"The legend goes that the singer Chavela Vargas and the actor Jose Alfredo Jimenez locked themselves away for three nights in Salon Tenampa, in northern Mexico City, drinking tequila and singing along to the musicians, who mingled with the patrons of the grand cantina. Many years later, on the night of Wednesday, November 19, a mariachi band begins to play one of Paquita la del Barrio's classics: Tres veces te engane (I cheated on you three times)."
"You, who left me. I, who waited for you Seated at one of the tables, Daniel Gomez closes his eyes. He clenches his fist and shakes it to the rhythm of the music. He sings with deep feeling: I, foolishly, was always faithful to you. The tables are nearly full. The mariachis stroll about, offering songs to the customers. Waiters attend to the tables with the same undivided attention as musicians in an orchestra."
"Salon Tenampa, the great emblem of mariachi music in the capital, is celebrating its 100th anniversary. The mariachi band continues to circle Daniel Gomez's table. He sways to the sound of the violins. Accompanied by a group of friends, it's his first time here: he's from Los Angeles. The place is super chill. Imagine coming from the other side [of the border] and experiencing this, he sighs."
Salon Tenampa marks its 100th anniversary as a central venue for mariachi music in Mexico City. A mariachi band plays classics while patrons sing, sway and respond with deep feeling. Musicians circulate among tables offering songs as waiters attend with focused care. The cantina attracts visitors from abroad, including people from Los Angeles experiencing the space for the first time. On busy nights about 800 people pass through, falling to roughly 200 when slower. Longtime musician Marcos Montes wears the Mariachi Guadalajara charro uniform and reflects multigenerational ties: his father performed there for 50 years and he has performed for 38.
Read at english.elpais.com
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