The 23rd Annual Mariachi Vargas Extravaganza is pleased to announce its new collaboration with presenting sponsor Gonzaba Medical Group. The group was founded on San Antonio’s South Side and has been providing health care in the area for almost 60 years.
The Mariachi Vargas Extravaganza and Gonzaba Medical Group are both committed to celebrating San Antonio’s rich cultural roots, making Gonzaba a perfect fit as a presenter of the annual Extravaganza. The event boasts performances by more than 1,000 young mariachi musicians, vocalists and ballet folklórico dancers from throughout the U.S.
“The Mariachi Vargas Extravaganza is a prestigious music festival with a worldwide reputation for presenting mariachi music in its greatest form,” says Paco Gonzaba, executive director of business operations at Gonzaba Medical Group. “As one of San Antonio’s largest medical groups, we are proud to support an organization that plays such an integral role in promoting San Antonio’s rich musical history and cultural pride.”
“This is an excellent example of a successful local business that is supporting quality, culturally relevant, Hispanic arts programming in San Antonio,” says District 7 Councilwoman Ana Sandoval. “We applaud Gonzaba Medical Group for taking a leadership role in an event with a long history in our great city and strong ties to education,” she added.
This year’s week-long Mariachi Vargas Extravaganza includes the highly-competitive national mariachi group and vocal competitions, both of which take place at the Lila Cockrell Theatre. The Extravaganza culminates with the Mariachi Vargas concert on Saturday, Dec. 2, featuring the world-renowned Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán and nearly 100 school-based, award-winning mariachi groups in world-class performances.
Additional sponsors of the 23rd Annual Mariachi Vargas Extravaganza include Valero Energy, La Prensa Newspaper, KEDA Radio Jalapeño and MariachiMusic.com.
Tickets for the 23rd Annual Mariachi Vargas Extravaganza may be purchased through ticketmaster.com. Log on to mariachimusic.com for a complete schedule of events or call 210-225-3353 for more details.
About Gonzaba Medical Group
Gonzaba Medical Group’s founder, Dr. William Gonzaba, started the family practice in 1960. The medical group renovated the former Pan-American Restaurant building into a state-of-the-art medical complex in 1986. Today, the consortium serves the San Antonio community with seven locations across the city, and looks forward to the opening of their newest clinic on Culebra Road in 2018.
Gonzaba Medical Group provides an innovative health care model focused on delivering quality medical care with an emphasis on integrity. Their outstanding staff all share the same commitment to quality care and customer service. With a team that includes more than 80 physicians, hospitalists, physician assistants and nurse practitioners, Gonzaba Medical Group currently serves patients at seven locations across the city of San Antonio. They provide a holistic approach to medical care with urgent care, a full suite of imaging services, diagnostic services and laboratory services all in one location, changing the manner in which health care is delivered while staying true to their core principle: “the patient always comes first.” Visit http://www.gonzaba.com and follow Gonzaba Medical Group on LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter @GonzabaMedical.
About Mariachi Vargas
For over half a century, Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán, “El Mejor Mariachi del Mundo,” has been considered the finest mariachi in the world, a title it continues to uphold. Founded in 1898 in the southern Jalisco village of Tecalitlán, the group is celebrating its 120th anniversary. No other mariachi in history has had a trajectory or influence remotely comparable to that of Vargas. Its current sixth generation represents the state of the art in mariachi music — world-class vocalists and instrumentalists, flawless ensemble work, impeccable taste in arrangements and repertoire, and spellbinding showmanship.
About Mariachi Music
Mariachi music’s recent sanctioning by the United Nations contributes significantly to its prestige and worldwide appeal. In 2011, UNESCO added mariachi music to its Representative List of cultural heritages worthy of national and international safeguarding, an effort it defines as “… the identification, documentation, research, preservation, protection, promotion, enhancement, [and] transmission…” of this tradition. This declaration has resulted in greater prestige and support for mariachi music around the world.
