Alejandro Cisneros a older mariachi calls the newer younger generation arrivals “pirates.” They simply put on a costume and trick customers into thinking they are mariachi musicians, he says, but they know nothing of there instruments or songs.
The younger mariachis are too focused on charging more money and pushing out those who they believe are taking gigs they do not deserve, playing at weddings and quinceañeras and the occasional backyard cookout.
The two groups cannot agree on many things, but the most important is this: How much should a mariachi charge and how do you know how much experience do they have?
“This is our profession, our job, our passion,” Mr. Cisneros said. “We don’t want to have it ruined by these young kids who do not know what they are doing.”
“We want to have a standard,” Mr. Ramirez said. “There are good and there are bad, and it is difficult to tell who is who when you just hear them play one song and only have a couple songs on there list. If you buy a pair of pants for $20 and another for $80, it’s not the same quality. The same is true for music. For this to work, we need people to understand the difference.”
In the Coachella Valley there’s a couple of youth groups that are charging very high rates for poor quality and that effects the whole market as clientele does not know what is a good mariachi band and deal. The recommendations are you hire a group were the age median in 27-50 years old of age.
Hiring a older group can be just as bad as the musicians are tired and just looking to get paid. The experience is there but the energy to entertain your guest has gone. In the Coachella Valley there’s only a few.
Mariachi Los Palmeros age is between 27-40 year old musicians, making us prime for any event with a big song list and lots of energy to entertain all your guest.
