Mexico's CHG Recording Studio leverages Genelec to drive new era in mariachi
The town of Bellavista, with a population of just eight thousand, belongs to the municipality of Acatlán de Juárez. It is situated about forty kilometres from Guadalajara, the capital of Jalisco, a traditional epicentre of mariachi – which is often considered the quintessential music of Mexico.
One of the region's distinguished residents, Gamaliel Contreras Huerta, has a vision to be a patron of revitalising this wonderful genre within the context of the modern Mexican music scene. As an entrepreneur committed to his region's people, Contreras has spent years seeking to enhance the town of his birth; the affection and love he feels for the region is evident in his construction of a much-needed tertiary-level hospital in the area.
Supporting mariachi through music and vision
Returning to music, his vision is to be equipped with all the necessary means to support regional Mexican music, mariachi in particular. To make this possible, his recording studio, music production company, and record label (CHG Music Group), were founded in 2019 – alongside his own mariachi band, the Mariachi Internacional CHG, considered the jewel of Mexico.
To push his vision forward, Gamaliel Contreras relies on the multi-Grammy and Latin Grammy-winning engineer Alex Ramírez, who worked for many years with the iconic singer, Don Vicente Fernández. From his mariachi band, Violinist Guillermo Rojas joins the studio's technical team. Together, they have kept CHG, a flagship studio of the American music industry, working non-stop since first opening the doors in 2022.
Gamaliel Contreras promotes regional artists like singer Bryan Sandóval, for whom he is a mentor, while touring internationally with his own mariachi band Mariachi Internacional CHG, who have performed orchestral ensembles with the Roma Symphony Orchestra, the Córdoba Symphony Orchestra, the Bogotá Symphony Orchestra, and what he himself describes as the best in the world, the Jalisco Philharmonic Orchestra.
Mariachi Internacional CHG has also collaborated live with artists such as Cristian Nodal and Banda MS, with whom they've celebrated three years of successful touring. Although their vision is to present mariachi as the main attraction, they have provided accompaniment for stars like Natalia Jiménez, Carolina Ross, Eliseo Robles, Edén Muñoz, and Raúl Hernandez Jr. The band maintains constant work and musical creativity to reach and engage with audiences that will revel in their concerts, convinced of the quality and musical experience they represent.
State-of-the-art facilities
The details of CHG's facilities are impressive. With a total area of 510 square metres, it is not just a traditional recording studio, it also includes amenities for the enjoyment and relaxation of artists, such as a squash court (90 m²), a fitness area (25 m²), a cardio zone (71 m²), changing rooms, and a steam bath (40 m²), along with other general areas that include a meeting room, a lounge area, equipment storage, and additional spaces totalling 164 m². Outside, there is a swimming pool, a basketball court, and across the street is a large area with a kiosk where everything from outdoor concerts to crowded barbecue parties can take place.
The complex also features five triple suites and a master suite that can accommodate up to 17 people. These allow artists, producers, and engineers to disconnect from their daily lives and focus solely on creating their musical projects in an environment designed to turn the creative process into a special and unique experience.
The studio itself includes a control room of 50 m² and a recording room of 70 m², which can fully accommodate a large mariachi ensemble. This is a significant statement considering the current trend of creating smaller music production studios, where the ability to record large orchestras is increasingly rare.
Unmatched audio technology
The studio's equipment is of an equally high standard. The control room has two listening positions, one of which is in front of the studio's nerve centre, a 32-channel SSL Origin console working with the room's Dolby Atmos system, which comprises of three 8361A 'The Ones' Smart Active Monitors for the LCR channels, eight smaller 8351B 'The Ones' for the surround and height channels, and two 7380 Smart Active Subwoofers – making it one of the largest Atmos systems installed in Latin America.
A pair of 1235 monitors constitute the CHG's main monitoring system, often used for listening sessions with clients. This pair is among the first shipped worldwide by Genelec and is the only one in Latin America to date. In total, the room has fifteen Genelec monitors and subwoofers, making it the largest SAM Monitoring installation in Latin America.
To complete the building and optimisation of this veritable temple of professional audio, the services of Mexican integrator 3BH – and direct advice from Dolby – were sought, which enabled the project to be executed to the highest quality standards and created a truly international reference for music production facilities.
Alex Ramírez, who has accumulated nine Grammys for his work with Don Vicente Fernández and Christian Nodal, has also worked with many other artists in the studio, including Christian Nodal, Alfredo Olivas, El Fantasma, Alex Fernández, Filippa Giordano, Josie Cuen, Luis R Conriquez, Eliseo Roble, Natanael Cano, and Gabito Ballesteros, among others.
“It is the largest Genelec SAM Monitoring system installed in Latin America; there are only a couple of other systems that come close to what CHG has in the entire region. But what is most impressive is the vision that drives an entrepreneur and patron like Gamaliel Contreras to invest his resources in a project that will help promote such a wonderful musical genre as mariachi” explains Miguel Domínguez, Genelec's Representative for Latin America. “The music that comes out of those monitors is some of the most beautiful I have ever heard.”
Alex Ramírez, ingeniero jefe del estudio y multi ganador de Grammy y Latin Grammy
