Girl power hits Salinas full force this weekend, when the music includes everything from traditional Mexican to roots reggae.
The National Steinbeck Center’s third annual Mariachi Festival and tequila tasting happens Saturday, Sept. 5. For the local community, it’s like an evening at the opera.
The lineup is highlighted by Mariachi Femenil Tecalitlan, one of the America’s few all-female Mariachi bands. They will be joined by Mariachi Tradicion and Mariachi Mexicanismo.
The seven-piece Femenil Tecalitlan has made a name in the macho world of Mariachi, helping undo a cultural stigma, says Ricky Cabrera (no relation to the author), event organizer and board trustee for Steinbeck Center. Most of the band members are third – and fourth-generation mariachi players from Tecalitlan, Jalisco, home of some of the oldest and finest groups in the world. “When you’re watching Mariachi Femenil Tecalitlan, you’re watching history and tradition and culture and the breakdown of marginalization at the same time,” Cabrera says.
San Diego reggae artist Hirie can relate to the experience of being a strong female voice in a male-dominated genre.
Her band performs Thursday, Sept. 3, at Hacienda Grill in Salinas.
“I feel empowered. I love being feminine in a male-dominated industry,” she says. Her vocals tip toward the pop spectrum, but her lyrical sensibilities and cadence are unmistakably roots-oriented. “Smile” with fellow San Diego artist E.N. Young of Tribal Seeds is a prime example.
She is also entrenched in the Cali-Roots scene: She wrote Cali Roots Music & Arts Festival’s official anthem this year.
Hirie exudes excitement over her new album, including the single “I Want To Be” – she calls it a flirty, fun song about being a commanding woman.
While the audience will lean heavily Mexican-American, Salinas’s live musical offerings are diverse, as Cabrera points out. “The truth is that the town is very rich in the musical arts,” he says. “Salinas is a unique market – the person who listens to mariachi now happens to listen to Aerosmith or Alan Jackson or banda.”
Mariachi Festival enjoys high-end touches, like bottle service, fine linens and the premium tequila tasting – with 35 types – and a charro exhibit, featuring handcrafted, Mexican cowboy accessories. More depth for a diverse weekend.
4TH ANNUAL MARIACHI FESTIVAL. Tequila tasting at 5pm. Concert 7pm. Saturday, Sept. 5. National Steinbeck Center, 1 Main St., Salinas. $100; $50 tasting. www.steinbeck.org
HIRIE with MAOLI and PENI DEAN. 9pm Thursday, Sept. 3. Hacienda Mexican Grill, 1449 Davis Road, Salinas. $20 cover. 424-6400,www.casasorrento.com
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