Evento

The Visalia Opera Company presents Mariachi de Uclatlán

The Visalia Opera Company and UCLA Mariachi de Uclatlán will perform its first concert featuring Visalia Opera Company singers accompanied by the mariachi orchestra at the Main Street Theatre at 307 East Main Street Visalia, CA 93291.

The idea of mariachi and opera partnering together may sound out of the ordinary, yet it should not be. Mariachi music is expressive and extroverted, requiring vocal power and technique quite similar to that used by traditional opera singers. Through the mixing of these genres, the audience will be assured of an authentic visit to the color and exuberant music of Mexico and be delighted by the power and skill of talented and trained singers.

Alcholic drinks and food will be sold during intermission. This is a fundraiser for both the Mariachi group and the Visalia Opera Company. Both groups appreciate the support.

The Visalia Opera Company is a non-profit artistic company whose mission is to bring world class opera to our region by exposing local citizens, especially our young people, to the art of opera and the beauty of voice. The premiere of last year's "Hansel and Gretel" was designed to counter the negative stereotypes about opera and to provide opportunities to learn about this incredible genre of music; and to demonstrate that opera is not boring, foreign, and irrelevant, but an incredibly affecting, relevant, and powerful genre of music.

Mariachi de Uclatlán began in the 1960's, making it one of the first mariachi groups to be formed in an academic university setting. During this time, the UCLA Ethnomusicology Department granted ethnomusicologists who research jarocho and mariachi music with academic space to forma a mariachi ensemble. The group developed as a way to explore Mexican culture outside of the borders of Mexico. The current group, Mariachi de Uclatlan, was revived in 2006 though the collaborative efforts of Mary Alfaro, Lauryn Salazar and Leticia Soto. The current directors, Miguel Pasillas, Jessie Vallejo and Lauryn Salazar have led the Mariachi de Uctlatlan to successfully compete at mariachi competitions both nationally and internationally.