After landing the day before, Mariachi Bonitas de Dinorah, an all-female band from Sacramento, California, did not show any signs of jet lag. Instead, they fired salvos of energetic notes and staccato rhythms on the Saffron Cruise that was gliding down the Chao Phraya River, enlivening the night with the traditional flavour of Mexico.
Singing and playing instruments altogether, Mariachi Bonitas was more than introducing its musical legacy to a new audience — it was reclaiming space for women in a man’s world.
“We stick to the traditional structure of mariachi, which is ranchera. It’s more to the heart,” said Dinorah Klingler, founder of Mariachi Bonitas, in a recent interview.
“But the world is changing. Mariachi is usually only for men, but we are breaking barriers. And it hasn’t been easy, because, you know, Mexico is known for having a very macho culture. But as the tide turns, we see opportunities and adapt. We’re very thankful that people accept it and are happy with the change.”
Presented by Banyan Tree Bangkok and the Embassy of Mexico, the cultural night marked five decades of friendship between Thailand and Mexico, established officially in 1975.
Dating back to the 1850s, mariachi is an ensemble of eight to 12 members dressed in traditional cowboy outfits who play instruments including violins, guitars and trumpets. It includes a variety of genres, for example, rancheras, jarabes, sones, huapangos, corridos and boleros, all of which revolve around universal themes like love, death and place. Mariachi is mostly comprised of men and performed in overtly male spaces.
“I grew up listening to it, but I didn’t become a mariachi until my early 20s,” she recalled.
Born and raised in Mexico City, Klingler went down the musical road at a young age performing with her sisters in public venues. She then took music lessons at Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes. In her 20s, she moved with her boyfriend to Los Angeles, California. In 1997, she joined Mariachi Las Adelitas, an all-female band, but directed by a male musician. A year later, she formed Mariachi Las Alondras, an exclusively all-female band. Despite enjoying success, she had to leave it for family reasons.
While moving across the country, Klingler remained committed to her roots, joining several bands, performing solo and producing studio albums. In 2014, she launched the Mariachi Festival in Sacramento. When Covid-19 halted musical events, she searched for those who might be interested to join her new band on social media.
“Covid-19 determined my life because I lost my father to it. He always admired the fact that I had an all-female mariachi band in LA. I remember him asking whether I was going to make it again. But when he died, it really hit me. It got my heart. That’s what my dad would want me to do. And it’s time,” she said.
Overwhelming response led her to form Mariachi Bonitas in 2020. It achieved success in 2021 when the band appeared on the Kelly Clarkson Show. Currently there are 11 members, including Klingler. She said forming an all-female band was made possible by hard work and social change.
“We are at a time when women can do great things. And one of the most important things is that in Mexico we have our first female president. It is liberating. It’s giving us permission to be ourselves. We can decide what we want in our lives and we want to continue being this way. We’re not trying to fight men. That is not the goal. We want to take care of ourselves. We want that liberty. We want that freedom to express ourselves. In this group, nobody tells us what to play. Nobody tells us if we are doing something wrong or we are not pretty enough or we are not young enough. We support each other, and we are never going to be against each other,” she said.
There were precursors to her breakthrough though. At 13, Rosa Quirino is said to be the first recorded woman to join an all-male mariachi band in 1903. In an article titled Mariachis Machos And Charros Gay: Masculinities In Guadalajara, Mary-Lee Mulholland explained that women did exist in male-dominated mariachi bands.
While female mariachi singers, such as Lucha Reyes (1906-1944), enjoyed success, few female mariachi bands gained significant popularity and major mariachis do not even include female musicians. It comes down to prejudice.
“They simply don’t like women in music. But at the same time, you know, as the world evolves, we learn to ignore their rejection. Believe it or not, there’s still places that they don’t want to see a female mariachi band. And that’s okay. This world is so big, and now I am on the other side of the world with you. Sometimes we need to accept it and there’s nothing that we can do. Just keep working hard and playing music,” Klingler said.
Klinger revealed that members in the band change all the time due to different priorities in life. Still, its mission is to empower one another through music.
“We are a family and that’s a beautiful thing,” she said. In addition, the band is inclusive. “We have LGBTIs and it is wonderful. We accept everybody and that is what life is about. I think there should be tolerance and unity and no judgement for any reason.”
Klinger said while mainstream genres have wider appeal, mariachi is being revived and gaining traction. Emerging bands, especially those outside of Mexico, are rescuing the genre. Moreover, students are more exposed to mariachi in classrooms at all levels. As a mentor, youth groups and cultural programmes help sustain public interest in mariachi.
“New generations are coming. Mariachi is not going to disappear. They can succeed in the mariachi world,” she said.
When it comes to her plan, Klinger set herself a goal of giving the band exposure to the world. Thailand is the band’s second international tour destination, and Klingler plans to do everything she can to improve them in every possible way.
“One day, I may not be able to play or sing as I’m going to get older. But I hope that Mariachi Bonitas will continue because it’s a beautiful and successful band. And whoever comes in future, Mariachi Bonitas will still be around,” she said.