Some people sang along. Others could only wipe away tears. While we played, all I could...
Mariachi leader Anthony Medrano sings with a group of 60 mariachis in Uvalde Town Square on Wednesday, June 1, 2022 to honor the town, the Robb Elementary victims and their families.God touched me on Wednesday this week. He sent a little boy no older than 9 to me as I arrived at the plaza memorial for the victims of the Uvalde tragedy. Dressed in my black gala-studded mariachi suit, I marched with purpose across the lawn, eyes trained on everything but the memorial so I wouldn’t lose it.
But for every party we play, we also play for a funeral. And in our role as musical consolers, mariachis use the sound of swelling strings, somber choruses and wailing melodies to help others heal. We stand next to complete strangers in open caskets and sing songs like “Amor Eterno,” about never-ending love after a mother’s passing, and “Te Vas Ángel Mío” which voices the pain of those left to grieve when a loved one dies. Like clergy, we’re trained for tragedy.
Next we needed to decide who goes and how would we get there. I called up all of the local mariachis I knew and put out an open invite on Facebook. I thought we might be 10 or 15 people strong. Hours later, the handful of mariachis who had eagerly agreed to participate turned into a group of at least 60 musicians. With the generous help of Javier Espinoza, an attorney friend, we chartered a bus to take all of them from San Antonio to Uvalde.
There were also stuffed animals placed on the memorial. The mother of Karolina, my goddaughter, had been standing near me while I visited each cross. I touched one of the plush unicorns with a rainbow tail. Suddenly, I heard her gasp. “These are just like Karo’s toys,” she said, between sobs.
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