Osprey
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Loreto Mariachis
Mariachi Math
Things have definitely slowed down around East Cape. But, there still looms large several developments here and close by that could turn my little
paradise into North San Lucas.
So now I spend a little while in my time capsule – just sit out facing the ocean, pop a beer and take a little walk down the clear but crumbling
cobblestones of past visits, good times here in the Southland.
One such trip to Loreto comes bubbling up, begging to be told. Good timing all around; I had some vacation time coming, the peso was flat and dropping
fast, the fish were biting, airfares were totally affordable even when I had to fly from Vegas to L.A. and then on to Loreto. I stayed at the Old
Mission on the beach but I usually took my meals at El Nido or Caesar’s.
On the night in question my wife and I were enjoying all the wonderful things and people which made Caesar’s my favorite – the drinks, the huge
lobsters, the Mexican Coffee made at your table and flambéd with great pomp and circumstance. Just after we had ordered, the Mariachis walked in. I’m
almost never stuck for words but I shall, out of sheer courtesy, refer to this group as Mariachis but with the caveat you try hard not to see them as,
how shall I say, “Video Ready”.
The first person through the door was part of the group but did not sing or play a musical instrument. She was diminutive, as old as the mountains; a
Mexican Maria Ouspenskaya I thought, and secure in her person and her purpose. She alone had the power to keep them from entering in a scrum, weaving
them into a comic line of six players perfectly arranged around each table in series forming a half circle of picture perfect foolishness. I made a
quick estimate of the fair market value of their broken old instruments as $6 U.S. in the aggregate. One old man had the attire, although dirty and
threadbare, one might expect a musician to wear. The others wore what is fashionable now for those without homes. They all seemed a little drunk but
it was early in the evening – I was nursing my second huge Margarita and was capable of clear vision.
The Mariachis from Hell were able to start and finish together and somewhere among the screeching, rasping sounds they made there lived a melody. They
fought their way through Cu Ca Ru Cu Cu. I was so pleased by their performance I held out a five dollar bill to Maria, the empresaria. Her steely eyes
locked on mine and with a half smile she said “Dos mas.”
Now you’ll remember there were six players, can’t leave her out so that makes seven people in the group. I think I was almost blushing as I held out
two more U.S. dollars. It became painfully evident she had rounded up this rag-tag bunch with the promise they would each make one dollar per song. To
make that all work, they sang loudly at each table the tune requested, then exacted the deadly seven dollar toll – there were just enough tables,
equals songs sung and played, that almost every table caught the fever and kept them shuffling along while the old woman did the ca-ching business for
them.
The band was nothing without the little one. At the third table, the guests each threw in the center what became a small mountain of bills and change
from Mexico, the U.S. and Canada. It would have been impolite to try to learn how she handled that but I would have paid another fiver to see just how
she did it – I can tell you that for a scant few seconds there the group resembled a congress of retired CPA’s until the money matter was sorted out.
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Pescador
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I can feel the attempt to hit the higher notes and complete abandon for blended harmony, but hey they knew most of the words.
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Skeet/Loreto
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Thanks Osprey for Memories!
Oh! so many years ago , Dining a Cesars. Did you happen to know that the owner was a brother to the Cesars in TJ which is reported to be the original
developer of "Cesars Salad" ??
When to a Wedding one Night at Cesars when a small little guy married a lovely Hollywood Writer{Woman}. But that is another story.
The Musicians would always appear at Cesars, then Hotel Oasis then the Mission, was very different in the late 70's and 80'e. We would have a Buffet
meal at the Mission then a Dance outside on the Patio.
Thanks for the Memories
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vandenberg
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Mood: mellow
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Jorge.
The mariachis are still here of course, and haven't improved much.
I remember the backstreet bars in Ensenada, where they played a whole repertoir for a buck.
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LaTijereta
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Ceasar's !
Now will have pull-out some old pics from those time..
Man, when the old man was there, he could put out a great seafood plater...after two three of his margarities with the "mariachi" players we would all
be singing around the table..
Skeet.. You remember the night the Secret Service closed down Ceasar's for a private dinner between Bush and Salinas(?).. When they both flew into
Loreto for a meeting.
Democracy is like two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin (1759)
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Iflyfish
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Good one Osprey, my turn
Guadalajara Mariachi Square
We called ourselves Newly Weds because we understood Mexico to be a VERY Catholic country and not appreciative of our 1960’s Bay Area mores and
values. Our commitment was to live together and see where it would go. Mexico was our first international adventure and one that I am glad we
survived. Our goal was to experience life to its fullest and that might account for the tightly rolled seed popping skunk we shared before going out
for the evening. It was Guadalajara in an easier and simpler time and we were only a couple of blocks from what the guidebook said was the home of the
Mariachi, Mariachi Square.
We found a table out of the rain under the covered walkway that wrapped around the Colonial architecture. The wooden beams overhead were connected to
major terracotta brick arches. The plaster was clearly older than anyone within our eyesight and the place was EMPTY. The rain had dampened the
enthusiasm of night time habitués of the square and there was only one set of couples to share this immense space with. The Mariachi’s were there in
abundance and dressed the gamut from black skin tight toreador jackets trimmed with sterling silver and the white lavishly tied silk neckerchief to
the somewhat disheveled look of the old time musician down on his luck and riffing for a gig.
There was only one other table with people at it and the men wore polished dark polyester suits and the young women looked like they were in prom
dresses. I should have known better than to accept the invitation to join them, but the night was young and so were we.
They sat surrounded by a ring of Mariachis and their Tecate sat by the can in front of each. No glasses for these folks, just the cans of beer, limes
and salt. As we sat our selves down they motioned to the waiters to bring us each a fresh Tecate and commenced to show us the proper way to suck the
lime, throw back the beer and lick the salt. The salt is placed just so in the crotch of the back of the hand between the thumb and pointing finger
and then liked after the sucking of the lime. This was of course great fun and the bands played on. It wasn’t till after my second swill of Tecate
that I realized that waiters were bringing new cans of Tecate to our table with each swig we took. Soon I had six cans in front of me and hadn’t even
finished my first. I didn’t see it coming. The music grew in passion as more and more Mariachi’s joined the throng, the only show at the square, and
this table with four celebrating Mexicans and two Gringos. The conversation was spare as our Spanish was at most only rudimentary, but the bobbing of
heads in time with the music and the rising glow of the beer made for lots of smiles and laughter. It seemed like a crescendo was being mounted as one
of the young men at the table hauled out his revolver and started shooting in time with the music. Bullets tore tiny holes in the plaster overhead and
a snowfall of flakes started to fall on us and the table, the Mariachis played on as the Policia arrived and young children counted the bullet holes
in the plaster.
I could hear the pistol banging on the bottom of the table as the young man tried to pass the revolver to me, it kept banging against my thigh as my
hands went up in the air and I stood to say in the most confused manner that I could muster “No Comprende!”, “No Espanol!” The Policia got the picture
and the young Gringos were allowed to beat a hasty retreat as the cops interviewed the young desperados. That was the next to the last time I entered
into a baracho with a native.
Iflyfish
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LaTijereta
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Not at Ceasar's, but same group of mariachis over at the Mission Hotel..
That's Jamie Parker on guitar..
Democracy is like two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin (1759)
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Osprey
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Nope, not the same. The guys in the photos look like movies stars. My group more closely resembled Mexican Gong Show Rejects.
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MitchMan
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where is Ceasar's restaurant in Loreto?
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Skeet/Loreto
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Great Photo of Jamie and Marie!
Yes I remember the Night! It was also the opening of the Presidente Hotel in Nopollo, The Tennis Court, The First Hole of the Golf Course and the
"Ford Show". Was that the same night Viki Carr was there?/
The last time I saw Marie was on the Plane going into Loreto. She had Jaimes Ashes and was taking them to be scattered on the Sea of Cortez.
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LaTijereta
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| Quote: | Originally posted by MitchMan
where is Ceasar's restaurant in Loreto? |
Ceasar's used to be at the El Taste location on Juerez st (across from the small Pemex).. Back in the day it had alot more character than El Taste
ever had..
Democracy is like two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin (1759)
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Udo
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Mood: TEQUILA!
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Jorge & Iflyfish, I loved your stories of the mariachis.
My two song favorites are HAY JALISCO NO TE RAJES and LA CHARREADA. Depending on the number of band members, each song
has cost me as much as $15.00 U.S. The average works out about $5.00 U.S. or about a dollar or so per person. If the singers look you in the eye when
singing, I throw in a large tip.
The mariachis are such a tradition of Mexico that it is hard to imagine going there, eating at a restaurant, and not see or hear some of them.
Udo
Youth is wasted on the young!
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