23rd Annual MARIACHI USA Festival – June 23
On Saturday, June 23rd, 2012 the 23rd Annual MARIACHI USA Festival, the premier mariachi music festival in the United States, will once again rock the Hollywood Bowl stage. Featuring five of the top mariachi groups from the United States and Mexico, the MARIACHI USA Festival has thrilled audiences, young and old, and elevated the musical art form to a new level of entertainment.
Sing and dance the night away with friends and family to an effervescent experience of world’s finest Mariachis with beautiful ballet folklorico and a spectacular fireworks finale.
Pack up a picnic and bring your compadres for this celebration of family pride, fun, and tradition.
Buy your tickets TODAY! – best seats are selling out “Rapido” !
MARIACHI USA
Nothing Like it in the World!
800-MARIACHI or mariachiusa.com
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The MARIACHI USA Festival was created in 1990 to celebrate the rich mariachi music tradition that many Mexicans take pride in and non-Mexicans embrace as the happy music of the world. The nostalgia and history that explodes with each note of mariachi music brings delight and pride to many Mexicans and Mexican Americans in the United States. Today, it is enjoyed across the world and by countless ethnicities.
About MARIACHI USA
The Festival was founded and created by artist/producer, Rodri J. Rodriguez, as a way for generations to share in the musical tradition with the sounds of beautifully crafted music and the rich colors of costumes and ballet folklorico. “I am jazzed to celebrate 23 years at the Hollywood Bowl to share the music and talent of the mariachi groups and dancers joining us this year,” commented Rodri J. Rodriguez. “For 23 years, we have brought the best of mariachi to this venue and June 23rd is no exception. It’s great to see so many families come together annually to celebrate with us and feel pride in their rich heritage and traditions. Mariachi music is a fundamental part of Mexican heritage and the music creates an atmosphere that is powerful indeed.”
FOUNDER
Rodri Rodriguez
Creator and Executive Producer Rodri J. Rodriguez has overseen the phenomenon ignoring naysayers since the Festival’s inception.
While in awe of her creation’s success in bringing the music of the mariachi to the forefront, Rodriguez, the gutsy Latina who took a leap of faith in creating and producing the Festival in 1990, is well aware of the challenge she faces in producing the nearly five hour extravaganza which fills the Hollywood Bowl every year. “The success of the Festival does not rely on star drawing power because I have always positioned the Mariachis as the stars and the success is due to our fans that show up year after year for standing ovation performances by each and every group.”
For Rodriguez herself, a Cubana who came to the United States as part of the Operation Pedro Pan exodus and later fell in love with the traditional music of Mexico, the MARIACHI USA Festival will always be about keeping traditions alive while blazing new trails.
“I can’t explain how Mariachi became imprinted on my DNA but it is there! Our shows are always alive, fresh, and passionate,” she exclaims. “Contrary to what some may think, Mariachi is not a fad, it’s a deeply rooted cultural expression, a magnificent legacy and I see myself as a guardian of that legacy. For our community Mariachi is very much a daily staple of life, like rice and beans but with lots of jalapeños mixed in. As for success of the Festival, I set the standard high, and the audience expects no less.”
To keep the mariachi tradition alive for generations to come, Rodri also founded the MARIACHI USA Foundation, a non-profit organization providing school aged children, from elementary to high school, a mariachi music education. Students receive training and get a chance to perform at the Bowl Plaza during the afternoon activities prior to the start of the show.
HISTORY
Founded and created by artist/producer, Rodri J. Rodriguez, as a way for generations to share in the musical tradition full of rich color and the sounds of beautifully crafted music.
The MARIACHI USA Festival was created in 1990 to celebrate the rich mariachi music tradition that many Mexicans take pride in and non-Mexicans embrace as the happy music of the world. The nostalgia and history that explodes with each note of mariachi music brings delight and pride to many Mexicans and Mexican Americans in the United States. Today, it is enjoyed across the world and by countless ethnicities.
