MEXICO'S NEW VOICE

All-female band Mariachi Bonitas de Dinorah are challenging a male-dominated tradition

- STORY: THANA BOONLERT

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.