Memories.

So in high school I used to play this:

It was an easy way to get out of taking PE. LOL.

I played in the band and with the mariachi for 4 years.

Being in the Valley, Mariachi gets quite competitive. When I first got to high school, our Varsity team used to be one of the ones to beat. We had anywhere between 10-18 members at a time. It was like a little family. Good times.

So this week at work I kept hearing a commercial on the radio about some festival going on at UTPA and that Eva Longoria - Parker was gonna be a speaker with concerts following featuring Mariachi Vargas and some other group lol.

Now Mariachi Vargas is like the best of the best in mariachi music. They "live" in Mexico in Epcot at Disneyworld. When I was in high school we were fortunate enough to meet them, play with them, and learn from them in workshops.

So being fans, my sister, my fiance, and I were all interested in checking it out. One day my sister jumped on the computer to find out the exact time frame the concert was going to be and discovered they'd perform after a middle school/high school marchiachi group winner. Which meant there had to be a loser! lol. A competition! We got excited right away and were pretty determined in cathing the competition before the concert.

Sitting in the audience brought back memories. Some of the groups blew us away with how strong and together they were. Others disappointed and flooded our minds with memories of what they all used to be.

Mariachi Oro from McHi

 

Mariachi Los Coyotes from La Joya

Mariachi Vargas greeting everyone during the competition

Mariachi Primer Orgullo from Rio Grande

*** Please excuse the picture quality - I used my phone and we were not very close to the stage.

The afternoon continued with a walk to Which Wich for lunch and then some waiting outside by the parking lot for the festival to begin and get started. There was a book fair going on inside one building - Dr. Seuss themed complete with the grinch, the Cat in the Hat, and Thing 1 & Thing 2 walking around. They even had some cut outs that you could take your picture in.

At the end of the night before the exhibit closed. That's me on the left and my sister on the right.

We browsed through the book fair exhibit and then parked ourselves in the hallway to charge my phone. Good thing I almost always carry my phone charger with me! :)

Then we went outside in search of something to drink and to check out some of the booths they had. We didn't get very far becuase it wasn't long before they announced Eva Longoria-Parker was about to take the stage. So everyone, and I mean everyone made their way before the stage. I do have to admit it was awhile before she actually came out on stage, but she did eventually.

She's so teeny tiny!

She was there as a motivational speaker. She talked about the deficiency in literacy amongst Hispanics and how we as a community needed to stand together and turn off the tv's once in awhile and read to our kids to ensure that they get a fully rounded academic upbringing. So that they'll want to go to college and do great things in the community, and in the world.

Then after the winners of the mariachi competition played [again], and after the UTPA mariachi played a bit, it was finally time for Mariachi Vargas to take the stage! They did not disappoint, as I don't think they ever have. It was a great concert. And it was free so that made it all the more better!