Arts and Culture
“Wanna Sleep Through the Holidays”, A Song for This Season
Wanna Sleep Through the Holidays is a special gift from musician/composer Michael Archuleta and his wife Irma Archuleta, a retired educator and active volunteer. This new interpretation of their holiday production Wanna Sleep Through the Holidays was rereleased on Thanksgiving week.”
Local Long Beach artist Natalie Acosta performs a new interpretation of the song whose music was composed by Michael Archuleta and lyrics written by Irma Archuleta. To accompany the latest release, a new video was created by filmmaker and director Chuy Santillan. The editing and special effects are the work of actor, playwright, and director Jose Garcia Davis.
About the Song
From the Archuleta Family: “I love the Holidays, I enjoy all the preparations, maintaining the cultural food traditions, gift exchange, Noche Buena caroling, and listening to holiday songs. We all know that “there’s no place like home for the holidays” [but] unfortunately, numerous circumstances exist that sometimes make it impossible to go home. Wanna Sleep Through the Holidays speaks to the sadness one feels when separated from loved ones. It hurts to be away from those you love, and it is especially heart-wrenching to be alone during the holidays. Perhaps you can relate because you are or have been in this position or you know of someone who has or is currently experiencing this. Being separated from family over eight years and imagining the possibility of not being with them during the holidays tugged heavily at my heart. I remember, during the holiday season, waking up to the news and watching as the local TV station provided a lucky family the opportunity to link via Skype with a military service member stationed overseas. Watching these emotional encounters each morning, coupled with my situation, became the inspiration to write these lyrics. My talented husband, Michael Archuleta, a musician/composer, composed the melody for the song, which we hope becomes a holiday classic.”
More on the Artists
Irma Archuleta retired in 2015 from her post as VP of student affairs at Evergreen Valley College and as LB City CollegeTrustee in 2016. Currently, she dedicates part of her time between the Los Angeles County Commission for Women and the Long Beach Port Grants Advisory Committee. In this phase of her life, she is looking forward to pursuing more artistic endeavors. Irma is working with husband Michael Archuleta to write and produce, and expand its MIXTA Production company. She is currently producing other talents, including her son Ishmael Tlaloc who is an amazingly talented composer. Look for his song “Whispering Winds,” coming real soon!
Michael Archuleta, a native of Long Beach CA, is an accomplished musician, writer, composer, arranger, and actor. He studied at LA Harbor College and CSU, Long Beach (CSULB), and has been playing guitar since the age of 12. Raised with Mexican and Latin American music and influenced by the sounds of Rock, he started his first band, Mike & the Impressionable, at age 14. His second group, 2/3’s Minority, came out of Cal State Long Beach and became popular amongst southern CA university and college campuses. 2/3’s Minority, became known as a “Movimiento Band,” because of the fusion of Rock, Oldies, TexMex, Mexican and social justice songs. Eventually, 2/3’s became known as Chyle. Along with Chyle, Michael currently performs with Trio Del Alma. Like his former groups, Trio Del Alma’s acoustic sounds incorporate traditional Mexican music and American standards.
Besides music, Michael has experience in theatre. It began with Teatro Popular de la Vida y la Muerte (guerilla theater) during his CSULB days. Later, he co-founded Los Amigos Theater Company, and using theater, taught K-12 students from Los Angeles unified schools and surrounding districts Mexican-American/Chicano history.
Additionally, Michael acted and performed music in such equity plays, as La Posada Magica, Dementia, and Veteranos. He also scored music for California’s Cornerstone Theater Company Waking Up in Lost Hills, Minnesota’s Stages Theater Company, The Guitar Maker’s Children, Los Angeles Unified School District, Marisol’s Christmas, and Los Angeles Theater Work’s Shattered Mirror. This writing experience culminated in the commission by the Long Beach Philharmonic Orchestra to write festive holiday music for the brass section.
Michael, an all-around multitalented artist, is also a publisher, author, music teacher, and producer. He wrote and published the Mariachi Method for Guitar and Mariachi Method for Vihuela. MIXTA Production is a family business created by Michael to preserve the traditions of Mexican and Latino music. Michael’s Mariachi Method Books are amongst the first written text documenting oral teachings generally passed on from generation to generation.
For More Information
“Mixta Publishing Co. is a music book company dedicated to preserving the traditions of Mexican and Latino music. There are many forms or styles of music that have been traditionally past down from generation to generation. Mariachi, Jarocho, Trio/Bolero, and Norteño, are examples of beautiful Mexican music that has been traditionally taught through oral instruction.
MIXTA’s first publication, ‘The Mariachi Method Book” for the beginning guitar player is among the first written text documenting these oral teachings. The goal for MIXTA Publishing Company will be to continue to write and publish other books and to encourage other musicians to document Mexican and Latino music. It is also the dream of this company to introduce throughout the world our beautiful music in written text.’
