REVIEW: Mariachi Flor de Toloache, Sid Sriram @ Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum 03/31

As I walked inside the small square room with three layers of balconies stacked on top of one another, I was taken aback by the venue’s peculiarity and intimacy. Accurately described by Shae Fiol of Mariachi Flor de Toloache as a “Tiramisu cake,” the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum’s Calderwood Hall is as unique as the music I experienced that night.

The opener for the night was the singer-songwriter Sid Sriram, accompanied by a pianist and bassist. Sriram’s music is in the contemporary R&B and jazz genre, but with a very unique twist–Indian carnatic vocal styling. While this may sound like a gimmick, the genres melded beautifully to create a refreshing and moving sound that is his own. However, what struck me even more was the intense emotion he delivered with his vocals and lyrics. Singing about finding himself and holding on to faith in a world so cruel, Sriram speaks to the soul and pulls at your heartstrings. In his most powerful moments, Sriram sang as if he were weaving through with the micro-tones of his carnatic style to reach through the cracks of our hard shells–to open us up to the painful optimism that he wants you to feel with him. After such an emotional experience, I was welcome to the more light and joyful vibes of Mariachi Flor de Toloache.

Donned in their beautifully ornamented mariachi uniforms, Mariachi Flor de Toloache took the stage with flair and confidence. Already a fan of their debut album, I was thrilled when they announced at the concert that they would be playing mostly songs from their soon-to-be-released album. Their set started off sounding like more traditional mariachi, seemingly to orient the audience to the genres customary style. Then, they caught everyone by surprise when they started to mix traditional mariachi with genres like cumbia, salsa, and even country. Their performance got even more interesting when they started to engage with the audience more directly. Most memorably, they featured their own workshop to teach the audience how to partake in the “gritos,” which are the joyous cheers often heard in mariachi music. By the end of the night, everyone was dancing, calling out gritos, and having a great time.

This was undoubtedly one of the most unique and entertaining concerts I have ever had the fortune of attending; I laughed, I cried, I danced, and I grito(ed) all in just under two hours. I am very excited to see what else these amazing artists have in store for the future.

-Matt Garamella