As I walked up the third floor of the American Bank Center Selena Auditorium where the mariachi vocal competitions were held, 9-year old San Antonio student Nizhoni Begay had just started belting out Cucurrucucú paloma. She was the final contestant to perform in the Coastal Bend Mariachi Festivals vocal competition held Friday, March 7. Only a dozen people remained in the room by the time Nizhoni was called up to compete at 10 p.m.. Juan Sanchez, the organizer of the competition and a hand full of Nizhonis family members who came from as far away as Tucson, Arizona were among the audience to cheer her on. Nizhoni got a big hug from her mom, me, her teary-eyed grandfather, Leon Feliciano and great-grandfather, Gilbert Araneta following her performance. The later two had seen Nizhoni compete for the first time that evening and were quite emotional as they beamed with pride over her performance. Continue reading ‘Coastal Bend Mariachi Festival Attracts Thousands’