The 34th Mariachi USA festival, celebrated this past Saturday, was a true testament that the tradition is here to stay. Thousands filled the legendary Hollywood Bowl to celebrate culture, music and a sense of a family reunion is evident in every aspect of the celebration.

Rodri J. Rodriguez, founder of Mariachi USA has her eyes and her heart not only on next year when she promises a “big celebration” to commemorate the 35th edition of the largest mariachi festival in the United States. Rodriguez has worked tirelessly to keep the tradition of Mariachi USA alive for generations to come. “Si se puede is a great thing to say, but doing it and making things happen is another.”

The openers of this year’s festivities, 3 high school mariachi bands. “They are the future of Mariachi USA. When I’m no longer here, they will be singing on this stage,” said Rodriguez as she introduced the young artists.

Empowerment is something Rodriguez takes at heart; thus, women have a space on stage and this year the female power was present with Mariachi Las Catrinas and Mariachi Lindas Mexicanas. A sense of pride for Rodriguez was when she introduced both mariachi bands on one stage performing, “El Cascabel“. “One of my favorite songs,” Rodriguez said as she walked off stage.

It’s a beautiful scene to see generations of families flocking to the Hollywood Bowl, and people from different cultures embracing Mexican music. Many set up formal dining tables on box seats, others share food as they sing and dance with strangers.

After five hours of mariachi and a spectacular finale with all mariachi bands congregated on stage singing “Viva Mexico,” fans can be heard singing on their way to the parking lots.

A large family was riding the shuttle to the East LA location, one of them was already looking for tickets for next year, and another one shouted, “Wait for a code, we should try to get box tickets next year.”

A sign that Mariachi USA is here to stay for generations to come, a vision Rodriguez has had even when no one believed a mariachi festival could sell.

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“After the past couple of rough years for our world community, it’s phenomenal to celebrate and what better way to celebrate than with mariachi!” said Rodri J. Rodriguez, creator, producer and host of MARIACHI USA. “It has always been a privilege to entertain our fans, they are the reason we do what we do, and showcase the best of mariachi music at the top concert venue in the country.”

Mariachi USA promises to deliver five hours of puro mariachi! This year’s line-up includes some of the best mariachi groups from Mexico and the US including Mariachi Nuevo Tecalitlan from Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico; Los Arrieros del Valle from McAllen, Texas; Mariachi Los Reyes, Mariachi Lindas Mexicanas and Mariachi Las Catrinas from Los Angeles and also featuring Ballet Folklorico de Los Angeles dance company.

In addition to a spectacular mariachi show, as a special treat, Mariachi USA will open with three high school mariachi state champions from McAllen, Texas and recipients of the Mariachi USA Foundation grants: Rio Grande City High School Mariachi Cascabel, Edcouch-Elsa Mariachi Juvenil Azteca, and McAllen High School Mariachi Oro. Halfway through the evening the half-time jam will present the winner of the Jarritos Mariachi USA Talent Search Talent Search who will perform live in front of 17,000 mariachi fans.

As tradition dictates, grand finale will light up the sky with Mariachi’s USA’s now famous fireworks show designed by PyroSpectaculars by Souza.

featuring the best of mariachi music from Mexico and the US. Dads and grads, moms, abuelas and mariachi fans of all ages are all welcome to join in the celebration!

Doors open at 4pm and the show begins promptly at 6pm. Fest-goers are encouraged to arrive early to enjoy festivities in the Plaza starting at 12:30pm.

Tickets are on sale and may be purchased at www.mariachiusa.com, www.ticketmaster.com and at the Hollywood Bowl Box Office.

Follow MARIACHI USA on social media:
Facebook – @MARIACHIUSA
Instagram – @MARIACHIUSA
Twitter – @MARIACHIUSA

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“Mariachi USA joins in the 100th celebration of the Hollywood Bowl and will sing rancheras all night long,” said Rodri Rodriguez, Founder, Producer and Host of MARIACHI USA. “Rancheras is a music genre that dates back to the early 1900s (some say early 1800s).”  Mariachi lovers from across the nation and locally make this the event not to be missed

This year Mariachi USA teamed up with Jarritos to conduct a Mariachi USA Talent Search and find the best in up and coming Mariachi groups.  The winner will make an appearance on the venerated Hollywood Bowl stage as they perform live in front of 17,000 adoring mariachi fans. 

The line up for this year includes an array of amazing Mariachi groups including GRAMMY® Award-Winning Mariachi Divas, and direct from Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico Mariachi Nuevo Tecalitlan and Mariachi Estrella de Mexico, Los Angeles favorite Mariachi Los Reyes, Mariachi Lindas Mexicanas, and featuring Mi Tierra Ballet Folklórico.

Fans are encouraged to arrive as early as 2 pm and enjoy festivities in the Plaza, one of which is the Verizon VIP party pre-show celebration at the Bowl Museum Patio for Verizon customers on a first-come-first-served basis based on capacity. The pre-celebrations all happen before the 6 pm onstage main event.

The evening ends with a spectacular fireworks show. For Tickets go to www.mariachiusa.com.

Audiences are encouraged to view the LA Phil’s updated COVID protocol guidelines posted on the website: HollywoodBowl.com/Safety.

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Just a few years ago, a budding mariachi singer set foot on a world-renowned stage with only hopes of soon recording her first major studio album and dreams of making it in music. This weekend Lupita Infante returns to Hollywood Bowl as a Grammy-nominated artist to once again join Mariachi USA, the music festival that helped launch her career.

“After that experience in the first performance at the Hollywood Bowl for Mariachi USA (in 2018), a lot of doors started opening for me,” says Infante. “It was just, you know, part of the building blocks to my career.”

Infante is the special guest of the 32nd annual edition of Mariachi USA, which is welcoming back concert goers to the famed venue after more than a year of a pandemic and a previous edition that took place in the virtual world. She joins a concert that screams women’s power in a music genre that for a long time was dominated by men. Headliners include the all-female Mariachi Divas and Mariachi Nuevo Mujer 2000 and this year’s fest will pay tribute to iconic ranchera singer and actress Lucha Villa.

Infante herself is part of recent generations of female singers and musicians who have kept transforming mariachi and normalizing women’s presence in the popular Mexican music genre. In Infante’s case, she’s been doing it from this side of the border. And while she’s the descendant of one of Mexico’s most beloved stars, before becoming a professional singer she held regular jobs to earn a living and even worked as a ridesharing driver to pay for her college education.

Lupita Infante was born and raised in Downey, California, the daughter of the late actor Pedro Infante Jr. and granddaughter of the legendary singer/actor Pedro Infante. But she had to fend for herself in her artistic pursuit. Her father died in 2009, her grandfather in 1957.

“Sometimes people ask me, ‘Did you meet your grandfather?’” says Infante. “And I (am) like, ‘No.’ You know…my father was only seven when (his father) passed away.” Just like her father, Lupita says, she had to build a career on her own. 

In fact, it was several years after her dad died that the singer made one of the most important choices in her life: pursue a career in music. She enrolled at UCLA to study ethnomusicology and worked at a senior citizen center to pay for school, sometimes singing for the elderly who knew of her famous progenitors. The future professional singer also worked as a Lyft driver while attending college, though she recalls rarely serenading passengers. At UCLA she joined a student mariachi band and; one year before graduating, in 2016, Infante also put out an independently-produced album proudly released at a restaurant in her hometown.

It would be until a few years later that her hard work would start to pay off. Infante met Rodri J. Rodriguez, the promoter and founder of Mariachi USA, who invited the relatively unknown singer to perform at the festival in 2018. “I was just beginning my professional career as a singer,” she recalls, adding that Rodriguez “truly was the first person who kind of opened the door for me and gave me an opportunity.”

The following year, Infante released her first major studio album La Serenata, which earned her a Grammy nomination and also a Latin Grammy nod.

“So, returning now to Mariachi USA, after all of these amazing things that have happened since the first time, is truly… an honor,” says Infante. “It’s very celebratory for me and I feel, you know, I’m in a different place in life and my career, and I’m just really happy to be able to share that with Mariachi USA fans who are going to be there.”

The singer will perform songs from her award-nominated album along with Mariachi Divas and a new song she wrote a few weeks ago. With another set of songs with a different band, Infante will join the tribute to Villa, this year’s honoree. The octogenarian artist, who won’t be attending the concert, is known for classic hits like “Media Vuelta,” “La Cruz del Cielo” and “Viva Quien Sabe Querer” and also starred in films El gallo de oro, Me cansé de rogarle and Mecanica Nacional, which won her an Ariel Award for Best Actress. “I think Lucha Villa is…one of the greats” of Mexican music, says Infante. “We are honoring her and everything she’s done for women in mariachi music.”

Mariachi USA will take place Sunday, Aug 22. Other performers include Mariachi Nuevo Tecalitlán, Mariachi Los Reyes, Mariachi Los Toros and the dance ensemble Mi Tierra Ballet Folklorico.

For more information and tickets, visit https://ticketmaster.com.

Featured Photo: Lupita Infante (Credit: Mariachi USA)

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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)

The post Mariachi USA Continues Hollywood Bowl Tradition first appeared on .

Tickets on sale May 13, 2021

Los Angeles, — MARIACHI USA, the Hollywood Bowl’s spectacular Mariachi extravaganza is back on Sunday August 22, 2021. Creator, producer and host Rodri J. Rodriguez is excited to welcome fans back to this in-person event. The 32nd annual MARIACHI USA festival is the longest running, paid Latino event in the US. Tickets go on sale on May 13, 2021 at www.mariachiusa.com.

“We are beyond excited to return to the Hollywood Bowl after the difficult year we’ve all endured. We have missed our fans as much as they’ve missed us and we can’t wait to celebrate with them again with a phenomenal show and traditional finale fireworks show by Pyrospectacular,” said Rodriguez.

MARIACHI USA, the second largest running show at the Hollywood Bowl. Music is the universal language that has the power to unite people from all walks of life and mariachi music is no exception. MARIACHI USA’s legacy is one that honors culture and tradition while transcending generations, language and borders. It’s truly an event for the entire familia.

“We are working closely with officials at the LA County Department of Public Health and our friends at Kaiser Permanente on a reopening plan that includes distancing procedures, mask policy, contactless ticketing, and cleaning and sanitation schedules, among other safety protocols. In the coming weeks, we will share more with you about what to expect from a visit to the Bowl this summer and the policies and procedures designed for the safety of our guests. We will also continue to review our safety protocols throughout the season to ensure that they follow the latest public health guidance,” said Hollywood Bowl spokesperson Sophie Jefferies.

Tickets can also be purchased at the You can also Purchase at the Hollywood Bowl, located at 2301 Highland Avenue in the corazon of Hollywood, California.

You can also Purchase at theThe Hollywood Bowl is located at 2301 Highland Avenue in the corazon of Hollywood, California.

For preferred seating, tickets and more information, please visit: www.mariachiusa.com.

Follow MARIACHI USA on social media:

Facebook – @MARIACHIUSA

Instagram – @MARIACHIUSA

Twitter – @MARIACHIUSA

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This June would have been Mariachi USA’s 31st annual at the Hollywood Bowl. However, it was canceled due to the global pandemic. 

Celebrating family, pride and tradition continues in the safety of fans’ homes as Mariachi USA promises to bring audiences mariachi performances they have so been missing these last six months. 

“We are not going to let a global pandemic defeat us…the fans need their mariachi now more than ever, so the show must go on!” said Rodri J. Rodriguez, creator, producer, and host of Marachi USA

The one-hour televised music special will feature performances by Mi Tierra Ballet Folklorico and mariachi favorites Mariachi Tapatio from New York, Mariachi Lindas Mexicanas from Los Angeles, Mariachi Campanas de America, Mariachi Las Alteñas and Mariachi Azteca de America from San Antonio, Texas, Mariachi Los Reyes from Los Angeles, Mariachi Los Arrieros from McAllen, Texas, Ellas from Los Angeles, Mariachi Nuevo Tecatitlan from Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico and grammy award-winning Mariachi Divas from Los Angeles, California.

“We have all had interesting and enlightening challenges in producing this show; recording from our homes, editing by Zoom, shooting pyro from dry lake beds – it’s been quite a loving adventure that is creating fascinating storytelling and life-altering experiences!” said Rodriguez. “From the stage of America’s #1 venue, the Hollywood Bowl to a backyard in East LA, to The Alamo parking lot to a street in Montebello, a schoolroom in McAllen to a horse field in Guadalajara…strip away the glitz and the lights and you still get puro Corazon, puro Mariachi!”

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See performances by Mariachi Nuevo Tecalitlan, Mariachi Los Reyes, Mariachi Cobre, Mariachi Campanas de America, Mariachi Femenil Nuevo Tecalitlan, and Mariachi Nuevo Mujer 200, watch an epic fireworks finale, and receive a special commemorative 30th anniversary MARIACHI USA poster!

On June 22, 2019, MARIACHI USA, will celebrate 30 years of pure mariachi with the top Mariachi bands from the USA and Mexico, traditional folkloric dance and the legendary fireworks finale display that has made the event a cultural icon.

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