Music has always been about tearing down walls, not building them.
Just look at British band Pink Floyd, whose iconic concept album The Wall, released in 1979, was used as the soundtrack to the fall of the Berlin Wall 10 years later.
For Vancouver mariachi musicians Los Dorados, a wall will never separate them from celebrating the musical heritage and culture of Mexico.
Dressed in traditional mariachi garb, specifically designed for the band, Los Dorados has continued to share its love and knowledge of this Mexican storytelling style of music for more than a decade, as Okanagan residents know full well with the band鈥檚 annual spring tour of the Valley.
In Lake Country Saturday, March 18 to perform at the inaugural , don鈥檛 be surprised if you see a few sombreros and smiles as Los Dorados travels up and down the Okanagan-Shuswap in its new 15-passenger van next week.
鈥淚t is always a great inspiration for us to be right in the midst of not just the cultural/historical past of the mariachi, but what鈥檚 happening stylistically now. It鈥檚 always moving forward,鈥� said Los Dorados鈥� Diego Kohl, who was born in Ajijic on Lake Chapala, Mexico and raised in Armstrong, B.C.
Led by Mexican-born singer-guitarist Alex Alegria, Los Dorados is not only the organizer of Vancouver鈥檚 successful Mariachi Festival Canada, but is also the Canadian representative at Guadalajara鈥檚 International Mariachi Festival, which the band returned to this past year for its fourth visit.
鈥淲e were invited there specifically,鈥� said Kohl. 鈥淚 especially love jamming in the hotel lobby. It鈥檚 not pretentious at all. It鈥檚 all for the love of music and especially with all of us being mariachi, it鈥檚 a great experience.鈥�
One thing that Los Dorados has been working on 鈥� and has highlighted on its most recent and third self-titled album - is updating the mariachi repertoire.
鈥淎ll these old songs are recycled by artists. We thought what was missing was new material,鈥� said Kohl. 鈥淕oing back to Mexico influenced us to further the style and add to it. We study the classics and respect the traditional, but it鈥檚 a good move not to just do cover tunes and arrangements but to add our own flair and compositions鈥� We are looking to expanding our base.鈥�
Los Dorados鈥� new album, which was submitted to this year鈥檚 Juno awards in the world music category, features original songs written by band members, including Kohl鈥檚 original arrangement of a traditional huapango, or Mexican folk dance, entitled Diego鈥檚 Huapango.
鈥淚t鈥檚 in a mariachi style derived from Spanish guitar and has a specific rhythm. My arrangement is based on mariachi orchestration with three violin parts, two trumpets and the rhythm section. The voice also goes in high range,鈥� said Kohl who provided the vocals along with Alegria and bandmate Ricardo Ochoa.
Besides writing and arranging, Kohl continues be a part of Los Dorados鈥檚 rhythm section, playing the big Mexican guitar known as the guitarr贸n. The unique instrument, where the strings are plucked not too unlike a harp, has provided him with his own community of musicians.
鈥淚t鈥檚 one of my favourite instruments to play,鈥� said Kohl, who also plays blues and Latin guitar as well as jazz piano. 鈥淎 mariachi without a guitarr贸n just doesn鈥檛 work. The tone of the guittar贸n is unique. Everything about it is different from the technique and the approach.鈥�
Los Dorados鈥� annual tour of the Okanagan, produced by Ken Smedley, takes place on the following dates:
鈥� March 21 at 7:30 p.m., Zion United Church Hall, Armstrong. Tickets at Chocoliro, Armstrong, 250-546-2886.
鈥� March 22 at 7:30 p.m., Barking Parrot Lounge, Penticton. Tickets at The Dragon鈥檚 Den, Penticton, 250-492-3011.
鈥� March 23 at 7:30 p.m., Carlin Hall, Tappen. Tickets at Acorn Music, SalmonArm, 250-832-8669.
鈥� March 24 at 7:30 p.m., Okanagan College Vernon campus theatre. Tickets at The Bean Scene, Vernon, 250-558-1817.
鈥� March 25 at 7:30 p.m., Centre Stage Theatre, Summerland. Tickets at Martin鈥檚 Flowers (next to Nester鈥檚), Summerland, 250-494-5432.
