The Mariachi Ghost – Jorge Requena Ramos & Rafael Reyes

Countless Journeys

The search for justice in an unjust world is a theme that never gets old. And it’s the search for justice that inspires Jorge Requena Ramos and Rafael Reyes in the music they create, along with their bandmates, in The Mariachi Ghost. “The Mariachi Ghost is a man who does not know if he's dead or alive,” explains Ramos. “A rider that comes in the night and finds people who are unjust, who are unfair, who are criminals, who are sinners.” The band mixes the sounds of traditional Mexican music with searing rock and four-part harmonies inspired by Mennonite choirs. In this conversation with Countless Journeys host Paolo Pietropaolo, Ramos, who was born in Mexico, and Reyes, who was born in El Salvador, talk with host Paolo Pietropaolo about their experiences as newcomers to Canada, trying to navigate a music industry that often routinely pigeon-holes non-white artists. “The Mariachi Ghost is an entirely Canadian experiment. We were able to create something that was multicultural, a reflection of the city that we live in with influences from Mennonite four-part choir singing to Chicha and Francophone songwriter influences, and Jamaica influences all happening in one place in one band in the basement, in a minus 48 winter day in Winnipeg, Manitoba in the suburbs,” says Ramos. “It's a very, very Canadian experience and we're very proud about that.”