Newport Beach resident earns Latin Grammy nomination
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A symphony of string and brass instruments fills the room with a contagious energy as Maestro José Hernández leads Mariachi Sol de México in harmony during a rehearsal at his Tustin restaurant, Casa del Sol Cocina Mexicana, on a recent Tuesday night.
The 68-year-old trumpet player, an established mariachi musician and composer, is preparing for his band’s upcoming concerts after learning this month he’d achieved his 11th Latin Grammy nomination.
Having moved from Mexicali to East Los Angeles at age 4, and eventually landing in Newport Beach, Hernández, a fifth-generation mariachi, could picture his life through music from a young age.
“That’s all I wanted to do as a kid,” said Hernández. “I had no plan B.”
His journey with the trumpet began at age 10, when he very quickly picked up the fundamentals of the instrument. His career in mariachi started in high school, before he accidentally landed a job in Disneyland’s first mariachi band in the mid-1970s with his brother.
“Some guy didn’t show up and [my brother] goes, ‘Put on his suit quick!’” Hernández said. “I ended up playing the whole summer there.”
His success in mariachi groups would carry him far. He continued to play with his brothers for a time until he decided to break off on his own and establish Mariachi Sol de México de José Hernández.
This year on Sept. 16 — Mexican Independence Day — Hernández received his 11th Latin Grammy nomination for his work with Mariachi Sol De México on their album, “El Voz De Mi Trompeta (50 años)” in the Best Ranchero/Mariachi Album category. This nomination marks his 15th Grammy nomination overall between the American and Latin Grammys.
Released on his birthday in August 2025, the album is composed of 10 nearly entirely instrumental songs in celebration of Hernández’s lifetime in mariachi music, spanning five decades.
“I call it ‘the voice of my trumpet’ because it’s something that describes and depicts my upbringing in music. If you notice, there’s sort of a jazzy feeling to it and other beautiful melodies that I grew up with, and then some that I compose too,” Hernández said.
“I said, ‘OK, if I don’t do it now, I don’t know if I will ever get a chance to do it again,’ and I wanted to leave something for my grandkids and my kids.”
While some songs on the album are easily recognizable classics, such as “Bésame Mucho” and “Le Vie en Rose,” other songs on the album were written and composed by Hernández specifically to commemorate his love for the trumpet and mariachi as a whole.
However, while he says that he is grateful for the nomination, Hernández is keeping his focus on upcoming performances with his band and the successes of his nonprofit efforts in bringing the joy of music that he has experienced to the next generations of musicians.
“Jose is a buildup of different generations into one. His experience growing up with his brothers who played in countless professional groups helped him find who he wanted to become, and now he is passing that on to each and every one of us,” said Carlos Toledo, a singer and trumpet player for Mariachi Sol de México.
Alongside his decades-long career in mariachi music, Hernández is the creator of America’s first all female mariachi group, Mariachi Reyna de Los Ángeles, who were inducted into the California Hall of Fame on March 19. He is also the founder of the Mariachi Heritage Society, a nonprofit organization established to bring education through mariachi music to children from elementary through high school and their families.
Even after his decades of traveling and performances, and a five-year battle with bone cancer, Hernández has no plan of slowing down. In between his busy days, however, he prefers to spend what time he can at his home with his extended family and his Chihuahua, Joey.
The Latin Grammys are set to be held on Nov. 12 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and can be seen on Univision and across TelevisaUnivision’s U.S. platforms.
Carroll is a contributor to the Daily Pilot
