The traditional "El Grito" celebration that signals the start of Mexican Independence Day will take on a big-city feel in Los Angeles this year, with the addition of several bands that are expected to add "a new urban focus" to the more traditional music that typically marks the event, according to city officials.
The celebration is free to the public and scheduled for the main entrance to City Hall on the 100 block of N. Spring Street, starting at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, September 15. The "hip" and "experimental" bands lined up for the vent will share the stage with traditional musical acts such as Mariachi Reina de Los Angeles. The newer sounds will come from Nortec Collective and K-Paz de la Sierra, among other bands.
Nortec Collective's urban beat is expected to "blend with the traditional, vibrant sounds of Mariachi Reina de Los Angeles and the energetic sounds of K-Paz de la Sierra, lending a new twist to an event that has become a tradition," according to the office of 13th District Los Angeles City Councilmember Eric Garcetti, who represents parts of the Echo Park and Silverlake districts northwest of Downtown, among other areas of the city, and also serves as president of the 15-member legislative body.
Garcetti's office is sponsoring the event, a role that is rotated among Latino-American members of the City Council on a yearly basis. Garcetti traces his heritage to Mexico on his father's side of his family. He invited 9th District City Councilmember Jan Perry — who represents much of Downtown and a large portion of South Los Angeles — to join him as a co-sponsor of the event. Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and various other elected officials are expected to join Mexico's Consul General, Juan Marcos Gutierrez, for the festivities.
"The El Grito de Independencia" means "The Cry of Independence" in English, and the annual event re-enacts the ringing of the "rebellion bell" by Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, a Roman Catholic priest who is credited with making the initial call to throw off Spanish and French colonial rule of Mexico. Hidalgo rang the church bell in the rural town of Delores in the present-day state of Guanajuato in 1810, and Mexico gained its independence after a 10-year struggle.
The annual El Grito festivities in Los Angeles have long had a rural and traditional feel, recalling bygone days in areas of Mexico that have sent millions of immigrants to the city over the years.
Street closures are expected around the general area of City Hall for several hours before and after the event.
Sam Hassan is a writer for the L.A. Garment & Citizen.
More info about some of the bands:
* Nortec Collective
* K-Paz de la Sierra
* Mariachi Reyana de Los Angeles
Photos from Nortec Collective, K-Paz de la Sierra and Mariachi Reyana de Los Angeles
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