What first attracted you to Mazatlán? What do you love about living here? My guess is that music is part of it. Yes, our gorgeous natural environment, the warmth of its people, and the joy and variety of its music! Whether classical, jazz, cumbia, bolero, rock and roll, metal, reggae, romantic ballads, pop, folk, country, norteña, banda or tambora, we are fortunate in that Mazatlán offers up every type of music. We are blessed to enjoy live music while we dine, walk the beach, at parties we attend, in bars and theaters. What would our beloved Mazatlán be without that music? We do not want our live musicians going extinct!

Help make sure that we will have music to enjoy once COVID-19 is history! While the whole world is hurting, there are thousands of talented musicians here in Mazatlán who lost their jobs overnight and now have no way to feed their families. They went to bed planning to play the wedding or quinceañera party and their standard weekly gigs, and next thing they knew all concerts and events were shut down, restaurants and hotels closed. Most Canadian and US American residents disappeared suddenly, as have national and international tourists. Locals are confined to home.

Our musicians are desperate. They generally receive no social benefits and have no insurance. Their emloyers have not floated them loans or paid them in advance; they are generally just SOL. The average musician here, as the average artist or worker, lives paycheck to paycheck.

The non-profit (registered tax-deductible in Mexico, Canada and the USA) Sociedad de la Guitarra Mazatlán, in partnership with UMATEM (Unión de Músicos, Artistas y Técnicos de Mazatlán) and other musicians’ unions has set up a the Mazatlán Musicians’ Emergency Relief Fund. You have from now till May 5^th—Cinco de Mayo, Giving Tuesday—to contribute what you can to ensure that our local musicians can feed their families and keep playing for us. Please donate now, so you don’t forget and because the need is pressing. To receive your receipt for tax purposes, please email donar@guitarramazatlan.org after making your donation.

100% of the funds received will be paid directly to musicians in need, up to a maximum of 6000 pesos. Your donation via PayPal goes into a fund with INBURSA certified by a public accountant. As is required by law, bookkeeping will be transparent, and records of disbursements and receipts published.

Any working musician is eligible to apply; preference will be given to working musicians over 60 and those who are disabled. Recipients will be limited to musicians who don’t have a secondary source of income—statements will be verified with SAT (the Mexican taxation administration). Musicians needing help will fill out an application and be asked to share copies of contracts that were cancelled or have their union, or an employer vouch for them.

I am proud that the Sociedad de la Guitarra Mazatlán has stepped up to lead the community in this way. They are modeling their effort on a similar program underway in Seattle. Founded in 2013, the non-profit association has done a load of good work here in town in its first seven years. They hold an annual “classical guitar season” of six concerts that is the only one of its kind in Mexico. For every concert they do a second, identical show that’s free-of-charge as outreach to those who wouldn’t otherwise get to hear such music—performances at a local school, aged care facility or public plaza. The association is also starting a youth guitar orchestra—the Núcleo Infantíl de Guitarristas—which will meet every Saturday once the current pandemic is behind us.

I know there are many pulls on our resources right now. Our systems are overloaded. If you are able, if you enjoy the wealth and variety of music that Mazatlán offers, please reach into your heart and into your pocketbooks to help these artists!

Stay home, stay healthy, help your neighbors. I hope to see you again soon.