ROBSTOWN, Tx — The Mariachi Sol Rojo school band, at Robstown Early College High School recently earned a First Division at the UIL Regional Mariachi Festival.
Band members said they are doing more to preserve their culture than music.
Robstown Early College High School senior Vivian Flores said she has been in the mariachi band since middle school.
"It’s everywhere you go, restaurants, quinceañeras, family traditions, everywhere you go there is always going to be a mariachi so being a part of it, you are doing the right thing and keeping it going," Flores said.
Flores said she thought it was important to keep her Hispanic culture alive because her mother would do folkloric when she was younger.
"She loves it, she very much loves the fact that I do mariachi, and just keeping my heritage alive and keeping my family legacy going," Flores said. "Even if I am not a part of folkloric, I am just keeping my Hispanic heritage alive."
High school mariachi band director Miguel Cabrera said students are learning more than just the music they play.
"It gives them another expressive outlet, one of the cool satisfying things is when students will say, hey I was at my cousins quinceañera and I sang a mariachi song with the mariachi that was there," Cabrera said. "It gives them an opportunity to the sing the music of their grandparents."
Cabrera said the mariachi music has been passed along for many generations and it is up to the students now to keep these traditions alive for many more years to come.
"The young people are going to be the ones to carry it on, after us older people are no longer here, they will be the ones to carry it on and hopefully pass it along to younger generations and keep this aspect of out culture alive and well," Cabrera said.
Flores said she is proud to be a Cotton Picker at Robstown ISD and represent her school.
"Keeping it alive it is just part of Robstown," Flores said. "Robstown is very Hispanic oriented, so in the name it is meant to be."
The Mariachi Sol Rojo Band will perform at the UIL Mariachi Festival in Seguin on February 22.
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