“By the end of the concert, students were on their feet dancing, laughing and clapping with the traditional Mexican music,” is how the Colorado Springs Gazette described audience reaction to a Mariachi San Luis performance. The Alamosa Live Music Association (ALMA) presents Mariachi San Luis kicking off the “Sundays @ Six,” series of free admission live concerts this Sun., July 18, at 6pm, in Alamosa’s Cole Park. Some of the largest and most enthusiastic crowds of the season traditionally attend Mariachi San Luis shows.
The group began as a result of a conference sponsored by Adobe de Oro – Concilio de Artes held in Alamosa, Colo., in the fall of 1998. Mariachi San Luis is composed of younger students and adults. The group practices twice a week and is run entirely by volunteers. The goal to provide a safe, educational, alcohol and drug-free environment. This vibrant group of musicians has achieved remarkable growth and maturity, which can be attributed to the dedication of the students and a very aggressive performance schedule. The mariachi has performed in communities all over the San Luis Valley, Pueblo, Colorado Springs, Denver and Santa Fe.
Although mariachi music originated in Jalisco, Mexico, groups in the United States have appropriated the style as a proud expression of their heritage, and, although they appeal to audiences of any ethnicity, Mariachi San Luis is a fine example of this movement.
The Grizzlyland Dixie Band plays their high-energy take on traditional New Orleans jazz the next Sun., July 1, at 6pm.
