Building cultural awareness and communication with Mariachi music

WisMAP is a culturally enriching opportunity for academics, artists and the community to connect through appreciation and performance of Mariachi music.

Organized by the Chicana/o and Latinx Studies program at UW Oshkosh, a series of events is planned this month and in April-including several on the UW Oshkosh campus.

• The University of Texas Mariachi Ensemble and its director, Jose Torres, will perform at 5 p.m. March 14 in the UWO Concert Hall, where an interpretive discussion will follow on building community through music.
• An April 1 event will showcase the cultural influences of Mariachi culture beyond the music. Francisco Hernandez, a classically trained musician, has more than 10 years of experience playing in Mariachi ensembles in Milwaukee and is music director for Mariachi Monarcas de Milwaukee. He will speak with students and the public from 1:50-2:50 p.m. (campus location TBA), about his experience growing up in an emerging Mariachi culture in Wisconsin.
• Siduri Christiansen of the University of Texas San Antonio, will discuss the role of Mariachi music in language instruction, from 1:50-2:50 p.m. April 22, on a campus location TBA.