Fairbanks Sees the Birth of Its First Mariachi Nomeolvides
A group of students from West Valley and Lathrop high schools in Fairbanks came together to learn traditional Mexican music, and created Mariachi Nomeolvides (Forget-me-not), named after Alaska’s official flower.
The initiative came from Erika Sobarzo-Bernal, of Mexican roots and vocalist of the group, who did not doubt that the unmistakable sound of this genre was worthwhile, promoting its value as a cultural heritage and a source of pride. “I have played music from various cultures in school, but I inherited my love for mariachi from my family. One of my grandparents played in a northern music group and my mother and I play guitar. That inspiration motivated me to gather a group of student musicians and start something new and unique,” said Erika. Although the official creation of the mariachi would come later, the history of this group begins in the annual competition called Solo & Ensemble in Fairbanks, where the best musicians from the State’s high schools compete in various music categories. There they obtained their first award with the song ‘Los Laureles’. Then, they competed in Anchorage, being selected to play in the concert of the best groups, obtaining first place under the World Music Small Ensemble genre. Their rehearsals focused on participating in the Fairbanks Got Talent contest, within the framework of the Tanana Valley State Fair, and they obtained first place, last August 1st. “More than 20 contestants were part of this challenge, and they demonstrated a lot of talent. We were honored to receive the award. We are grateful to all who supported us and, especially, to our parents,” said Mariachi Nomeolvides on their Facebook account. This new achievement allowed them to compete at the Palmer State Fair on September 2. They played ‘La Bikina’, a song that drew applause from the audience. The current mariachi is composed of Erika Sobarzo-Bernal (vocalist and guitarist), Drake Nailling (trumpeter), Leia Hulbert and Sophia Potter (violinists) and Merrick Mayrand (bassist). Although they do not yet have instruments such as the guitarrón and the vihuela, they are already saving up to have them soon. In addition, they accept new members who want to participate in the band. The young people said that it is fun and a challenge to be part of a mariachi and they are happy to learn new songs such as ‘Las Mañanitas’, ‘El Rey’ and ‘Hermoso Cariño’. Mariachi Nomeolvides has its official Facebook page. |