi music was a sensation. I would put the mariachi to open the show with La Negra, then I would come out singing and would close the show with Ruega Por Nosotros. As a result, the way destiny is, Evita Perón had just passed away, the wife of the president of the Republic of Argentina. Juan Domingo Perón, was in the palace with his ministers, and that’s when I sang Ruega Por Nosotros. When I finished singing, the applause was terrific, in the palace everyone stood up, because Evita had just passed away, I would kneel when I would say (sing): Señor, eterno dios They tell me that afterward that he was crying (the president), when I was singing that song. The president called me up, and I was the only artist that he called up. I became good friends with him; he invited me and my representative to eat breakfast with him, and asked if I wanted to invite the whole mariachi to the casa Rosada and I said.. no, well I’ll go by myself and at seven the next morning a limosine was waiting for me at the hotel. I ate with him and he told me: "From this day forward you’re going to eat with me; I invited all of the mariachis every day, as a peace offering." "I was in Buenos Aires for three months, that’s where I spent most of my time, we became very good friends, that’s why I say that Ruega Por Nosotros opened the doors for me. This song made me an intimate friend of Juan Domingo Perón. I have so many stories about mariachis... All of the mariachis were good friends of mine La becerera, Rubén, El grullo (or El Grosello, but we’d call him El Grullo), Arturo, El cuerno (that’s what we’d call Miguel Martínez, the first trumpet player). Everyone- Mario (Santiago), I brought him from Chihuahua, because they didn’t have trumpet; Miguel had left the group. I knew Mario in Chihuahua, because he was a "mariachito". He would play the trumpet, and played beautifully. Back then Silverstre (Vargas) was desparate because Miguel left, the one we would call "El Cuerno", and Silvestre would tell me: "Miguel! I don’t know what to do, I can’t find a trumpet player, there aren’t any good trumpets." I told him I was going to bring one. I called my brother who was in Chihuahua and I told him: "Go find Mario, and buy him an airplane ticket and tell him that he’s coming to play with Mariachi Vargas". Silvestre would always tell me: "I owe you the money for that ticket." "Yes, you do owe me, but you’re never going to pay it back, cabrón" I would tell him. Then Mario arrived playing the trumpet. But after a few days, no, after a month, he hurt his mouth. From then on he played the violin and that’s how it was. I have so many stories about mariachis... The day that there are no mariachis in Mexico, the day that ranchera music doesn’t exist, is the day Mexico doesn’t exist. Ranchera music is what Mexico is known for all over the world, let’s not kid ourselves. These days the only thing I don’t like is the bolero ranchero, with the accompaniment of mariachis, it’s a vulgar bolero, accompanied by mariachis, there is no such thing as a bolero ranchero. I have a saying and I always say this: "The bolero ranchero is the recourse of mediocrities." Those that can’t sing ranchero music, that can't sing falsetto, revert to the bolero with mariachis and then say that it’s Mexican ranchera music. That it’s bolero ranchero. When I first recorded, the mariachi musicians didn’t know a note of music. Ruben Fuentes was the creator of symphonic mariachi music, he, even Mariano Rivera Conde told him: "I brought two flutes, and I brought eight violins from the conservatory, so that they can play with Mariachi Vargas. He was the creator of symphonic mariachi music and I took that too, the symphonic mariachi music all over the world. Because "tun-tata, tun-tata" no longer exists, not with me, no. When I was a boy, in my land Chihuahua, two or three mariachis (mariacheros), a vihuela, a guitarron, and a guitar; would sing on the streets, with the lyrics of the songs that they would sing, and they would sell the lyrics for ten cents. Singing on the streets, I would follow them all over the streets of Chihuahua. Well it enchanted me, above all the sound of the guitarron, the sound of the vihuela... I thought it was so beautiful! So different! The mariachi is the soul of Mexico, and the folk music, Mexican rancheras too. This page was designed and translated by S. A. Vega. Used by permission of El Mariachi Suena.© Fiesta Del Mariachi |
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Now offering a CD and DVD Set of Number One Hits
by Miguel Aceves Mejia! (Click on Image) | |||||||||