Empowering Colorado’s Youth Through Music: Mariachi Estelares Shines at Viva Southwest Mariachi Festival
- Latino Cultural Arts Center
- Sep 30, 2024
- 1 min read
At the heart of the Viva Southwest Mariachi Festival is a commitment to empowering Colorado’s youth through music. The festival’s standout highlights is the All-State Mariachi Estelares ensemble, which features 16 talented students from across the state. These young musicians, mentored by Dr. Lorenzo Trujillo and Dr. Robert Klimek, spent weeks rehearsing for their performance at the Levitt Pavilion Denver. This marks a pivotal moment for them, providing a platform to showcase their hard work, talent, and dedication to the rich tradition of Mariachi.
Meet the 2024 All-State Mariachi Estelares Ensemble:
Angel Suarez (Pueblo, 1st Year Violín)
Angelina Velazco Perez (Denver, 3rd Year Violín)
Ashley Irvine (Denver, 1st Year Violín)
Brayan Alpizar Salinas (Denver, 1st Year Violín)
Bright Owusu Ansah (Denver, 2nd Year Trumpet)
Ediuriel Maldonado (Denver, 1st Year Vihuela)
Genesis Tarango (Denver, 3rd Year Vihuela)
Jair Astorga (Denver, 2nd Year Trumpet)
James Ildefonso (Pueblo, 2nd Year Guitar)
Javier Vela (Denver, 2nd Year Vihuela)
Julissa Enriquez (Longmont, 1st Year Guitarrón)
Melanie Paredes Briones (Westminster, 2nd Year Harp)
Rafael Barragan (Pueblo, 3rd Year Guitarrón)
Renee Whitney-Rivera (Denver, 1st Year Violín)
Sarahi Carreon Gonzalez (Boulder, 2nd Year Vihuela)
William Trevizo (Commerce City, 3rd Year Violín)
In recognition of their exceptional talent, the Denver City Council honored Mariachi Estelares with a proclamation on September 16, 2024. This historic proclamation celebrates their dedication to preserving and innovating the Mariachi tradition, highlighting how these young artists are not only entertainers but also custodians of a living cultural legacy.
Read the full proclamation here and join us in celebrating these rising stars!
Stay connected with us for more updates and event details:@LCACdenver | www.lcac-denver.org | #LCACdenver
While their dedication is admirable and the recognition well-deserved, I wonder if solely focusing on performance ignores the broader, less glamorous aspects of cultural preservation. Are they also learning the history, instrument making, and community engagement that truly sustains the tradition? Prioritizing performance accolades above all else might, unintentionally, lead to some Bad Parenting .
This is so inspiring! It's wonderful to see young people in Colorado embracing their heritage through Mariachi music. The dedication of these students, especially preparing with such experienced mentors, is truly impressive. Thinking back to my own childhood, I wonder if programs like this could have been created in the same style as Poptropica - kids from different places creating music together, and also having fun. Hopefully this is just the beginning for All-State Mariachi Estelares and they'll have many more opportunities to share their talent.