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El Paso Matachines: Chihuahuas unveil new identity to celebrate culture
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- El Paso Matachines: Chihuahuas unveil new identity to celebrate culture
When the El Paso Chihuahuas were looking to rebrand their Copa de la Diversión identity (Minor League Baseball's event series designed to celebrate local Latino communities), they wanted something more El Paso-specific than the Margaritas name they have used since 2018.
They wanted something that resonated with this border community and spoke to the heritage and history.
The El Paso Chihuahuas unveiled their new identity, Matachines, which they will use for six games this season.
They think they hit a home run with their new Matachines identity. Matachines, a traditional religious dance performed in New Mexico, Texas, and Mexico that honors Our Lady of Guadalupe and blends Spanish, Mexican, and Native American traditions, was revealed at Southwest University Park Thursday night, March 12.
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That will involve new uniforms for six games this year and a full rebranding as the El Paso Matachines. Those games will have specialized food menus and feature the dance team that performed at the roll-out, Danza St. Pius X.
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The El Paso Chihuahuas unveiled their new identity, Matachines, which they will use for six games this season.
"I thought of this from my childhood, going to celebrations, church bazaars, kerméses around the city," said Angela Olivas, Chihuahuas vice president, marketing and communications. "I've always admired the dancers. I brought it to the marketing and promotion team, they were 100% sold in.
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"We've had Margaritas since 2018; we thought there was a need for a change. We wanted to do something that hasn't been done before and that's really special to honor dance traditions, especially when it's tied into baseball.
Baseball is tradition and we wanted to make sure we could tie something in with that as well."
The El Paso Chihuahuas unveiled their new identity, Matachines, which they will use for six games this season.
Per the Chihauhaus, "The Matachines identity celebrates the centuries-old ceremonial dance tradition found throughout the Southwest United States and Northern Mexico. Accompanied by drums and the rhythmic sounds of ankle rattles known as ayoyotes , the dances tell stories of faith, cultural resilience, and identity that have been passed down through generations of families in the region."
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Per Minor League Baseball, Copa de la Diversión, literally "Fun Cup" in Spanish, is a season-long Minor League Baseball initiative designed to connect with Latino communities, featuring 92+ teams that temporarily rebrand with culturally relevant names, logos, and uniforms. It began in 2017 to boost fan engagement, celebrating Latin heritage with special in-game, food, and music experiences."
The El Paso Chihuahuas unveiled their new identity, Matachines, which they will use for six games this season.
Chihuahuas President and General Manager Brad Taylor said this marked an exciting time for the club, which starts its 13th year on March 27 in Sacramento.
"We're very proud of it. It was fun to be the Margaritas for a few years, but it was time to refresh it," Taylor said. "We wanted to tap into something that was really culturally important to El Paso and this region. We feel like we've done that with the Matachines."
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A full set of gear is available at their online shop and at the team store at Southwest University Park off Durango Street.
The six games where El Paso will be the Matachines are:
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Saturday, April 11 vs. Albuquerque Isotopes, 6:35 p.m.
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Tuesday, May 5, Tacoma Rainiers, 6:05 p.m.
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Thursday, May 21, Round Rock Express, 6:35 p.m.
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Thursday, July 2, Sacramento River Cats, 6:35 p.m.
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Friday, Aug. 14, Salt Lake Bees, 6:35 p.m.
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Thursday, Sept. 3, Las Vegas Aviators, 6:35 p.m.
Bret Bloomquist can be reached at bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on X.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: El Paso Chihuahuas become Matachines for 6 games
