Milestone Anniversary of Mariachi Extravaganza Music Festival Draws Record Number of Students and Performers
(San Antonio, TX) — Members of the world-renowned Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán served as celebrity judges selecting the country’s best student mariachi groups and soloists. The 30th Annual Mariachi Extravaganza, held this past weekend in downtown San Antonio, welcomed a record number of student competitors from across the US.
The top honor of Grand Champion Vocal Winner went to Lorraine Garza of Roma High School (Roma, TX), who won prizes valued at more than $15,000 including scholarships, cash and travel opportunities. She also had the opportunity to open for Mariachi Vargas at the grand finale concert on Saturday, December 7.
Among the competition highlights were the winners of the High School Group Competition which resulted in a first-place tie between crowd-favorites Rio Grande City High School and Grulla High School, both from Starr County, Texas. In addition, Texas State University’s Mariachi Nueva Generación took first place in the College/University category followed by The University of Texas at San Antonio in second place and the University of Houston taking third. CLICK HERE FOR FULL LIST OF WINNERS
“The quality of musicianship and caliber of vocal talent were elevated to new heights this year, illustrating the continuous growth and popularity of school mariachi programs at all levels,” said Cynthia Muñoz, Mariachi Extravaganza founder and producer. “It was great to see fellow students, families and community members out in full force cheering on the competitors with enthusiasm that matched a sporting event.”
Of note was the number of university participants; this year welcomed more college student competitors than ever before. “This is significant because the Mariachi Extravaganza was established back in 1995 to give students a platform to display their talents, andpromote higher education and cultural preservation among youth,” added Muñoz.
On hand to commemorate the 30th anniversary celebration were US Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Steve Ray of the Texas Music Office in the Office of Governor Greg Abbot, and San Antonio Councilwoman Phyllis Viagran. The Mariachi Extravaganza received proclamations from the City, Bexar County and the State of Texas.
This year’s event is made possible by longtime presenting sponsors H-E-B and KHS America Academic Alliance, with support from Bexar County Commissioner Tommy Calvert, Raising Cane’s, Casa Garcia’s Mexican Restaurant, the San Antonio Film Commission, and the UTSA Office of University Relations. The Mariachi Extravaganza is produced by Muñoz Public Relations (MPR) of San Antonio.
The Mariachi Extravaganza of San Antonio is certainly one of the best known mariachi events anywhere. A 30 year run is amazing and deserves to be congratulated. However, in my 20+ years of teaching mariachi music in public schools, I never put the Extravaganza on my list of festivals to attend. There simply is not enough time devoted to the workshops to make it worth the expense and effort to bring a group from California or Washington State, where I taught. A four hour workshop really means less than 3 hours of actual instruction. Time is eaten up by logistics… handing out music, finding classrooms, getting set up in the classroom once it is located, introducing the instructors, tuning up, bathroom breaks, etc. The Extravaganza’s competitions are crowd pleasers and definitely heighten the awareness and appreciation of mariachi music, but the learning experience, especially for incipient and intermediate mariachi students is minimal. I wish the amount of time to workshops could be greatly expanded. I also wish there were presentations on the history and cultural context of mariachi music, so that young musicians could increase their understanding of where this music comes from and what it means inside and outside of Mexico.
Thank you for your thoughtful feedback, Mark. You’ve highlighted some valuable points about the Mariachi Extravaganza, and I’d love to provide some perspective.
The Extravaganza is indeed competition-driven, offering participants the chance to experience three full days of breathtaking performances. While the workshops during this event may feel condensed, the fall schedule presents unique challenges. Many students are preparing for final exams, which makes it difficult for them to miss more than a couple of days of school. Expanding workshop time during this already packed schedule of group and vocal competitions is a challenge. However, you will be happy to know that we now have the Lila Cockrell Theatre for 3 full days which may lend for more time for general session presentations on music, history and culture in the future.
That said, I’m excited to share that we’ve addressed this need for in-depth learning through the Mariachi Extravaganza Summer Camp. This program offers a full week of immersive mariachi instruction, with a strong focus on voice and professional development sessions for directors. Additionally, there’s a growing number of summer camps in Texas, like the University of Houston’s Mariachi Summer Camp, which integrates mariachi and ballet folklórico, and UTSA’s Mariachi Summer Camp, which provides specialized workshops on instrumentation and voice.
Mariachi education is a journey that unfolds year-round rather than at a single event. We hope these resources can help students and educators deepen their appreciation and understanding of mariachi music while fostering their skills in a more expansive setting.