UVALDE, Texas — When San Antonio mariachi Anthony Medrano put out a call on social media asking other musicians to join him for a free concert in Uvalde, he had no idea what the response would be like.
Medrano said "It's a long tradition to play for funerals and passings. It's part of our calling in the mariachi world to bring comfort, to console the spirits and the souls of the grieving family."
Medrano said within no time, he found himself booking a charter bus that filled to capacity. Others, Medrano said, volunteered to drive their own cars.
By the time the group headed west from San Antonio, they were more than 60 strong, with representatives from about 17 local mariachi groups.
Medrano said it was an emotional time for all.
"Usually when we play for funerals we are asked by a family to go and help in the grieving process. We get hired to do this, but this is something all of us, all 60 of us, chose to do. Not to get paid, not for anything other than to step into what we are called to do, to console with music. It is special," Medrano said.
When their music started to fill the plaza, the crowd gathered close, many wiping away tears and quietly singing along to the ballads that have been comforting the sorrowful for generations.
"We have traditional songs for funerals to express the hurt and pain of loss," Medrano said, adding "There's nothing subtle about it. Loss is permanent so these song remind us of the level of sadness."
Because many of the musicians are also music teachers, Medrano said the loss of so many young souls is especially painful.
"It was very personal to see the faces of the students, because many of our musicians are teachers of the same school age students that were taken and so it was very personal," Medrano said.
Medrano said while it might seem like the musicians brought a gift to the grieving, the opposite is also true.
"It's beautiful. It helps us to help them. I mean that's what community is about. Community is about leaning on each other at times like this and helping each other," Medrano said.