Multi-Talented Family

"My name is Raul Vasquez and this is my family," the musician informed the many people sitting on the grass, benches and lawn chairs. We were at an outdoor concert at the Longmont Museum ready to hear some lively Mariachi music. He continued, "My wife, Sylvia, and our five children have been together for twenty-eight years and came to Colorado twenty-one years ago."

Sometime in the late 1990's I had seen the family at other concerts. I remember La Familia Vasquez with their little children singing and playing instruments. I had been very impressed then, and today I was even more impressed with the talented musicians playing different instruments and singing!

I noticed that the Mexican music is now interspersed with modern American tunes. The group has evolved from playing traditional Mexican music to doing some Johnny Cash tunes plus other tunes. When the handsome young man sang Ring of Fire, the Dad said, "That was a Juanito Cash song."  Each one of the children is multi-talented. Violins, horns, different sized guitars are switched between them depending on whatever is played or what is being sung. One son with a gravely sounding voice sang popular rock songs.

The instruments are small trumpets, a Guitarron (large guitar like instrument with a round back), two violins, and three guitars (Vihuela) of different sizes. These instruments were played, at one time or another, by different members of the band. I wondered how all five children and their parents could have so much talent. Not only talented in playing an instrument but each member can belt out a song! It is a group of  talent coming from handsome men beautiful women. When "Sabor A Mi" was requested and played, I sang along with it because it has always been one of my favorite tunes.

I read somewhere that "the Mariachi sound speaks to your emotions," and I agree. When I hear Mariachi music, it is as if my heart swells and wants to dance.  Sometimes, I feel a yell that wants to come out and even though I control that impulse, many do not and a loud, heartfelt yell of "ay ay ay" will come from the audience.

After the concert, people gathered on stage to speak to the Vasquez family and the family was gracious and gave everyone their attention. I had a picture taken with the five children and with the Dad and I told them I remembered them from the past when they were small and one said, "Yes, we have been playing a long time!"  Even though years have passed since I had seen this group, the parents still look the same. Maybe music keeps people from aging!

Seeing this non-pretentious, kind and friendly family, made me wonder, are people born with talent or do they learn to have talent by lots of practice or is it a bit of both? All I know is that La Familia Vasquez is 100%  talent!