Situated in the 5th floor level of the King Library, there is an ongoing exhibition displaying “A History in Photos: El Mejor Mariachi Del Mundo.” By integrating cultural Latin icons and the art of photography, San Jose State University continues to be a place for multi-cultural expression. Originally stored in the Mexican heritage Plaza, this collection of photographs titled A Century of Mariachi Music: The Legacy of Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlan in presented in SJSU King Library AAACNA center. The exhibition will be taking place from August 19th to September 27th, showcasing various photographs of the famous Mariachi Vargas group and the progression of the mariachi band’s symbolism to the mexican heritage. According to the Assistant Professor of Chicana and Chicano Studies, Estevan Azcona, the Mariachi represents “a story of modernity and a shift from ‘old’ to ‘new’ ways; from a country based in its regional cultures to a nation finding its way within the emerging complex of technology, the global economy, and international relations” (Azcona). Throughout the exhibition one, finds themselves enthralled by the development of the mariachi group. The images of simply dressed countrymen assembled on the outskirts of a crop field are developed to photographs of elaborately dressed individuals holding themselves with a mark of pride. These images not only tell the story of a group of people, but an entire culture revolutionized by their music and traditions.
Don’t miss out on these iconic photographs detailing the importance of tradition and the act of photography able to capture these movements throughout time.
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