El Grito: The sound that echoes in Mexican culture

HOUSTON, Texas -- The Grito is a sound heard throughout Mexican culture. It is heard in mariachi music, at family gatherings, and quinceañeras.

It's most commonly heard as an emotional expression by the singer. Grito is the Spanish word for yell, shout, or cry.

It's a sound Jose Longoria knows very well, as the director of Mariachi Studies at the University of Houston.

"I've been performing since the age of 8 years old in mariachi," Longoria said. "My father was a mariachi. My grandfather's a mariachi."

Longoria said gritos can have multiple meanings in songs. They can represent immense happiness or sadness, depending on how the singer performs it.

"Gritos are done because you have this feeling of emotion. It's using a certain part of your voice," Longoria said. "It's not your chest. It's kind of up here in your head."

Gritos aren't just emotional. Longoria said they have political ties as well.

He said every year, the president of Mexico re-enacts the moment in 1810 when priest Miguel Hidalgo rang his church bell and gave the call to arms, starting the Mexican War of Independence.

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"The president says '¡Viva la Independencia! ¡Viva la Independencia! Everybody screams, 'Viva!'" Longoria said.

Longoria said the grito is deeply instilled in Mexican culture, and it's something he wants to help preserve.

"It's always going to be something very special that unites us, that helps us identify ourselves," Longoria said. "I want to open it up to the kids here because it's so easy to lose it."

Student Isabel Darocha said she's heard the grito at family gatherings.

"You kind of have to like feel the music," Darocha said. "You just do it whenever it like feels right."

Student Mateo Puente said he feels cultural pride when he does a grito.

"You're screaming your heart out," Puente said. "I'm showing other people the Hispanic culture."

Tina and Buddy Davila described the grito as a multi-generational experience. While speaking with ABC13 at the Houston Mariachi Festival, the Davilas said they were proud to see younger people taking part in this tradition.

"It's what we grew up with that we don't forget," Tina said. "No matter where we're at, we don't forget our culture, our upbringing."