Miguel Martínez Domínguez (September 29, 1921 in
Celaya
Celaya (; Otomi: ) is a city and its surrounding municipality in the state of Guanajuato, Mexico, located in the southeast quadrant of the state. It is the third most populous city in the state, with a 2005 census population of 310,413. The muni ...
,
Guanajuato
Guanajuato, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Guanajuato, is one of the 32 states that make up the Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into Municipalities of Guanajuato, 46 municipalities and its cap ...
– December 5, 2014 in
Mexico City
Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...
) was a
Mexican musician, composer and arranger of
mariachi
Mariachi (, , ) is a genre of regional Mexican music dating back to at least the 18th century, evolving over time in the countryside of various regions of western Mexico. The usual mariachi group today consists of as many as eight violins, two ...
, pioneer in the use of trumpet in this genre.
[Jáuregui, Jesús (2007). ''El Mariachi. Símbolo musical de México''. México: INAH/CONACULTA/Taurus. p. 420. ]
Biography
From the middle of the 1930s
until 1940s, worked in the
Plaza Garibaldi
Plaza Garibaldi is located in monumental downtown, Mexico City, on Eje Central (Lázaro Cárdenas) between historic Calle República de Honduras and Calle República de Peru, a few blocks north of the Palacio de Bellas Artes. The original name o ...
like musician in poor conditions, doing occasional substitutions with the mariachi of Concho Andrade that interpreted his pieces in the legendary bar Tenampa.
Martínez worked in the
Mariachi Vargas of Tecalitlán from 1942 until roughly 1965, with some absences.
In this group Martínez defined the function of the
trumpet
The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz musical ensemble, ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest Register (music), register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitche ...
in the mariachi, instrument that was not usual in this genre until him.
During practically all his participation in the Mariachi Vargas worked like only as trumpeter. His form to interpret created a unique and pioneer style that is the most imitated model until the actuality.
In the
Mariachi México de Pepe Villa,
Martinez invented the ''
dueto de trompetas'' (duet of trumpets), used in the majority of mariachi groups.
Martinez reduced his professional activity from the 1970s after a dental problem derived from the trumpet use.
From the 1990s decade Martinez increased his participations and talks in the United States where he attended several Mariachi festivals and congresses giving talks and workshops.
Work
Books
* ''Mi vida, mis viajes, mis vivencias: siete décadas en la música del mariachi'' (2012, Conaculta)
See also
*
Mariachi Vargas of Tecalitlán
References
Mariachi musicians
Musicians from Guanajuato
1921 births
2014 deaths
{{Mexico-composer-stub