After being interrupted by Covid last year, the Mariachi USA music festival is returning to the Hollywood Bowl on August 22, from 5 PM to 10 PM.
“Undoubtedly Volver Volver will never be louder than on Sunday, Aug. 22, so join us and get ready to fill it up,” quips Rodri J. Rodriguez, founder, producer and host of the yearly music festival. Rodriguez refers to the iconic song made famous by Mexican charro singer Vicente Fernández in the late 1970s that has become synonymous with mariachi music.
The heartfelt ballad speaks of a desire to go back to a lover’s arms after a broken romance. It’s one of the most played mariachi songs on YouTube, with the original version raking in 138 million plays.
“Volver” means to return in Spanish. And that’s what the annual music fest is doing this summer thanks to vaccinations and other pandemic protocols that have allowed huge venues and public events to resume.
The 32 second edition of Mariachi USA will feature two-time Grammy-winning, all female Mariachi Divas, Mariachi Nuevo Mujer 2000, Mariachi Nuevo Tecalitlán, Mariachi Los Reyes, Mariachi Los Toros. Also performing will be special guest Lupita Infante, a Grammy-nominated singer, as well as the dance ensemble Mi Tierra Ballet Folklorico. The event will pay homage to Lucha Villa, one of Mexico’s greatest female mariachi singers.
Infante, a granddaughter of Mexican singing and acting legend Pedro Infante and daughter of the late actor Pedro Infante Jr. will make her second appearance at Mariachi USA, having last performed in 2018. “I was just beginning my professional career as a singer, you know, songwriter musician,” says the singer. Infante credits Mariachi USA’s Rodriguez with opening doors for her when the singer didn’t even have an album out yet. Her 2019 debut album La Serenata received a nomination for a Grammy for Best Regional Mexican Music Album. The following year, her song “Dejaré” was nominated for a Latin Grammy. “So, returning now to Mariachi USA, after all of these amazing things that have happened since the first time, is truly…an honor.”
As for the retuning Mariachi Divas, Cindy Shea, founder of the all-female group said, “Planning the Divas performance at Mariachi USA after surviving the pandemic made me realize how dependent I was on the energy of a live audience” and added. “Not until I was forced to produce and perform virtual concerts did I realize how vital a live audience is, and we’ve planned a very dynamic set to celebrate with mariachi fans.” Founded in 1999, Mariachi Divas was the first all-female mariachi to be nominated to the Grammy. They’ve won the award twice since then.
Another all-women ensemble is Los Angeles-based Mariachi Nuevo Mujer 2000 prides itself on continuing the legacy of the pioneering female mariachis that have gone through its ranks, including Laura Garciacano Sobrino and Marisa Orduno. The group is currently led by Patricia Fernández.
“Meeting high standards in musicianship, our goal involves surpassing previous stereotypes, as each member of this ensemble represents tradition, culture and education all in one,” states the band on its official website.
For its part, Mariachi Nuevo Tecalitlán is a 12-piece group that has performed regularly at Mariachi USA featuring what’s reportedly one of the top three horn sections in the mariachi universe. Founded in 1965 by brothers Pepe and Fernando Martínez Barajas, their family legacy continues with a third generation that included current leader Angel Martínez Arreguín.
Another L.A. talent, Mariachi Los Reyes is a popular group that has accompanied stars like Luis Miguel, Ramon Ayala, Lupillo Rivera, the late Jenny Rivera in their live performances.
Mariachi Los Toros could be defined as a mariachi of the third millennium as it was founded in the early 2000s, also in Southern California. Directed by Carlos Parra, the group has collaborated with Mexican rock band Mana and performed along with the American rock group Faith No More.
As usual, the festival will include live dance performances. Mi Tierra Ballet Folklórico, a group from Las Vegas. “Our folk group puts an artistic style to Mexico’s folk dancing, innovating and interpreting its various regions that are full of diversity,” says the band on its website. “Although we are far from our homeland, we keep our history alive through this form of dance, Mexican ballet folklórico.”
The tribute to Lucha Villa will be a highlight of the evening. She was one of Mexico’s best-known female mariachi singers as well as actress. Born in 1936, her music hits include “Media vuelta,” “La Cruz del Cielo” and “Viva Quien Sabe Querer.” Villa was featured in the 1996 album Disco del Siglo: Las Tres Señoras along with another two greats of Mexican music, Lola Beltrán and Amalia Mendoza. The album was produced by Juan Gabriel.
The founder of Mariachi USA hopes the festival will contribute to a sense of normality after a year and a half of the pandemic. “Our celebration this year is bittersweet,” says Rodriguez. “We have all felt the devastating toll of the pandemic, the most tragic being the loss of loved ones.” She adds, “As we show up daily, doing our very best, reinventing, purging, shifting, we must remember to involve ourselves in art and music…All of us at Mariachi USA strongly believe that what we do nourishes the soul and motivates the spirit and simply… heals.”
For more information and tickets, visit https://mariachiusa.com.
Featured Photo: Mariachi USA (Photo: Mariachi USA)