Young Mariachis Share the Joy at Competition

If a 7-year-old can be poised, professional and irresistibly adorable at the same time, Kelly Reynaga pulled it off.

With butterfly barrettes in her hair and a few teeth missing, the pint-sized mariachi player didn’t look the least bit anxious performing in front of 100 people Sunday at the Festival Juvenil del Mariachi at San Fernando High School. As Kelly stood on stage with her 20-piece band, the only thing that seemed a little amiss was that her violin bow was as long as her leg.

“I like to play the violin in front of a lot of people,” Kelly whispered before taking the stage. “It makes me happy.”

There is an undeniable happiness to mariachi music, the classical music of Mexico, especially when played by children. It’s difficult not to enjoy the cheerful blare of trumpets, the harmony of 10 violins, the sound of a 12-year-old boy belting out love songs with miniature machismo.

Such was the scene at the latest round of the youth mariachi festival. The contest has been going on for several weeks as children’s bands across Los Angeles vie for a chance to play at Disneyland in October during Hispanic Culture Month. Sunday’s installment featured six bands from the north Valley area, with performers ages 6 to 18, that played for 10 minutes each.

Each band was decked out in its own variation of the classic mariachi uniform--tight embroidered suits, crisp shirts and floppy, shiny ties. Image was one of the judging categories, along with instrumental and vocal performance, and musical selection.

Some songs were familiar--such as an upbeat but somewhat off-key rendition of “La Bamba.” Others were more traditional. All were sung in Spanish. A final competition will be held next weekend in Los Angeles before the winners are decided.

Lucia Santilan was among the beaming parents who sat in the high school’s auditorium, clapping to the beat as her children performed on stage.

“My love is very big when I see these kids play,” she said.

Many of the children in the mariachi bands come from families who have recently immigrated to the U.S. from Mexico. Some said it felt good to share an art form that is a distinct part of their culture.

“This makes me feel proud, big time,” said Rudy Rodriguez, 19, who now directs one of the youth bands. “This is the music of Mexico, our music.”