Music itself has a long history, and here at Palatine, students and teachers are making sure that the history of Latino music, mainly mariachi, is continued. At Palatine, mariachi has developed from a club to becoming an actual class.
“Mariachi is such an integral part of Latino culture,” Katie Samayoa, the director of the Palatine Mariachi Band, said. “It was a super eye-opening and humbling experience for me to see that the band is making such a huge difference at Palatine.”
Samayoa is making a major difference at Palatine by exposing students to their heritage. She clarified that she approaches it not as a class, but rather as a group of students eager to learn about their culture.
During my conversations with some of the students involved in mariachi, a common theme emerged: mariachi plays a significant role in their cultural identity. Those who joined were exposed to their culture, something that Samayoa wants to ensure.
“This music spans generations of families; they now have it to talk about with others,” Samayoa said. “For example, it wasn’t until I directed mariachi that my parents told me stories about themselves, and I don’t know if I would ever have heard of these stories without mariachi.”
Throughout the interview, it became evident that Samayoa is deeply committed to these young individuals, and the students all share this dedication aswell. While talking to her, the students continued to play, and instead of taking a break, they continued song after song, showing their dedication.
She explained that this dedication is how mariachi is expanding throughout the school but also throughout the district.
“We are going to a district performance, which is the first one in the district ever. It was amazing that, as a senior, I would be a part of this performance. I realized that mariachi at Palatine was achieving great success,” Abril Lara, one of the students performing, said. “We are making it. Finally showing our culture.”
Talking about mariachi music with the students confirmed the music’s generational spread. Every year, its popularity among students continues to grow.
On Saturday, students showed their skills at the district performance, coming back with excitement and memories.
“We got out of our comfort zone; it was something new, something exciting. The judges said that we only had to fix a couple of parts, but we came out of the performance happy,” said Lucina Fermin, a student in the mariachi band.
Through their shared experiences, mariachi students at Palatine are becoming more exposed to their culture and heritage.
