TPAC Presents World-Famous Mariachi Vargas 10/17

TPAC Presents World-Famous Mariachi Vargas on October 17, Performance date: October 17, 2009; Andrew Jackson Hall, Tennessee Performing Arts Center (TPAC), 505 Deaderick Street, Nashville. Performance time: 8:00 p.m.

The world-famous Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlan will perform for the first time in Nashville at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center on Saturday, October 17 at 8:00 p.m.

Founded in 1897 by Don Gaspar Vargas in the Mexican city Tecalitlan, the historic ensemble has recorded 70 albums over five generations, appeared in 200 films, and played on Grammy Award-winning recordings by Linda Ronstadt and Luis Miguel. The multi-generational band-13 musicians on string and brass instruments-has toured extensively throughout Latin America and the United States.

The Nashville-based Rafael Vasquez and the San Rafael will open the concert. A native of San Antonio, Texas, Vasquez played for several renowned Tejano bands, including Sunny and the Sunliners, Little Joye y la Familia, and Agustín Ramírez. He has performed throughout the Nashville area. His newest project is "El Cine del Corazón," a collaboration between Acklen Entertainment, Indiebandhub.com and Belmont University, featuring an eclectic range of styles from flamenco guitar to Latin jazz rock.

"Mariachi Vargas has been called ‘the best mariachi band in the world' and the ‘gold standard of Mexican folk music.' The ensemble's history, musicianship and influence are unparalleled," said Kathleen O'Brien, TPAC's president and chief executive officer. "We're honored to present these distinguished artists as one element of our effort to present diverse and varied programming. Those who want to experience the best in world art will be highly impressed and entertained by this group."

The first, widely successful mariachi band in Mexico, Mariachi Vargas created hundreds of classic arrangements of songs, honoring centuries-old traditions of Latin American music and influencing future generations.

The history of mariachi music itself can be traced by listening to the recordings of ‘Vargas,' while the band contributed to the growth of national identity following the Mexican Revolution. In 1934, they appeared at the induction ceremony of President Lazaro Cardenas, who hired them as the official band of the Police Department of Mexico City, where they played in the parks and gardens of the capitol for two consecutive decades. By the 1950s, Mariachi Vargas became a complete, adaptable orchestra which retained its traditional base, while blending in new musical styles.

Today, original arrangements spotlight every musician, like a soloist, on the guitar, harp, vihuela, guitarrón, trumpet and violin. Dating back to their early years, members of the ensemble wear traditional charro suits and wide-brimmed hats. Like other Mariachi ensembles, "Vargas" is named for the type of band that it is, playing a wide variety of musical styles including son, ranchero, huapangos, and bolero.

Tickets to Mariachi Vargas range from $25-75, depending upon seat locations. For tickets, visit www.tpac.org, call 615/782-4040, or visit the TPAC Box Office (Downtown or at Davis-Kidd Booksellers in The Mall at Green Hills).

This performance of Mariachi Vargas is part of the TPAC Presents series. Institutional sponsors for TPAC include American Airlines and Coca-Cola. Nissan North America, Inc. is a Sustaining Partner for TPAC.

The Tennessee Performing Arts Center is a private, non-profit corporation dedicated to providing and supporting the presentation of the performing arts to the citizens of Tennessee. Its four stages are home to Broadway in Nashville at TPAC, Nashville Ballet, Nashville Opera, Tennessee Repertory Theatre and a variety of special engagements. TPAC administers one of the largest and most comprehensive arts-in-education programs in the United States, offering learning opportunities for children and adults. The organization has served more than 1.5 million students from pre-school to high school over the past two decades. For more information, visit the web site, www.tpac.org.

Tickets: $25-75 for single tickets, depending on seat locations. Tickets available at www.tpac.org, by calling 615/782-4040, or by visiting TPAC Box Office locations (Downtown and at Davis-Kidd Booksellers in The Mall at Green Hills)

Web sites: www.tpac.org; www.mariachivargas.net (Spanish and English)