There are 13 days left to submit an entry for the 22nd Annual Mariachi Vargas Extravaganza National Mariachi Vocal Competition. The deadline to register at mariachimusic.com is October 1. Entries may be audio or video recordings with a full mariachi group, a music bed or guitar accompaniment. Any student interested in competing may participate. You do not have to be part of a mariachi group in order to compete in this particular competition.
Once your entry is received, it will be categorized in either the elementary, middle school, high school or college/university level, based on your age and grade. All entries will be reviewed at a preliminary screening in October. Finalists will be posted by November 1, on mariachimusic.com.
In your submission recording, please be sure your voice can be heard clearly over the music. Preliminary judges will screen for diction, pronunciation, tempo, intonation and clarity.
I get lots of inquiries as to what song I would recommend for your child. It’s hard to do this without knowing your child’s range, but we do encourage parents to talk to their child about the song they are singing, and to be sure their child understands what the song is about. This helps significantly with interpretation.
Give it your absolute best shot, and email your entry to cynthia@mariachimusic.com. Please be sure to also complete the individual registration form on mariachimusic.com.
Finalists selected will be required to attend a vocal competition workshop on Friday, December 2 at the Lila Cockrell Theatre, and to compete on Saturday, December 3 at 9 am, in the same venue. Judges for the competition are members of Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán.
First, second and third place awards are given in each of the four categories mentioned. One vocalist will be selected as the “Best Solo Artist of the Year.” Yes, that’s right. We’re changing the name from “Best Mariachi Vocalist in the U.S.” to “Best Solo Artist.”
On a personal note, I think the National Mariachi Vocal Competition is one of the highlights of the each year’s Extravaganza. My thanks to all of you who climb mountains, cross deserts and swim across oceans to make it all happen. It’s so beautiful how the mariachi community, parents, friends, and mariachi directors/instructors/vocal coaches all come together in preparation for this event. Mil gracias for your interest, support, effort and dedication to keeping this cultural tradition alive in your community and family. The 22nd Annual Mariachi Vargas Extravaganza also serves host to the National Mariachi Group Competitions and the Original Songwriting Competition.
All vocalists entering the competition receive free entry into the mariachi group and vocal competitions as well as the mariachi workshops and special presentation on Saturday, December 3. Click on mariachimusic.com to read all the details, or feel free to call us anytime with questions. Sandra can be reached at 210-414-8409 and Cynthia can be reached at 210-860-9633. You can always reach us at our MPR office as well, at 210-225-3353.
Tickets to attend the competitions may be purchased in advance at mariachimusic.com or at the door. Also, the “Best Solo Artist” will open for Mariachi Vargas on Saturday, December 3 at the Lila Cockrell Theatre, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets for this show are on sale now, and may be purchased at ticketmaster.com.
Good luck to all of those submitting an entry this year!
