HARLINGEN — The young musicians exploded with a powerful rendition of “Popurri de Sones”, their energetic mariachi rhythms welcoming the visitors.
Those visitors were members of “Mariachi Los Camperos”, a three-time Grammy-awarding winning ensemble that had just arrived at Valley International Airport.
“This was absolutely fantastic and very unexpected,” said Sergio Alonso, harpist for Los Camperos, who was visibly impressed with the performance by Mariachi Juvenil Aztlan from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
The Los Angeles-based Mariachi Los Camperos had arrived for a two-day festival in Brownsville consisting of workshops, competitions and concerts.
“Every year we have a festival at the university that’s called Festiba – The International Festival of Books and Arts,” said Dahila Guerra, assistant vice president of public art at UTRGV and founder of the mariachi program.
“At that festival we always have a Mariachi festival, and the whole point of the festival is to bring students in from all over the Valley and we promote and celebrate their culture and they learn mariachi music,” she said.
The event is being coordinated by Nuestra Cultura Mariachi Association, in conjunction with UTRGV Festiba 2022.
Tim Ramirez, president of Nuestra Cultura Mariachi Association, said more than 500 students from throughout Texas will take workshops with “Camperos” musicians.
“They will be doing workshops all day long,” Ramirez said. “Whoever is doing the violins will teach the violin workshop.”
Harlingen Mayor Chris Boswell welcomed “Mariachi Los Camperos” to the Valley.
“I think it’s a fabulous opportunity for these young students of mariachi to be exposed to these great mariachi musicians,” Boswell said. “It’s a great idea and I am happy to be part of the delegation welcoming them.”
Members of Mariachi Juvenil Aztlan were thrilled by the opportunity and expressed that excitement in their playing.
“Oh, it’s always been a dream ever since I was young, I’ve always looked up to this group,” said Eryn Ochoa, violinist and student director.
