Mariachis, Folkloricos, and the Magic of Disney!

By Francisco Castro

On a beautiful Saturday morning, the dreams of a gifted bunch, whom would be coming all the way from the Old Pueblo, would become a reality. Thanks to Disney Performing Arts, three youth Mariachi groups, as well as two Folklorico dance companies were able to perform at Disney’s Grand California Adventure on a very magical and festive weekend. These wonderful young performers, who were not only representing Tucson, but an entire cultural traditional, were able to delight a welcoming crowd, who took a pause from the magic of the park to check out the wonderful talent that Tucson has to offer.

Among the very fortunate groups were one of the oldest youth Mariachi programs, Mariachi Estrellas de Tucson, Directed by the famous Valenzuela brothers, Jaime and Rudy, as well as David Gil. Another group present was Mariachi Milagro, directed by Araceli Valenzuela & Adrian Perez; their instructor are Vicente Miranda, David Mercado, Conrad Duarte, Arianna Gonzales, and Kiana Martinez. And the last Mariachi group to perform over the weekend was Mariachi Los Giros, directed by Enrique Echeverria, and instructed by Jessica Figueroa, Mario Aguilar, and Francisco Castro. The two Folclorico Dance companies were Compania de Danza Folklorica Arizona directed by Chantal Ralls, and Ballet folklorico Los Mextucaz.

There is no greatest feeling to someone belonging to the Mexican Culture than seeing these young talented musicians and dancers represent the culture so far from its roots. To see where music and dance can take you, makes everyone believe magic is real. I am sure these kids made all of the entire Tucson community feel very proud, and I look forward to follow their careers closely and be there for more of their accomplishments.

I want to congratulate every single one of these groups for their wonderful performances, and I, for one, am excited to see what they have for us in store for the future.