Mariachi festival livens up San Antonio

  • 2016-03-29
A festival featuring ensembles from the University Interscholastic League (UIL) took place in San Antonio recently.

This was the first-ever such event for the league, and featured 57 different mariachi groups. Most of the groups came from South Texas, though some came from as far away as Dallas, Houston, and Lubbock. The two-day contest proved exciting for all the participants, many of whom stayed to listen to other groups and cheer for them. Veronica Flores, who is a violinist with the Mariachi Jaguar from Molina High School, said it was a new experience to be in a state competition. She added it was fun to know they had been able to get to that level.

Mariachi has been included in the League's regional competition only since 2007, and moving to a statewide contest testifies to the increasing popularity of the art form, and of the mariachi programs that are being devised in schools throughout Texas.

Robert Albright, who is the director of fine arts for the Southwest Independent School District, said mariachi is similar to spirituals, jazz and folk music, which were not recognized as being “quality music” for some time. Now, mariachi music is making a similar breakthrough, and Albright believes it will become popular everywhere.

UIL officials might consider creating Brochures that explain mariachi music, and making them available to schools throughout the country.
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