“I feel happy because I feel that other people also appreciate the fact that some children are playing the music of their culture,” said Alejandro García, a student at the Academia de Mariachi Nuevo Amanecer.
Alejandro knows how to play the guitarrón and other instruments and is one of the first students of the Mariachi Nuevo Amanecer Academy, in Astoria Queens.
Alexander.
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Alejandro says it was difficult and he was about to abandon his parents’ music. But the director of the Academy, Valentín Martínez, did not let him and even offered to give him free lessons because he saw his talent.
“The good thing he paid attention to, now the boy plays violin, guitar, guitarrón, vihuela and trumpet,” said Martínez.
Martínez started this project in 2015 with a group of 20 children to prepare them and give concerts at the Guadalupana festivities. The community spread the word.
Now his team, along with young people from the first group of students, teaches music, singing and acting classes to 150 children in the auditoriums of various churches in Queens, Brooklyn and Manhattan.
Mariachi apprentices.
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“The most important thing with these classes is to keep our culture alive, our folklore and in this country many times our customs, our traditions are being lost in this country,” added Martínez.
The groups perform at festivals and other events in New York and other states. Children get paid for the shows.
“It is very nice to know that you can already buy their things, their own costumes, their tools or their expenses,” said Martínez.
Each year the school seeks community support to award 15 scholarships to disadvantaged children so that they can also learn the art of singing and playing mariachi instruments.
Classes cost $ 60 per month.
For Alejandro’s mother, who also takes her two daughters to class, arriving and seeing them on stage fills her with pride and a lot of nostalgia.
“When we have these kinds of events I watch them play and for me it’s feeling in my Mexico that we never forget,” said mother Alejandra Morales.
Martinez.
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