The MSA concert and conference series is an event at which the next generation of mariachi musicians may not only perform, but also learn from historians, professors and renowned musicians within the genre via lectures and workshops offered over the course of four days.
To add a new element to the 25th anniversary of MSA’s conference and concert series, the UNM Alumni Association and Lobo Living Room have partnered with MSA to add an educational element to the festival in the form of music education workshops and a lecture from a mariachi historian.
Peter Sanchez, CEO of Atrisco Companies, which runs the MSA, said the partnership with the UNM Alumni Association is a result of the realization that the MSA festival is well-known across the country, but poorly known within the state of New Mexico.
Sanchez said he hopes the partnership will highlight the MSA conference and concert series as a cultural attraction akin to the Balloon Fiesta and the Gathering of Nations, both locally and nationally.
In addition to the education elements added this year, there will be three performances throughout the event to highlight the musical aspects of the festival. Performances will display the talents of amateur and professional musicians alike, he said.
One of these performances — the showcase concert on Friday — will serve as a chance for mariachi groups from different states to compete and compare different musical styles within the genre, Sanchez said.
“We think it’s important that we put mariachi (musicians) on stage for others to appreciate and enjoy the beauty of our culture,” Sanchez said.
Noberta Frésquez, the festival’s director, and the UNM Division of Continuing Education cofounded the MSA in 1991. The festival has since become a prominent gathering place for mariachi musicians from all over the nation, many of whom can be found in the Mariachi Spectacular’s Hall of Fame.
The 2015 Hall of Fame inductee for the MSA festival is Jose Hernandez, founder of Mariachi Sol de Mexico.
This year’s events include the Hall of Fame induction ceremony for Hernandez on Wednesday, music workshops Wednesday through Friday, a Lobo Living Room series on the history of mariachi on Thursday, the showcase concert on Friday, the Mariachi Mass on Saturday afternoon and finally the Spectacular Concert on Saturday evening, according to the schedule of events posted on the MSA website.
The workshop registration fee is $99 per student. The Lobo Living Room lecture is free to the public, but requires an RSVP by Wednesday. The showcase concert at Civic Plaza is free and open to the public. Saturday concert ticket prices start at $50.
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Skylar Griego is the culture editor at the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at culture@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @TDLBooks.
