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Guanajuato Music Scene

8K views 35 replies 7 participants last post by  ojosazules11 
#1 ·
Can anyone that lives in, or visits frequently, Guanajuato City tell me about the music scene?

Specifically - Are there venues/clubs in town that have Jazz, Rock, Pop etc.?

Is there any support for this type of music, at a local level?

Thanks!
 
#2 ·
OK, this one is definitely in my wheel house!

I lived in Guanajuato for 5 years (2009-2014) and played music professionally there that whole time. I played mostly jazz and classical music but I also did some gigging with a group that played some more rock type venues. Here's a breakdown by genre:

Classical: There are a number of places offering regular concert series of classical music. Several museums have weekly series, the Casa de Cultura has regular events and also coordinates statewide tours, the Festival Cervantino presents local performers each year as well. The state symphony is based in Gto as well so there are concerts put on by offshoots of that organization too.

Jazz: There are a couple of small venues that have jazz on a regular basis - pay is poor but they let you do what you wish and people do come out to listen. Also, almost all of the museums and cultural organizations I mentioned above present some degree of jazz along with the classical offerings. Again, sometimes pay can be pretty good.

So the good news is that for "art" music like classical and jazz it is a pretty good scene and the pay is not too bad in most cases. Sometimes it is quite good. You need to be a very good musician though, because the symphony brings serious players from all over the world. Gigs are earned on merit rather than "how many tickets can you sell" like in the US because the venues have a governmental budget and they want to fill their series with excellent concerts. Luckily for me, this is mostly what I play so it worked well (even though I sure still love to rock out from time to time!).

Now for the bad news if you want to play anything other than "art" music...

Rock/Pop: There are a few venues that are happy to let you play for free or for the door. There used to be one that paid a decent rate but they sold to a new owner and that's over. There is no government money for pop music, so if you want to earn any money, you have to find or create your own gigs. It's mostly cover bands that aren't so good that play around town in the few bars. If you want to do original music it is a very tough row to hoe. Simply finding a place to play original music is hard enough but getting any pay is almost impossible.

After saying all of the above, I will tell you that now that we have moved back to Mexico, we decided to move to Queretaro instead of returning to Guanajuato. The scene in Gto. is a little small and provincial feeling and both Queretaro and San Miguel de Allende have larger scenes and more options for musicians. I had fun in Guanajuato and still adore the city but I found being the big fish in the small pond limited my options a little too much and since Guanajuato is only 90 minutes from Queretaro, I can still easily return to play concerts on a regular basis.

If you have any other questions, fire away!
 
#3 ·
Thanks for your detailed response!!

In your experience, are there experienced musicians in the Guanajuato or San Miguel areas that would be capable of performing in an american rock, pop, funk type band?
Are there enough venues/clubs to perform somewhat regularly, for good musicians?
Is there support for those styles/

Curious - what instrument do you play? What's your musical background, if you don't mind me asking?

Thanks again.
Cheers!
 
#4 · (Edited)
Thanks for your detailed response!!
You are very welcome!

I'll answer your questions one by one.

In your experience, are there experienced musicians in the Guanajuato or San Miguel areas that would be capable of performing in an american rock, pop, funk type band?
For that style I think you would need to be in San Miguel. There are a number of players there who are pro level and work in the rock/pop/funk genre. Less so in Guanajuato.

Are there enough venues/clubs to perform somewhat regularly, for good musicians?
That depends on whether you are trying to earn a living, or just play for enjoyment. If you need to earn a living you will have to travel a bit more widely than just the Bajio region to work enough to make ends meet. If you just want to play for the joy of it, then you can kind of make your own circuit in Mexico. That is part of the fun of it for me.
On a related note -- you will need to have legal permission to work in Mexico to get paid. So, you'll either have to get permanent residency or else get temporary residency with an add on work permit. Otherwise, you just might get your keester deported.


Is there support for those styles?
In San Miguel somewhat, thanks to all the extranjeros. In Guanajuato only a little. Other areas of the country vary. However, it is a fact that Mexicans just love music and if it moves them they are into it. If you kick some booty, people will get behind what you are doing to some degree.

Curious - what instrument do you play? What's your musical background, if you don't mind me asking?
My principal instrument is guitar but I play several other stringed instruments as well. I earned a degree in music and have toured the world for some 30+ years both as a solo artist and as a member of different groups. As a matter of fact, I was on a solo concert tour of Mexico when I met my now wife and decided to move here! Since I had toured Mexico several times previous to moving, I had a number of contacts and Mexican musical cohorts so I was able to hit the ground running as it were. Just like anywhere in the world, contacts are key.

If you give me some similar info about yourself, I might be able to suggest some approaches if/when you get ready to make your move.
 
#5 ·
Thanks again for all the information!

Good to know there are pro level players in San Miguel.

As for myself, I'm a drummer with over 40 years experience. I've played rock, pop, fusion, acoustic, jazz etc. , done a fair amount of theater work as a musician, studio work, and toured the west coast of the U.S. and Germany. I'm currently in an Alt. 80's cover band and an original acousti-funk-pop band.

I'd definitely get the proper permits if/when I were to enter into a gig making $. Legal and smooth is always a good approach! : )

Another question - do you know where/how any of these types of bands rehearse? Typically, now I just rehearse at my home studio.

Thanks again!
 
#6 ·
Bands in Mexico generally rehearse at someone's house... or a home studio if one is available among the band members. Noise is everywhere in Mexico, so disturbing the neighbors is a non-issue. Metal bands rehearse in apartments and no one complains!! I rehearsed with a New Orleans style jazz group in the drummer's back yard.

Are you planning a move to Guanajuato in the near future, or are you doing research for a possible later move?
 
#7 ·
Bands in Mexico generally rehearse at someone's house... or a home studio if one is available among the band members. Noise is everywhere in Mexico, so disturbing the neighbors is a non-issue. Metal bands rehearse in apartments and no one complains!! I rehearsed with a New Orleans style jazz group in the drummer's back yard.
Disturbing the neighbors can be an issue in some situations. For example, if a metal band tried to rehearse in my little building, I'd call the police!
 
#23 ·
Yes, I would say that is a good summary.

When I first moved here I met an American guy who played first trumpet in the Xalapa Symphony (one of the finest orchestras in the country). He'd been here for some 7-8 years at the time and he told me that the beautiful thing about Mexico is that it allows you to find and create your own space as an artist. I have found that to be true.

Your only impediment to having a good musical experience here would be if you had a bad attitude and were difficult to work with, but based on your posts here I don't think you'll have any problem!
 
#25 ·
We haven't lived in Guanajuato since 2013 so unfortunately, my contacts aren't very current.

Maybe if you told me a little more about what your son will be doing there - who is he playing with? Where will he be performing? Also, what is his Spanish level? [Guanajuato has less English spoken than a lot of places with a larger expat population.]

With that info I might be able to make some recommendations.
 
#26 ·
They'll have a jazz quartet made up of students at Berklee and the New England Conservatory, and they've been asked to play four or five shows in conjunction with the Soul Power Festival in mid August. Apparently it would be at the opening of the festival, at a local school, and at a couple of clubs. His Spanish isn't the greatest, but the trip chaperone speaks Spanish. Also, if we can contact anyone in advance, my wife is from Venezuela, so she can handle the Spanish. My son can take his electric bass as a last resort, but the ideal would be if he could borrow or rent an upright while there.
 
#27 ·
Well, rentals of anything in Mexico are nothing like in the US. It is very hard to rent things in general so I wouldn't count on that being much of an option. Guanajuato doesn't even have what I would consider a real music store so I doubt a rental through a store like in the US would be an option either.

Borrowing a string bass from a local musician may be tough as well since any kind of decent string bass costs thousands of US dollars and very few people in Mexico will have a spare, especially one they would loan to essentially a stranger.

I just looked up that soul power fest and it is put on in conjunction with the University of Guanajuato. Now THEY just might have a loanable bass since they have a music department and the festival is their thing.
I would have the person that arranged the performances get in touch with the festival people and ask about securing a string bass through the University for the gigs. It would be kind of like a part of the "back line" (equipment supplied by the venue or performance promoters). I'm sure they are supplying a drum set, so ask about a string bass as well. That would be the best chance. And you always have the electric as a last resort.

All the string bass players I work with travel with their instrument (and deal with the attendant hassles and expense of oversize luggage), so I haven't had to deal with renting a string bass before.
 
#29 ·
You're welcome and good luck with the trip!

Flying with instruments is indeed TERRIBLE. I regularly fly to concerts carrying a guitar and a mountain dulcimer. It got to be such a nightmare that I bought a special guitar that folds in half at the neck and slips into its own backpack that fits into the overhead bin and then I had a custom dulcimer made that fits into a carry on suitcase. That way I can take all my instruments on board the plane with me.

String bass players don't have that option. And in my next life I am going to play flute.
 
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