¡Viva el Arte de Santa Bárbara! (Viva) will host four free community performances by Mariachi Reyna, Jan. 15-18 in Santa Barbara County.
The performances are part of Viva’s mission to make world-class performing arts accessible to students, families, and underserved communities throughout Santa Barbara County, organizers said.
Shows are scheduled for the following dates and locations:
• Thursday, Jan. 15, 7 p.m. at Carpinteria Veterans Memorial Building
• Friday, Jan. 16, 7 p.m. at Isla Vista Elementary School
• Saturday, Jan. 17, 7 p.m. at Guadalupe City Hall
• Sunday, Jan. 18, 6 p.m. at Marjorie Luke Theatre
“Perhaps the greatest accomplishment of Mariachi Reyna de Los Angeles, the first all-female mariachi in the United States, is that they have paved the way for other female mariachi groups to exist at the professional level,” according to Viva. “Reyna, which was formed in 1994, has truly broken the stereotypes surrounding Mariachi music.
“In a musical landscape of songs that are often written by men, and for men, Reyna has created their own history.”
Under the leadership of 10-time Grammy nominee Maestro Jose Hernandez, Reyna was the first female Mariachi to break out of local level recognition to international stardom with original compositions, arrangements, and interpretations of mariachi classics, Viva said.
Noteworthy accomplishments include playing private concerts for such superstars as George Harrison and John Travolta, and debuting at the Hollywood Bowl.
“Perhaps their greatest career highlight was performing at the White House for President Obama’s Cinco De Mayo celebration,” VIVA said.
Their internationally distributed albums include: Solo Tuya, El Mejor Mariachi Femenino del Mundo, Compañeras, and Entre Mariachi y Corazón, Mariachi Reyna de Los Ángeles, and their most recent album ¡Que Vivan Las Mujeres!
Due to their impact on Latino culture, the U.S. government’s official historical archives The Smithsonian Institution recognized Mariachi Reyna.
For more about Mariachi Reyna and Viva, visit https://artsandlectures.ucsb.edu/learn/viva-el-arte-de-santa-barbara/.