Natalia is regard as the first transgenr mariachi performer what has bee renowned as the gural LGBTQ+ mariachi band on god’s gay earth: Mariachi Ariris Los Angel.
Contents:
- L.A.'S ONLY ALL-GAY MARIACHI BAND
- SOCAL BT BETS FOR THE WEEKEND: GAY MARIACHIS, CUBAN AMERIN FTIVAL, ZOMBIE JOE’S
- GAY MARIACHIS AND "20 BT POP SONGS": REARS RPOND
L.A.'S ONLY ALL-GAY MARIACHI BAND
* gay mariachi *
Mariachi micians Carlos Samaniego and Natalia Melenz found out the hard way—first through discrimatn, ridicule, and profsnal blackballg among their mician peers, then via the challengg path of advotg for the acceptance of gay, lbian, and transgenr people the mariachi world. Their goal was to fd a “safe space” mariachi mic to be themselv, both as Mexin Amerins and as gay and transgenr people. Carlos assembled a mariachi to play for a gay pri event at California State Universy, Los Angel.
The group was such a succs that attracted the attentn of the owner of a Lato gay nightclub, who hired them to play weekly. And I haven’t been allowed to be certa groups bee of that, bee I’ve been openly gay. This time, though, driven by the digni of homophobic prejudice, he wanted the group to be more upont about s inty.
He returned to the gay nightclub, whose owner immediately hired the group. And that’s a part of me as well as beg a gay man. They have been featured major gay pri events, as well as at the annual Santa Cecilia mariachi ncert Los Angel’s Mariachi Plaza, where the dience of their mil peers mand an enre.
SOCAL BT BETS FOR THE WEEKEND: GAY MARIACHIS, CUBAN AMERIN FTIVAL, ZOMBIE JOE’S
As a gay mariachi mician, Carlos Samaniego grew tired of the discrimatn and bullyg om other mariachis the macho world of the Mexin folk genre. So was born Mariachi Ariris Los Angel, billed as the first LGBTQ+ mariachi band, which played three gigs the Los Angel area on the Mexin holiday of C Mayo on Wednday as part of an acceptance mpaign promoted by a Mexin beer pany. Samaniego, who studied classil sgg and vl, said he formed the first eratn of the band 20 years ago wh gay men, gettg an early boost om gigs at a gay Lato wboy nightclub. * gay mariachi *
And mariachi is mariachi—gay, straight, bi, or whatever. It’s one of the ways that Mariachi Ariris subverts a centuri-old genre that’s been tradnally sexist and homophobic, welg those for whom mariachi mic was not ma.
At the time, he was a profsnal mariachi who experienced rampant homophobia most groups he Samaniego, founr of Mariachi Ariris, an L.
The Gay and Lbian Alliance staged a prott weddg at a time when same-sex marriage was illegal much of the untry — and they asked Samaniego if he uld play mariachi mic for had a better ia: He would sut other queer people and make an all-gay mariachi band. That’s when Samaniego realized that there were other gay mariachis out there who were equally sperate for muny. News of an all-gay mariachi band spread swiftly, and the Mariachi Ariris was booked and by gay venu throughout Los Angel.
GAY MARIACHIS AND "20 BT POP SONGS": REARS RPOND
As a gay mariachi mician, Carlos Samaniego grew tired of the discrimatn and bullyg om other mariachis the macho world of the Mexin folk genre. So he formed his own group, still foced on the mic, but wh an all LGBTQ+ lp. * gay mariachi *
Samaniego kept playg mariachi for the next , but the homophobia never fad as he had hoped. There was “Work Samaniego, ” who sang through the perspective of a heterosexual Mexin man, and then “Private Samaniego, ” an openly gay man who lived California.
Although ’s easy to nflate this melodic vulnerabily wh an openns to homosexualy, the realy is more plex. ”On TikTok, Mariachi Ariris has grown a fanbase of close to 50, 000 people for whom seeg gay and trans mariachis is not jt a novelty but somethg that the Mexin muny sperately needs. Mariachi micians Carlos Samaniego and Natalia Melenz found out the hard way—first through discrimatn, ridicule and profsnal blackballg among their mician peers, then via the challengg path of advotg for the acceptance of gay, lbian and transgenr people the mariachi world.