Mariachi Spectacular continues to teach the legacy of the art form

Editor's note: The Mariachi Mass scheduled for Saturday, July 15 has been canceled.

Keeping the mariachi artform alive is important.

This is exactly why Peter A. Sanchez works every year to deliver Mariachi Spectacular de Albuquerque.

Sanchez, The Atrisco Companies CEO, says the tradition is one of the most important efforts that drives our mission and work.

“Demographic changes in our country along with a greater number of school systems adopting mariachi groups within their curriculum has created a significant increase in the interest and participation in this music form,” Sanchez says. “We are delighted to see this occur, and we are grateful we have been nurturing this cultural movement for over thirty years. It is wonderful to now see it all unfold.”

La Pasion de Mariachi begins at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, July 13, at Keller Hall, 203 Cornell Dr. NE, on the University of New Mexico campus.

This year’s festival concludes with a trio of events — Mariachi Showcase Competition, a mass and the mariachi spectacular concert.

The Mariachi Showcase Competition is free and open to the public, and takes place from 6-10 p.m. Friday, July 14, at Civic Plaza in Downtown Albuquerque.

At 7 p.m. Saturday, July 15, the Mariachi Spectacular concert takes place at Sandia Resort & Casino amphitheater. The lineup includes Mariachi Cobre, Nydia Rojas accompanied by Mariachi Mariposas, a performance by Ballet Folklorico Paso Del Norte, and headlining the performance will be Mariachi Los Camperos.

The Atrisco Companies begins planning for the annual event nearly a year in advance.

Attached to the performances is a conference for mariachi performers during the week.

Sanchez is always looking for new and improved ways to enrich the conference and concert experiences in Mariachi Spectacular.

“So, while we have some routines we have created in our 30 years of time, we also have constant change from improvements,” he says. “It’s quite an effort to deliver a weeklong series of events each year. Gratefully, we have a love and passion for the music and the cause.”

With different venues and performers coming in, Sanchez says the cost is one of the biggest obstacles.

“Because we are working with young children mostly in our conference, the cost of a seminar or conference for them must remain affordable and accessible,” he says. “Most students travel from out of city and state, and so fundraisers and various efforts on their part are necessary year-round to raise the funds to make their way to Albuquerque and Mariachi Spectacular. This poses a great challenge for us at Mariachi Spectacular. We want to enhance and improve, but we must be efficient with these additions and changes because we must also keep in mind price sensitivity for the young students.”

When it comes to planning performances, the process can also take months.

The event looks for top groups and emerging groups around the United States and Mexico.

“We also like to arrange a performance that has variety so international and domestic groups, male/female groups, dancers, ropers all are thoughts that go into producing a show,” he says. “This year, we will emphasize the impact of women in the music genre. Our Hall of Fame Inductee is the first professional female in the U.S., our La Pasion event will cover the history of females in the music genre, our Spectacular concert will feature an all-female group, Mariachi Mariposas, and lastly we will feature a professional performance by Nydia Rojas.”