Mariachi Ghost launches debut album on Day of the Dead

Mariachi Ghost is getting serious.

The Winnipeg band has been thrilling local audiences with its unique blend of Mexican folklore, prog-rock and theatrical flare for five years, but are only now releasing its first full-length album.

Mariachi Ghost founder and frontman Jorge Requena recently sat down with SCENE: On Air host Bruce Laden to talk about how far the company has come.

We realized that it was time to get serious with it, said Requena. And we gave ourselves a deadline to release our first full-length album on the day of the dead.

But the band quickly realized that releasing an album isnt quite as easy as it sounds.

We had no idea where we were going to record the album, where the money was going to come from, or how we were going to pull it off - nothing, laughed Requena.

The group decided to turn to their fans, and launched a hugely successful IndieGogo campaign to finance the disc. Requena now says there are plans to release the album outside of Canada - including in Mexico.

This has been a dream of everybody for a long time, we just didnt know we could achieve it.

In its signature dramatic style, the group will celebrate its self-titled debut with an album release party at the West End Cultural Centre on Saturday, Nov.2.Promising a magical, mystical show, that will feature dance, projections and poetry, its the first chance local audiences will get to experience the resurgent band and their new music.

Hear Bruces full interview with Mariachi Ghosts Jorge Requena on SCENE: On Air, Nov. 2 at 5:00 p.m. on CBC Radio One 89.3 FM/990 AM/97.9 FM in Brandon. Their release show is at the West End Cultural Centre the same evening, starting at 8:00 p.m.