Furman University students bring Mexican culture to campus with new mariachi group
By Carlos Cristian Flores
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GREENVILLE, South Carolina (WYFF) — A group of Furman University students are working to bring something that represents a huge part of Mexican culture to campus.
For junior Sahid Palacios, it was a chance to bring a little of El Paso, Texas and Chihuahua, Mexico, to the Upstate.
“I kind of wanted to start the mariachi tradition, the mariachi ensemble here at Furman University, just how I am used to back home,” Palacios said. “I just wanted to have that club here, the tradition. I wanted to share that music here.”
Palacios said getting the band together wasn’t easy.
“When I first started, I didn’t think there would be like anyone who would want to do it,” Palacios said. “It’s just a matter of finding people. Just spreading the word.”
However, just like the Avengers, students joined one by one to create El Mariachi Los Paladines. This translates to the mariachi group, The Paladins.
In such a short time, the group is playing all the mariachi staples, like Vicente Fernandez, Luis Miguel and Juan Gabriel.
With every strum, draw of the bow, and lyric, a little more of that mariachi flair becomes part of paladin culture.
“I would describe this music as all-around happy, emotional, romantic, heartbreaking too,” Palacios said. “Music that hits you right in the heart.”
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