00:04It's one of Mexico's best-known orchestral sounds and here in Doha it's
00:10being performed thousands of kilometers from where it was born by musicians from
00:15around the world. We are closer than we all think. The music really is our
00:22international language.
00:29Mexican conductor Enrique Arturo de Mecki is leading the Qatar Philharmonic
00:35Orchestra through Huapango, a piece that holds a special place in Mexican culture.
00:41The one we call Huapango, that is the anchor piece, that resembles the most. That piece
00:50for us, the Mexicans, we think it's like our second national anthem. Because it has all
00:58this flair, the melody, it has a drive and something that really makes you feel wonderful.
01:15And it's just one part of a musical journey across Mexico. Sounds of Mexico brings together
01:21works from across the country, highlighting the range and diversity of Mexican music.
01:27The program we are performing this time, it has a variety of rhythms and melodies from
01:33different regions of Mexico, from the Gulf and the Caribbean and then to the center of
01:40Mexico and then to the Pacific and then to the north. So it's going to show a little bit
01:46of the differences that exist in all these regions.
01:51Some of those sounds have their roots in mariachi and other Mexican traditions. But here,
01:56they're being interpreted by a symphony orchestra with a very international makeup.
02:02The Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra brings together musicians from around the world.
02:07This performance highlights Mexico's orchestral traditions as part of the 2026 Year of Culture,
02:12inviting audiences in Qatar to experience cultural exchange through music.
02:18More than 28 nationalities are represented in the orchestra. And for this Colombian tubo player,
02:24rehearsing this program brings back some very early memories.
02:29When I was a little, little, little child, three, four years, I still remember my father
02:36listening mariachi bands. And tomorrow evening, we will play some of the mariachi songs made for
02:44our orchestra. So for me, it's like a small traveling through our Latin American deep tradition.
02:55But playing the notes is only part of it. The Ameki grew up with these rhythms. And Diaz says having
03:01a Mexican conductor in front of the orchestra helps the musicians understand how the music is supposed to
03:07feel. For players coming from very different musical traditions, it means learning to find the same rhythm together.
03:17We have Koreans, Germans, Austrians, Americans, Latin Americans, people from all around the world.
03:25And we sit together. And we have only one mission. And it's to play music together.
03:35Today, we are just trying to think exactly in the same way, to breathe in the same way.
03:43And that international mix is part of a wider exchange.
03:47Sounds of Mexico is part of the Qatar-Mexico 2026 Year of Culture, with Qatari and Arab culture
03:54presented in Mexico, and Mexican culture brought to audiences here in Doha.
03:59The exchange in the culture is important for both countries. We present the both countries' culture
04:07for us as in Arab countries. We show them our musical heritage. So today, we present the people through
04:13the music. That connection was there in rehearsal too, with the orchestra playing both the Mexican and
04:19Qatari national anthems. But for Diameki, music can make those connections without needing words at all.
04:27It comes from your soul, and it comes from your spirit. It's just a little touch of difference.
04:34And perhaps that's the simplest idea behind this concert. Musicians from more than two dozen
04:39countries learning the rhythms of another and giving an audience in Doha a chance to hear Mexico a little differently.
04:47Music
04:48...
