SAN ANTONIO – More than 1,300 mariachi musicians from across the country are taking the stage at the Lila Cockrell Theatre this week for the three-day Mariachi Extravaganza, and a local powerhouse program is right in the middle of it.
Fox Tech High School’s mariachi group is hoping to advance in the high school group competition on Friday, which would put them one step closer to a dream many of the students have had since middle school — earning a spot to open for the world-renowned Mariachi Vargas on Saturday night.
“For me, the lights are exhilarating,” said senior Maya Aparicio. “They just hit you, and you walk on stage, and you just prepare yourself.”
Maya and fellow senior Padraig Salinas-McCoy have been part of Fox Tech’s mariachi program since sixth and seventh grades. They grew up watching older students perform on the same big stage they’re now standing on.
“Seeing those groups, it’s such an inspiration to me,” Padraig said. “And being able to be on that same stage, a lot of emotions come with that.”
Fox Tech is considered a mariachi powerhouse in San Antonio, with more than 300 students in the program starting in sixth grade. The school hasn’t won the Mariachi Vargas competition since the late 1990s.
After sweeping the UIL competition last year, director David Zamarripa said his students are ready to contend.
“The energy, the vibrance, the kids getting to see and hear the other students perform, getting to be in front of the best mariachi in the world, Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán, so much history,” Zamarripa said.
Beyond the trophies and titles, Zamarripa and his students say being surrounded by so many talented young musicians from across the country and even beyond is what makes Mariachi Extravaganza special.
For Maya and Padraig, the competition is also about carrying something much bigger than themselves.
“We just need to keep these traditions alive, keep the culture preserved,” Padraig said.
Win or lose, the Fox Tech students say stepping into the spotlight at Mariachi Extravaganza is an honor and a chance to celebrate their music, their heritage, and their community on one of Mariachi’s biggest stages.
Mariachi Extravaganza continues through Saturday at the Lila Cockrell Theatre in downtown San Antonio.