‘Sol’ rising once again at Southwest’s Jimmie Cannon Theater

Being a mariachi is … interesting. As I’ve mentioned before, some try to be gatekeepers, as if the way things are done in certain parts of Mexico or certain circles of Los Angeles MUST be how they are done here. I’d just as rather have the Valley be more akin to “Little Mexicali” than “Little LA,” but maybe that’s just me.

Regardless, after having been to and fro with regards to playing in all three of the local Imperial Valley- based mariachis – Mariachi Acero del Valle, Mariachi Amanecer, and what could be called my main group, Mariachi Aurora de Calexico – at one point or another, I’m excited to see that the interest in mariachi music that has been cultivated here in the Imperial Valley since before 1998 ( the founding year of Mariachi Mixteco, of which I am an original ‘ first- gen’ member) is growing.

Cattle Call Week’s “Mariachi Night,” saw approximately 16,000 people attend on November 9, 2022, with numbers climbing enough over the years that 2022 was the first time the event held a second stage, which include a local Norteño band in addition to the main stage with mariachis, mariachi singers and ballet folklorico dancers. That attendance figure for Mariachi Night is an estimate by local Brawley PD and Fire departments who work during the event, as told to me by the Brawley Chamber.

This surpassed our recent NAF El Centro’s Air Show’s 12,000 person attendance, so, unless the annual Children’s Fair at Bucklin Park tops that, I think that makes Cattle Call’s Mariachi Night the largest attended one- day event in Imperial County.

This and the fact that mariachi members who live in Mexicali, San Diego, LA, and Arizona come to the Valley regularly to gig with these three local- based groups for local’s private and public events, speaks to the interest of locals with regards to mariachi music.

The re- budding relationship with locals and Mariachi Sol de México de José Hernández is no exception to the rule.

Maestro Hernández told me – in an interview for an IVP feature article on Mariachi Sol de México arpista ( harp player) Guillermo “Willie” Acuña which printed on Thanksgiving Day last year – that Hernández’s family has older roots elsewhere in Mexico but they also spent a lot of time in our neighboring Mexicali, Baja California. The Maestro said Mexicali is like a second home to him, and because of his connection to Mexicali and Willie’s Imperial Valley roots ( Duarte family from Brawley, him being from El Centro), and because of their long history of Mariachi Sol playing at mariachi festivals in the Valley of years’ past, Hernández said he wants Mariachi Sol de México to be able to play up to two concerts in the Valley annually

Well thankfully, whoever reads this column took my advice last December, and as others like IV Community Foundation-and-fellow-EC Rotarian Bobby Brock, CUHSD board member Maria Peinado, myself and others have nudged this lil’ mariachi train idea along from

‘ I think we can’ to it actually happening this Saturday, March 25 at Southwest High School’s Jimmie Cannon Theater for the Performing Arts, it is nice to see Maestro’s José’s invitation be not only accepted but Mariachi Sol welcomed back to the Valley through the Central Union

High School District (CUHSD) with open arms.

As a youngster, I remember purposely choosing trumpet as my band instrument in fifth grade because I thought my mom would like me taking up a mariachi instrument, and going to the mariachi workshops that Mariachi Sol put on a the California Mid-Winter Fair in those days. Mine and Willie’s first appearance in the Imperial Valley Press just happened to be a picture of us both learning trumpet from one of Mariachi Sol’s then- trumpet players, which I know had an impact on him to continue in mariachi later on in life.

Thanks to CUHSD, hard workers like SHS’s Steve Spataro and the theater staff, and others in support of this upcoming concert, Mariachi Sol de México can continue bringing their professional presence here in the Valley, even in the form of free mariachi student workshops for local schools, where Acuña will get the opportunity to give back to the community from which he was raised.

Barring technical difficulties, check out Guillermo “Willie” Acuña and yours truly as interviewed by El Centro’s Ruben Najera Jr., on his (previously mentioned) hidden gem of a podcast – Passions Personified – to be up sometime early this week at spoti. fi/ 409Gbc6.

Am I ready to perform on that stage again? Truthfully I really don’t know, but you can bet even though practice time is few and far between for me between this job and trying to frequent the gym for my health, I’ll give it my all on trumpet and singing on stage when the time comes. I can’t wait to hear Mariachi Sol’s beautiful renditions of mariachi staple songs, from mariachi “Leyendas” like Javier Solis, Vicente Fernandez, Pedro Infante and the other mariachi masters.

See you there and ¡Viva Mariachi!