Felicidades to Victoria Acosta for securing a Golden Ticket on American Idol last night!!! America is in for a great surprise with this young lady who started singing mariachi music when she was only 6 years old. Victoria was selected by members of Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlan as the “Best Vocalist in the U.S.” during the 2000 Mariachi Vargas Extravaganza. She won when she was only 8 years old with the song Crucifijo de Piedra. Now at 20, she carries the Golden Ticket to go to Hollywood!!!
American Idol judges Nicki Minaj, Mariah Carey, Keith Urban and Randy Jackson where please when they heard Victoria singing Big Girls Don’t Cry but really felt she connected well with mariachi music when she sang Fue un Placer de Conocerte by Rocio Durcal. Nicki Minaj said “as soon as she sang that song she was transformed….it came from a different place from her heart.” They were impressed and unanimously granted her the Golden Ticket. “Yes, yes, yes….love her,” said Nicki.
You can hear the voiceover saying “we may have met our next rising star” as Victoria sings “Viva Mexico” and “Baile esta Cumbia” on a river barge with footage shot by American Idol on the San Antonio River walk.
Accompanying Victoria is a new San Antonio favorite Mariachi Los Soberanos. Mariachi Los Soberanos is made up of a group of young men from South Texas. The group includes violinist William “Carlton” Galvez from Kyle who attends Palo Alto College. Also on the violin is Julian R. Morales from San Antonio who studies music education at Texas State University in San Marcos. Irving O. Trujillo is from the Rio Grande Valley, has attended Texas State, and plays the violin with the group. Evaristo E. Rangel plays the trumpet, is originally from Edinburg, TX and has attended UTSA. Manuel A. Posada is the director of the group and is originally from Piedras Negras. He is a graduate from UTSA and plays the guitar. Jesus Martinez is from Edinburg and attended UTSA. He currently teaches mariachi music at Harris Middle School and is on armonia. Jose Perez is originally from Del Rio and currently attends UTSA where he is studying music education.
Victoria is simply thrilled. “This golden ticket means I get to represent San Antonio and go to Hollywood” she says.
Victoria is the perfect person to represent mariachi music on the nation’s #1 English language TV reality show. She and her family (Josie and Ruben Acosta, and her sister Sabrina) have been great advocates of mariachi music and the Mariachi Vargas Extravaganza for many years returning year after to support the events through participation and volunteerism.
My prediction is that Victoria will go very, very far on American Idol! She is not only beautiful and talented but also quite versatile with different musical genres that include country, rock, hip hop, Latin pop, English classics and much more. All the luck in the world Victoria and do know you have the support of us all!
Special thanks to JoAnne Boone from Rio San Antonio Cruises who donated the barge on the day of the River walk shoot!
