Alexis Perez auditioned for the Mariachi Extravaganza National Vocal Competition 7 times before making the semifinals that was added to this year’s events. What kept him coming back is seeing friends competing at the event throughout the years and his undying determination to compete on the big stage.
Alexis grew up playing mariachi music at Christen Middle School in Laredo, Texas and has been singing for 10 years. He competed on Telemundo’s “La Voz Kids” when he was in 8th grade in 2016 and made it to Pedro Fernandez’ team. “It was surreal and crazy to have the opportunity to work with him,” says Alexis. “He helped me overcome a problem I had with a lisp and I was really grateful to him for this.”
Alexis now attends the University of Texas in Edinburg (UTRGV) where he currently studies Music Education with a concentration in Mariachi. He played with UTRGV’s Mariachi Aztlan for 3 years and is now part of the 4th group on campus named Mariachi Espuelas. The group is the newest addition to UTRGV and was created because of all the talent coming into the mariachi program under Frank “Pancho” Loera’s leadership.
Alexis was determined to make it to the semifinals this year so he reached out to Pancho for help. “Pancho helped me a lot this time,” says Alexis as we chatted over coffee in the lobby of the Grand Hyatt this morning. “He sat there and he recorded me several times. He helped me strengthen the weak points and this was the first time I was able to get some help from someone who could provide coaching for the initial video entry,” he says.
Alexis had planned to sing a different song from the one he submitted but Pancho asked him to consider additional options that would showcase his strengths. He decided on “Nunca Jamas,” a song he had seen Jose Hernandez sing several years back on a YouTube video. It stuck with him throughout the years. The song is about love…..“Mirare, mientame, pegame, matame si quires perno no me dejes nuncio jamas” (look at me, lie to me, hit me, kill if you want, but don’t ever leave me again) are some of the lyrics. After selecting the song, and the key, he recorded it several times and Pancho helped him work on the dynamics, phrasing and timing.
“Initially, I was surprised when I heard my name being called as one of the semifinalist announced on Facebook prior to the live competition,” he says. “I was one of last ones to be announced since I was competing in the college/university category. When Jonathan Palomar drew my name, I felt really good and I felt that it was worth all of the effort to keep trying. I recommend to any student who wants to make it into the competition to ask for help and not give up because its all worth it in the end,” he says.
Alexis put in the hard work and preparation needed to make the semifinals where 40 students from 23 cities across the nation gathered to compete on Thursday, December 5 at the Lila Cockrell Theatre before moving on to the finals on Saturday, December 7.
“My favorite part of the Mariachi Extravaganza was having the opportunity to perform twice on stage – first during the semifinals and then in the finals. I love that the audience is so attentive to the vocalists and I loved the entire experience. My mom was sitting next to me during the semifinals, and when they announced my name as a finalists, she started crying because she was so happy. I didn’t feel that I did my best during the semifinals, and there was a lot of talent, so I was a bit surprised when I made it. My performance during the finals was definitely stronger. There was more clarity in my voice and I was able to clean it up a bit between Thursday and Saturday. I felt good about my performance during the finals and I couldn’t stop smiling. I was happy that I placed first in the college/university category. The scholarship will definitely help me pay off my tuition,” he says.
Scholarship support is made possible by H-E-B and KHS America Academic Alliance – presenting sponsors of the event. Additional support was provided by Bexar County Commissioner Tommy Calvert, Raising Cane’s, Casa Garcia’s, the San Antonio film Commission and UTSA.
Winners for the 30th Annual Mariachi Extravaganza National Vocal Competition – College/University category are:
1st place – Alexis Perez, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
2nd place – Taytum Rangel, The University of Texas at San Antonio
3rd place – Osvaldo Chacon, The University of Texas at San Antonio
Congratulations to Lorraine Garza from Roma High School in Roma, Texas who was named 2024 Mariachi Extravaganza Grand Champion vocal winner.
Click here for a complete list of winners.
The Mariachi Extravaganza is produced by San Antonio based Muñoz Public Relations (MPR). Mark your calendar for the 31st Annual Mariachi Extravaganza December 4-6, 2025.
Click here to read about Lorraine’s Garza’s Grand Champion win.
Click here to read about Mariachi Sol de Mexico’s upcoming Merry-Achi Christmas in San Antonio on Dec. 20.
