Today we’d like to introduce you to Mariana Grahl.
Hi Mariana, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Music has been a part of me since ever! My parents have been Church musicians since before I was born, so I grew up surrounded by music! My dad plays guitar, and he taught me the first songs I learnt. When I was 4 years old, I was able to sing in a very important festival in my hometown, Matamoros, Tamaulipas, MX, and since then, I’ve been singing everywhere I go. I moved to the DFW Metroplex 6 years ago, and I didn’t think I was going to be able to continue with the music since this is such a big place with so many talented people, but without me looking for it, I met some musicians, and that’s how I started singing in different venues, and different kinds of music, around the DFW, until El Chanclazo was born.
I met Pepe Valdez in 2019 at a soccer game with friends in common. He invited me and my friends to see him perform at the Reveler’s Hall, and I went to support his trio. From the moment I heard him play, I knew I needed to be his friend and to sing with him; I remember the passion he expressed through every chord of his guitar and the love that his trio showed for our Latin Culture. After the reaction of the people with their music, the Pepe Valdez’ trio was invited to perform the next month again, but by that time, their original singer moved out of town, and luckily for me, Pepe called me and invited me to sing with him. Despite me being from Northern Mexico and Him being from Lima, Peru, we discovered that both of our musical traditions worked around beautiful compositions, groups of friends, spirituous beverages, food, and a true love for each one’s own music and culture. We started then to work on developing a repertoire that is varied and significant to each one and comprised of music that we both love and care for. From Pepe’s grandfather’s favorite song to the song that my dad used to sing to my mom, we play who we are through music. And so, El Chanclazo was born! We were invited for a residency at the Reveler’s Hall on Thursday nights that we called “Encuentros Latinoamericanos,” and we kept it going until the covid pandemic hit us and the whole world stop. We used that time to keep working on our repertoire and practicing our parts, and idealizing what we wanted to achieve.
Today, we are able to bring our music to different venues and festivals in North Texas; we not only sing this beautiful music but also try to educate others by talking about the composers and history behind some of the songs that we get to perform. We believe that our music unites generations, cultures, and people in general.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Besides Covid, I think the biggest challenge has been to educate the people that Latin music is more than “party music” like reggaeton or salsa. We play boleros, valses peruanos, bossanovas, sones Cubanos, musica ranchera; really, traditional folk music from the different countries that are a part of us. Our band has members from Mexico, Peru, Cuba y Colombia, and we all add who we are on each song that’s a part of our repertoire.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
We like to describe what we do as “Bohemian Latin Music.” Our mission is to share who we are through music. We are called “El chanclazo” (which means being hit by a “chancla” sandal) because “la chancla” was/is our mom’s most effective counseling method, and our goal is for people to remember those beautiful songs that we all heard while growing up and that are a part of who we are, and our essence. With each songs, we represent our countries, our family, our teachers, our neighbors, and our gente.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
The first advice is to practice. Never stop practicing, never think you already know it all because there’s always room for improvement, and the more we practice, the more there is to learn. The second-best advice I have, Be professional! I’ve seen so many musicians not showing up prepared or ready for their gigs. Talent isn’t everything, you can be the most talented one, but if you’re not professional, people will always call someone else who is and last but not least, follow what passionate you! People will always be able to feel that passion that you put in what you do, and to share that with others is the best feeling in the world!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.elchanclazodfw.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elchanclazodfw
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elchanclazodfw
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@elchanclazodfw
