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TAMUCC hosts virtual mariachi festival

After a challenging year of the pandemic, the island university's mariachi band is back on stage.

The Festival de Mariachi en la Isla is a project that was in the works since 2019. However, due to the pandemic the plans were put on hold. This year, organizers were determined to host an event that would connect community and culture at a time when we need it most.

Mariachi de la Isla is a music group at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi that will be among several others performing in the mariachi festival.

"We're very fortunate that all that is going to fall into this umbrella and really, you know, be shared with our community," said Rai Morales, a professor of music and coordinator with the festival. He hoped the showcase would be in-person, but due to COVID-19 protocols, they decided to keep the event virtual.

"If you think about, you know, mariachi performance right it's, I mean hearing the music is one aspect of it right but I think a lot of like just tejano music in general, you have to hear it and you also have to see it," said Amanda Marquez, a professor and coordinator with the event also.

She added the virtual component is a bit of a challenge, but well worth it to bring a mariachi culture-festival to our community.

"This is part of our community, it's part of our culture, and even our own personal histories connect to, to this musical genre I mean it's an art it's more than a genre, it's an art form," said Marquez.

"I always feel where words fail, music connects us. And in this case, it really connects where we come from and it connects us all together, and it gives us an experience as musicians," said Morales.

More information can be found here.

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