It’s a rare combination, a children’s choir and a mariachi band. They’re very different kinds of musical groups.
But South Tempe and West Chandler patrons may experience them together when Chandler Children’s Choir and Mariachi Pasion perform “¡Sí! ¡Sí! ¡Sí! Choir Meets Mariachi” together at a free community concert at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 26, at Corona del Sol High.
The concert is sponsored by the Tempe’s Wavemaker Arts Grant.
Chandler Children’s Choir, in its 14th season, comprises singers ages 7-18. Mariachi Pasión, a band of Valley women of varying ages and professions, was formed 20 years ago when original members were students at Arizona State University looking for gigs.
“The fusion of a children’s choir with a mariachi band is probably something that has rarely been done before, but with our diverse community, we are anxious to try it,” said Aimee Stewart, artistic director and co-founder of the children’s choir.
According to Stewart, Issa Johnson, a Board member and past choir parent, plays violin in Mariachi Pasión and “has been instrumental in bridging the gap between languages, culture and musical styles as we prepare to perform together.”
Johnson said that putting the two together “makes sense.”
“Mariachi is an intergenerational experience: Songs beloved by our grandparents are still appreciated by newer generations,” Johnson said. “I love that the Chandler Children’s Choir and Mariachi Pasión are coming together for this concert. To me, the pairing is symbiotic and earthy.”
The concert will feature each group individually as well as a few collaborative pieces. For example, the choir regularly performs the state song, “I Love You, Arizona.” For this concert, the song has been translated to Spanish and will be performed with Mariachi Pasion.
When Stewart introduced the song at a recent rehearsal, she said, “Several of our singers brightened up because they also speak Spanish.”
Johnson added that the musical arrangements will have the mariachi instrumentation at their core but are being kept to the simplicity of their origins so that the children’s voices can highlight these tunes that have become timeless in Mexican culture.
“We are preparing something very ‘Arizona’ for the concert,” Johnson said.
More information: chandlerchildrenschoir.org and mariachipasion.com.
