For a community that depends heavily on gigs to be able to make a living, in big mariachi markets such as Los Angeles and Chicago, no gigs means no pay.
The lack of federal financial relief in L.A. has led to local mariachis taking it upon themselves to food and other essentials to older and more vulnerable mariachi musicians. These artists typically gather at Mariachi Plaza, located in L.
A.’s Boyle Heights neighborhood, in hopes of getting hired to play at restaurants or private events. Additionally, the Mariachi Plaza Festival Foundation in L.A. has also coordinated a food bag distributionat Mariachi Plaza in partnership with the Organización de Mariachis Unidos de Los Ángeles and other local organizations. According to Frank Villalobos, president of MPFF, the food bag distributions at the plaza will continue until the end of June. “Just like other musicians and artists who depend on their craft as their sole source of income, the impact has been devastating for Mariachi families,” Villalobos says."Even if the economy opened today, it will take many months to recover emotionally, creatively and financially.” Like L.A., Chicago is known for a thriving mariachi community that also depends on local gigs. Just as they were getting out of hibernation and ready to embark on their busiest season yet, mariachis in Chicago are facing a brutal reality check. “People at parties think we play mariachi music as a hobby, but sometimes, that’s all we have,” says Juan Daniel Cervantes, a third-generation mariachi musician in Chicago who depends on his weekly gig at a local restaurant to pay for college, and whose father is also a mariachi musician. “It’s been a struggle. Everyone at home is trying to pitch in to help financially. Winter is the worst season to be a musician here in Chicago, and I’ve learned how to save money for that," Cervantes says."But something like this, I hadn’t prepared for.” In lieu of any live performances, he is teaching mariachi music classes on Zoom to earn some extra cash. “I’ve been teaching elementary and high-school students through Zoom, but it’s impossible to stay in sync,” says Cervantes. “So we are now dedicating half an hour to each kid individually.”Mariachi Heritage Foundation , a non-profit that aims to preserve the cultural heritage of mariachi music, has also been holding practices on Zoom for his mariachi ensemble -- composed of teenagers from Chicago -- and kids who participate in the foundation’s after-school music program. “It’s important to learn as a group when you’re learning mariachi music. With Zoom, you can’t do that because there is a delay. It’s chaos,” says Maldonado. “You have to be in a room together so theplayer are doing, and it has to be cohesive.” Tentatively set to take place June 28 at Chicago’s Millennium Park, the Mariachi Festival is considered the largest mariachi event in the U.S. and a place where renowned mariachi singer Aida Cuevas has performed. It is currently on"standby," according to Maldonado, whose foundation organizes the event to fundraise for educational programs. “In terms of mariachi groups, we’re independent artists, and there’s not a lot of support coming from anywhere,” Maldonado adds. “A lot of it will be on us to make the effort to survive this.” In an effort to support independent workers, last week the Illinois Department of Employment Security made the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance available to gigging musicians. Eréndira Izguerra, who sings and plays the violin in Chicago-based Mariachi Las Sirenas, hopes to benefit from that program. “I applied for PUA and other programs, but I have not heard back from any of the resources,” says Izguerra. “I picked up a part-time job sewing masks at a Mexican artisanal shop in Pilsen [neighborhood in the Lower West side of Chicago]. I reached a point where I accepted the rest of the year being ‘scratched off.’ I am unemployed for the remainder of the year in the things I based my career off of: performing and teaching music.” As some mariachi await some sort of federal financial support and learn the ins and outs of virtual sessions, others are putting their charro suits back on and finding ways to remain active while following safety measures such as wearing face masks, gloves, and standing six feet apart from each other while performing. Back in L.A., Cinco de Mayo and Mother’s Day called for more private and intimate celebrations where some mariachis were asked to perform. “The gathering had to be less than seven people. If it’s more, we won’t play,” says Álvarez . “And it’d be a mariachi ensemble of only six members. Typically, there’s 10 of us. And the client also has to pay us via Venmo so there isn’t an exchange of anything between us.” Martínez will kick off their “social distance serenatas” by the end of May, playing at events with fewer than 10 people. Each guest will be required to wear a mask. “Only until things get better,” Martínez says. “We keep going because it’s our job and our passion. We need to play to survive both financially and emotionally. The ship may be sinking, but we’re still playing.”
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