Coming into the observe house, you might be met with the sounds of strings being tuned, laughs cheering up a darkish, chilly night time, and sheet music shuffling. Because the musicians settle in, the conductor units the tempo and counts them in—one, two, three . . .
Accented strings of three violins and one viola, the blare of a trumpet, and the strum of three guitars type a cohesive, heartful tune. That is mariachi.
Mariachi Quinto Sol on the College of Washington (UW), established first in 2004 by former student Mario Perez, has made a comeback since its reformation in 2023.
The membership went dormant through the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic. Nonetheless, college students’ relentless pursuit is a testomony to the neighborhood it fosters and the importance of mariachi music to folks on campus and within the Better Seattle space.
Christian Sanchez, an incoming first-year scholar in 2023, was one of many individuals who fostered the membership’s resurgence.
“I used to be very excited, coming into this very massive college and making a change occur,” Sanchez mentioned.
Beginning a membership at a big college got here with challenges, particularly at a predominantly white establishment, however membership members mentioned the love of music and tradition saved the mariachi group alive.
Sanchez grew up in Yakima County, which is 86% Latine and the place mariachi is a staple in his neighborhood. He performed the flute in his highschool band however was later requested by his director to attempt mariachi.
“I fell in love with it instantly,” Sanchez defined. “Everybody in there was so enjoyable. There was such a superb sense of neighborhood as a result of everyone seems to be coming collectively to play this music.”
Sanchez got here throughout Mariachi Quinto Sol by way of the membership listing web page in 2023. He determined to revive the membership reasonably than type a brand new mariachi membership for a faster and simpler course of.
He met David Delcid Saavedra, who was additionally seeking to begin a mariachi at UW. Collectively they labored with an alumni of this system to reinstate the membership.
“I grew up listening to mariachi,” mentioned Saavedra, a third-year scholar and viola participant. “It was part of one thing that I had already been immersed in, and so I used to be simply eager to be extra concerned in it.”
The membership was up and working by the tip of October 2023, with Sanchez as director.
However then Sanchez transferred to Central Washington College with out figuring out who would take over the membership—or if it might proceed.
“Discovering somebody that would decelerate and have the ability to take over was such a tough factor as a result of everybody’s so busy,” Sanchez mentioned. “We’re actually only a bunch of school college students attempting to do one thing that’s an exercise, not a precedence.”
Yesenia Zwilling, a second-year scholar, and Maribel Lopez Sanchez, a first-year scholar, rehearse the tune “Arboles de la Barranca.” Zwilling and Lopez Sanchez have been two of three violins current throughout rehearsal Feb. 12, 2025.
Pictures: Dany Villarreal Martinez
Brenden Shen, a third-year scholar, performs the guitarron for Mariachi Quinto Sol on Feb. 12, 2025. Shen took the school-issued instrument house that night time to observe and play for his buddies.
Pictures: Dany Villarreal Martinez
Fatima Hernandez, a second-year scholar and viola participant, took on the management position after Sanchez transferred.
“If this was an area they loved being part of, I wished to do every thing I may to verify this was an area that continued,” she mentioned.
Yesenia Zwilling, a second-year scholar and violin participant, was one of many individuals who wanted this neighborhood, having performed the violin for 12 years however by no means in a band.
“I by no means actually performed as a part of a band earlier than, so I feel it’s actually cool to listen to how all of the devices come collectively,” she mentioned.
A lot of the Mariachi Quinto Sol college students are additionally members of the Husky Marching Band and the UW Symphony Orchestra.
Provided that mariachi consists of each string and brass devices, college students with this different expertise are almost definitely to have the essential expertise wanted to be taught the music.
However college students from each these teams are sometimes the busiest, so participation with the mariachi band is just not assured.
College students wouldn’t have to be Mexican and even Hispanic to affix Mariachi Quinto Sol, and talent stage doesn’t matter both.
“We will share our tradition with anybody who needs to be part of it,” Hernandez mentioned.
Hernandez at all times makes use of the identical line with anybody she meets who is likely to be even a bit fascinated with mariachi: It’s lovely music that’s welcoming to everybody.
“I announce it to folks no matter their ethnicity,” Hernandez mentioned. “I’m identical to, ‘Oh, hey, do you occur to play the violin or the guitar.’ And if they are saying sure, I’ll pitch it to them.”
Alam Velazquez, a second-year scholar and trumpet participant, appears ahead to introducing mariachi music to those that have by no means heard it.
He’s from Tacoma, a metropolis with a big Hispanic neighborhood. He hopes to “add one thing new to UW life.”
Mariachi Quinto Sol performing on the Younger Executives of Coloration Convention on March 2, 2024. This was the group’s first efficiency since college students reinstated the membership on the College of Washington in 2023.
Pictures: Cameron Delfin
Due to the shifting management and busy individuals, scheduling practices and performances has been arduous for Mariachi Quinto Sol.
Hernandez mentioned the group had been requested to carry out at numerous occasions however needed to decline.
“We actually wished to do Latino commencement,” Hernandez mentioned. “However simply realistically, with the quantity of members, the consistency, and the purpose we have been at in our mariachi membership, we couldn’t do it.”
Funding has additionally been a problem for musical group.
In 2023, Sanchez lined many bills, together with paying each time they wished to make use of a observe room on the Samuel E. Kelly Ethnic Cultural Middle.
“I keep in mind paying like $100 out of my pocket,” Sanchez mentioned.
He didn’t inform the opposite members, he mentioned. He simply wished to maintain the membership working for his bandmates.
However, some excellent news: The membership has a efficiency scheduled for March 1 on the Younger Executives of Coloration convention, which is a UW scholar group. Their first efficiency was on the identical convention final 12 months.
“I simply preserve hoping that there’s the folks there as excited as I used to be and it retains going and getting larger,” Sanchez mentioned, referring to the legacy she hopes to create.
“Discovering neighborhood right here at UW will be actually arduous,” Hernandez mentioned. “Mariachi was an area to advertise my tradition to UW and to specific: ‘We’re right here, and we’re meant to be right here.’”
Dany Villarreal Martinez (she/her/ella) is a Journalism and Public Curiosity Communication scholar on the College of Washington in Seattle. As a Mexican immigrant, her life aim is to provide again to her immigrant neighborhood by offering truthful and accessible communication.
Camila Avelar (she/her/ella) is a senior on the College of Washington majoring in Journalism and Public Curiosity Communication with a minor in management. She hopes to pursue a profession in video journalism and leisure media.
