The Elgin Symphony Orchestra’s “Mariachi!” concert May 1 is a homecoming for musician Erik Ramirez, who grew up in northwest Indiana and graduated from East Chicago Central High School. It’s where he developed his love of mariachi music.
“Like most kids, I was kind of forced into it at first by my mom,” Ramirez said. “I started playing music in the public school system and in the orchestra. But she was the one who took me to a youth mariachi rehearsal. As soon as I heard that first song live, I knew, I’ve got to play this.”
He now returns to the Chicago area with one of the country’s top mariachi bands, the Nevada-based Mariachi Acero de Las Vegas, which will join the Elgin Symphony for a performance at the Hemmens Cultural Center.
“Combining a symphony with a mariachi band isn’t as crazy as it sounds,” Rameriz said. “They complement each other very well. Both genres sound amazing already, but there’s magic that happens when you intertwine them. It’s really something special to hear.”
Ramirez founded Mariachi Acero de Las Vegas in 2008, but at the time, he had no ambitions of making it his career.
“It was sort of an outreach program for high school students,” he said. “I never had the intention of becoming a professional, but these kids loved to play and work hard. Now they’re not kids anymore, of course. Now a lot of them are actually in their 20s and are music educators themselves. So it’s the kind of thing that’s come full circle.”
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The evolution began as musicians started seeking out his group to accompany them on recordings or performances.
“The Latin Grammys are in town. Would you guys like to accompany an artist? And we’re like, sure, let’s go!” he said. “That started happening more and more. It just kind of happened that we became a professional ensemble.”
While it may not have been his intention from the start, Ramirez has created one of the most successful mariachi bands in the country. It has twice received top honors at Mariachi Nationals hosted by Mariachi Sol de Mexico, and he’s shared the stage with some of the world’s best mariachi ensembles.
The show in Elgin will be led by guest conductor Richard Mizell, who for 37 years was a senior music producer for the Walt Disney Company. He also has worked extensively with EPCOT’s Mariachi Cobre in Orlando, another of the county’s top mariachi groups.
“He brings tons of experience with him,” Ramirez said. “He’s a great leader to create this wonderful show.”
As for the performance itself, Ramirez suggests that you can expect to hear many traditional mariachi songs, with a twist.
“We’re mostly taking mariachi classics and fusing them with a symphony orchestra,” he said. The 11-member mariachi band will be enhanced by the full orchestra, and nearly all of the songs will include vocal elements as well.
For symphony concertgoers who aren’t familiar with mariachi music, Ramirez offers this quick primer:
“It’s very passionate music,” he said. “It’s passion and rhythm and I would have to say just a lot of love. Mariachi is the life of the party. For any occasion in Mexico, whether you’re having a wedding or whether you’re having a funeral, it’s what’s being played. There’s a mariachi song for every occasion and for every sentiment, whether it’s love or heartbreak.”
Elgin Symphony Orchestra ‘Mariachi!’
When: 7:30 p.m. April 30 and 3 p.m. May 1
Where: Hemmens Cultural Center, 45 Symphony Way, Elgin
Tickets: $30-$50
Information: 847-888-4000; elginsymphony.org
Jeff Banowetz is a freelance reporter for the Courier-News.