Overview

The Magic of Mariachi / La Magia del Mariachi is a fascinating book that combines two disciplines – art and poetry – creating a treasure of lyrical poetry and strikingly beautiful paintings of mariachi musicians. The twenty four poems, written in English and skillfully translated into Spanish, were created in response to each of the twenty-four works of art in the book. The poems are placed side by side with the paintings and drawings of contemporary mariachi musicians. The artwork in the book is the result of the artist's direct encounter with mariachi musicians in their rehearsals and performance settings. The paintings and drawings are done in pastel, watercolor, and charcoal in a variety of styles and approaches. The poems are written in a variety of poetic forms: sestina, haiku, villanelle, triolet, prose poems, dramatic monologues and free verse. The Magic of Mariachi / La Magia del Mariachi is a cross-cultural text that will encourage reading, bilingual learning, and creative expression through poetry and art.

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9781609405052

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Reviews

The Magic of Mariachi / La Magia del Mariachi is a delightful union of Steven Schneider s vivid, poetic interpretations of his wife Reefka s true to life paintings and drawings. Inspired by the couple s encounters with mariachi performance throughout the Southwest, Steven s narrations give context to Reefka s images by exploring the music s roots, its legends, heroes, and U.S. diaspora. The entire work is presented bilingually with a masterful Spanish translation by Edna Ochoa. If you love mariachi, art, and poetry, you ll love this book! Jonathan Clark, mariachi historian; former director of the mariachi programs at San Jose State and Stanford universities

The most powerful collaborations in The Magic of Mariachi are centered on (often marginalized) female musicians and singers. Reefka captures perfectly the bittersweet mix of struggle and elation in her subjects features and poses, and Steven composes straight from the heart with clear admiration for the women in mariachi . . . . Every poem and image in the book, frankly, is worth close exploration, rewarding multiple readings and viewings with fresh nuances and facets. An important addition to border culture and mariachi studies, The Magic of Mariachi/ La magia del mariachi celebrates a vibrant, essential heritage and the people whose lives it enriches. David Bowles, McAllen Monitor

Lovely illustrations pair with lyrical poems in The Magic of Mariachi, an homage to the art and tradition of mariachi music. The poems come in all sorts of forms haiku, free verse, rhyming, dramatic monologues and are presented side-by-side in Spanish and English. 'He has sunk so deeply into the music/The air around him has turned indigo.' It will transport you. The Magic of Mariachi is about more than the music it s an elegant celebration of culture and history. Jennifer Hiller, San Antonio Express-News

Author Information

"Reefka Schneider is one of the foremost artists of ""la frontera,"" the binational region of the Rio Grande Valley. She is co-creator of the highly acclaimed traveling exhibit Borderlines: Drawing Border Lives / Fronteras: dibujando las vidas fronterizas, published as a book by Wings Press in 2010. Steven P. Schneider is professor of Creative Writing and Literature and Cultural Studies at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. He is co-creator with his artist wife Reefka of the traveling exhibit and book Borderlines."

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