Congratulations to all of the winners and participants from the 29th Annual Mariachi Extravaganza. It was another great year packed with great performances showcasing the enormous talent that exists in the mariachi community. It keeps getting better and better every year thanks to the continuous hard work from everyone involved at every level from school administrators, directors, students, parents, friends and family members. The level of musicianship and performance seen in December was astonishing, inspiring and extraordinary in every way. Congrats to all!
MARIACHI EXTRAVAGANZA NATIONAL GROUP COMPETITION WINNERS
COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY CATEGORY
1st Place – Mariachi Plata, College of Southern Nevada, Las Vegas, NV
2nd Place – Marichi Los Paisanos, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
3rd Place – Mariachi Sangre Royal, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX
HIGH SCHOOL CATEGORY
1st Place – Mariachi Nuevo Santander, Roma High School, Roma, TX
2nd Place – Mariachi Grulla de Plata, La Grulla High School, La Grulla, TX
3rd Place – Mariachi Cascabel, Rio Grande City High School, Rio Grande City, TX
Finalist – Mariachi Oro de McAllen, McAllen High School, McAllen, TX
Finalist – Mariachi Internacional, Las Vegas Academy of the Arts, Las Vegas, NV
Finalist – Mariachi Nuevo Cascabel, Sharyland High School, Mission, TX
Finalist – Mariachi Encendido, Del Sol Academy of the Performing Arts, Las Vegas, NV
MIDDLE SCHOOL CATEGORY
1st Place – Mariachi Escandón, Roma Middle School, Roma, TX
2nd Place – Mariachi Juvenil Santander, Ramiro Barrera Middle School, Roma, TX
3rd Place – Mariachi Juvenil de America, La Grulla Middle School, La Grulla, TX
NATIONAL VOCAL COMPETITION WINNERS
Grand Champion – Yasmine Duenes, College of Southern Nevada, Las Vegas, NV, $5,000 scholarship
COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY CATEGORY
1st Place – Krystal Aranda, South Texas College, Rio Grande City, TX, $1,000 scholarship
2nd Place – Brisa Davila, Texas A&M International University, Laredo, TX, $750 scholarship
3rd Place – Yajahira Herrera, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, $500 scholarship
HIGH SCHOOL CATEGORY
1st Place – Isabella Gonzalez, Roma High School, Roma , TX, $1,000 scholarship
2nd Place – Carolina Rodriguez, Grulla High School, Grulla, TX, $750 scholarship
3rd Place – Yaritzel Salinas, Grulla High School, Grulla, TX, $500 scholarship
MIDDLE SCHOOL CATEGORY
1st Place – Elizabeth Hernandez, K.O. Knudson Academy of the Arts, Las Vegas, NV, $$750 scholarship
2nd Place – Brandon Malanche, Mount Jordan Middle School, Sandy, UT, $500 scholarship
3rd Place – Cristaly Leal, Zapata Middle School, Zapata, TX, $250 scholarship
ORIGINAL SONGWRITING COMPETITION
Best Overall – Carolina Imperial, Fort Worth, TX, “Jamas Dejaste Mi Lado,” $1,500 grant
Best Lyrics – Alex Treviño, McAllen, TX, “No Vuelvo Nunca,” $500 grant
Best Arrangement – Mateo Real, Long Beach, CA, “Pajarito Coliman,” $500 grant
Best Student – Jacob Contador, Edinburg, TX, “Tu Perdon,” $500 grant
Over $25,000 was awarded to in scholarships, grants and prizes to winners this year thanks to support from our sponsors H-E-B, KHS America Academic Alliance, CULTIVAR, County Commissioner Tommy Calvert, the Bexar County Sheriff’s Department and UTSA. Congratulations also to those who won instruments donated by KHS America: Juan Castillo from Nicki Rowe HS won Hercules Music Stands; J. Refugio Valenzuela from University of the Incarnate World won a Jupiter XO Trumpet Echo 1602 and Mariachi Encendido from Del Sol Academy of the Performing Arts won a trombone. Jimenez guitars went to Elizabeth Hernandez, K.O. Knudson Academy of the Arts; Isabella Gonzalez, Roma High School; Krystal Aranda, South Texas College; Charlie Lopez, Sharyland High School; Eloy Garza, Roma Middle School; Rachel Lake, Ilwaco High School; Mariachi Nuevo Santander, Roma High School; Mariachi Grulla de Plata, La Grulla High School; Mariachi Cascabel, Rio Grande City High School and Mariachi Oro de McAllen, McAllen High School. Ukuleles were awarded to Mariachi Internacional from Las Vegas Academy of the Arts and Mariachi Nuevo Cascabel from Sharyland High School along with all of the finalists from the original songwriting competition.
Thanks to all for making the 29th Annual Mariachi Extravaganza the best year yet. Mark your calendar for the big 30th Anniversary celebration December 5-7, 2024.
