Q and A with Cynthia Munoz
Q and A with Cynthia Munoz
Interview by Jasmina Wellingoff
1.When and where did you first hear Mariachi music? Was it love at first “hear.” Did you try to play?
I was fortunate that my parents introduced me to mariachi music throughout my childhood. We grew up attending the beautiful mariachi mass at San Jose Mission in the 1970s and we were at Vicente Fernandez’ first concert in San Antonio in 1976. I remember seeing a youth rondalla from Monterrey at St. Henry’s church and the music touched me in a way that made the hair on my arms stand up. By the time San Antonio hosted it’s first mariachi music festival in 1979, I was already playing mariachi music at San Jose Mission and then through the San Antonio Independent School District.
2. Tell us about those early steps in creating a Mariachi Extravaganza? Who participated? Were the musicians only male back then?
The mariachi festival that started in San Antonio in 1979 was short lived. The festival had gone dormant by the late 80s and I knew we needed to bring it back. I had the opportunity to do so in 1995 with the help of Ford Motor Company, my client at the time. I administered a program called the Ford Salute to Education program, a corporate education initiative which offered scholarships to senior high school students and supported educational programs. With Ford’s support, we brought back the concept of the mariachi festival and utilized the mariachi music platform to promote higher education and cultural preservation among Hispanic youth.
There were about 400 Texas based mariachi musicians present that first year. It was open to both males and females. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley was one of the first groups who attended back then in 1995 and has attended every year since. Many collegiate mariachi groups have followed including UT San Antonio, UT Austin, Palo Alto College, the University of Houston, Angelo State University and Texas State University to name a few. They will all be with us this year.
3. Where do the performing groups come from?
The groups who are competing come from all over Texas and Nevada. There are groups from the Rio Grande Valley, Zapata/Laredo, Houston, Grand Prairie, El Paso and throughout San Antonio and surrounding areas. There are also excellent groups from Las Vegas who attend annually. In the vocal competitions, there are students from California, Nevada and Texas.
Our featured group for the grand finale concert is the world renowned and Mexico City based Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán – a group founded in 1897 by Gaspar Vargas. Vargas’ musicianship, vocals, musical arrangements and showmanship is what sets this group apart from all the others. Th-eir performances are traditional mariachi music performed with operatic and symphonic influences that invigorate audiences throughout the world.
4. How many musicians will participate this year?
There are 1,200 mariachi musicians from 50 cities from across the U.S. and Mexico who will be present at this year’s 31st Annual Mariachi Extravaganza. Forty-seven students will compete in the National Vocal Semifinals on Thursday, December 4 and 50 mariachi groups will compete in the National Group Semifinals on Friday, December 5. The best of the best will compete in the National Finals on Saturday, December 6 and winners will open for Mariachi Vargas in the evening at 7:30PM. All events are held at the Lila Cockrell Theatre.
5. Please describe the event? Who is managing the event? Who is judging? Who is allowed to participate?
The Mariachi Extravaganza is a music festival that brings together talented young artists to compete in 3 full days of National Mariachi Group and Vocal competitions. The event culminates in a concert featuring competition winners and our featured artists – el mejor mariachi del mundo – Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán from Mexico City. The Mariachi Extravaganza promotes the highest standard of excellence in mariachi music performance and resonates cultural pride and appreciation.
I’ve had the privilege of serving as the producer of the event for 31 years and being surrounded by fantastic artists and a great team. Jonathan Palomar is our amazing Artistic Director. He is a member of Mariachi Vargas, a recording artist and a highly regarded musician and vocalist who comes from a legendary family of mariachi musicians. Sandra Guevara is our longtime Operations Director who has worked for me for 30 years. This is a special year for us through a collaborative initiative with UTSA students who are assisting with the production of the music festival. This event is supported by volunteers, sponsors and the community. We are appreciative of the support from H-E-B, KHS Alianza Academica and Raising Cane’s and most of all from the people and community who have helped keep this music festival going for 31 years!
The judges are esteemed musicians and vocalists like Steve Carillo, Rafael Palomar, Vanessa Alonzo, Miguel Guzman, Cirilo Campos and members of Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán.
6 Add any interesting detail and story.
Many of the participants of the Mariachi Extravaganza attended the event years ago when they were young. They graduated from college and are now teaching mariachi music in the schools and bringing their students to the competitions. They’ve come full circle and this is a huge reason why mariachi music continues to flourish in the schools. There’s a large base of mariachi music educators who are experienced musicians and passionate about the music and eager to pass it along to the next generation. The Mariachi Extravaganza has helped catapult the careers of young artists and there are many success stories. Vanessa Alonzo, William “Carlton” Galvez and Vince Pequeño are former participants who have all enjoyed successful careers with the Houston Grand Opera. Kamryn “Daniella” Ramirez is a former Grand Champion Vocal Winner who is currently recording with Chris Perez and Sebastien de la Cruz, Victor Acosta, and Eduardo Trevino are a few of our students who have gone on to appear on National television reality shows such as America’s Got Talent and American Idol. These experiences help them grow as young artists and young adults.
7. don’t know what else to ask but, I am sure, you can include the most relevant details and, maybe a good story.
Many years ago, back in 1985, I traveled with the International group of Up With People, an organization that utilizes music to build peace and understanding among different cultures and countries. We’ve continued this philosophy over the past 3 decades and have utilized the Mariachi Extravaganza to continue bringing people together to celebrate our uniqueness and build goodwill amongst different cultures and countries.
8. How do you feel about the whole thing?
We have survived some of the most challenging times over the past 3 decades with September 11, 2001, the global financial crisis in 2008 and Covid in 2020 and these are also challenging times we are living in today with economic disparity, the removal of diversity programs and families and friends being torn apart by political ideology. But this event brings people together regardless of political spectrums. It’s an event that gives people something positive to look forward to, contributes towards mental health and well- being and results in a tremendous amount of joy and happiness. It makes me feel great that we can thrive through the tough times and continue producing an event that lifts up our community and offers hope for a better future. I’m very much looking forward to these 3 full days of extraordinary performances and being surrounded by great artists from both sides of the border. It’s the highlight of the year for me and many of the attendees. The Mariachi Extravaganza has been captured in films like “Going Varsity in Mariachi” currently on Netflix and “Mariachi High” which aired on PBS for more than a decade. I am certain that our stories will continue to be captured through film and shared with people throughout the world for all to enjoy.
I’d like to invite everyone to come out and enjoy the event. Wristbands are required to attend the competitions December 4-6. These can be purchased at the Lila Cockrell Theatre Box Office on the day of the event. Tickets for the Grand Finale Mariachi Extravaganza Concert with Mariachi Vargas and Competition winners can be purchased through Ticketmaster.com. The Mariachi Extravaganza awards over $30,000 in scholarships and prizes to competition winners and we welcome businesses and individuals interested in supporting these efforts. Reach out to me at cynthia@mariachimusic.com if you’re interested in exploring ways to get involved.
Follow the 31st Annual Mariachi Extravaganza on MariachiMusic.com: