Connecting with culture

On a campus known for scientific discovery and research, a different kind of impact is taking place through the proud musical tradition of mariachi. At UC Irvine, the distinctive Mexican sound is embodied by Mariachi Orgullo de UCI, the university's first ensemble of its kind.

Founded in April 2024 by Brendaitzel Torres, the student-led organization began with a simple idea: create a space where people could connect with Mexican culture through music. What started with a flyer and a QR code has grown into a 15-member group performing throughout UC Irvine, Orange County and neighboring communities.

In the beginning, Mariachi Orgullo de UCI's ambitions were modest. Students gathered to rehearse in Aldrich Park, learning, practicing and building an ensemble while balancing classes, work and the demands of university life. Torres, who had spent years singing, playing violin and performing mariachi in high school, envisioned something that did not yet exist at UC Irvine - a student organization where mariachi could be both a musical practice and a living connection to heritage. Two years later, that vision has become increasingly clear.

"I came to UC Irvine not really finding a community and felt like a part of me was missing," says Torres, a senior in criminology, law and society, as well as psychology. "I was focused on my academics and wasn't playing music. I really missed that part of myself, and I talked to my mom about it, and she thought that it would be a good idea to look for people who played an instrument or were interested in mariachi."

She organized the first meeting at the Student Center. "I was shocked at how many students were interested in playing mariachi," Torres says.

Mariachi Orgullo de UCI - which translates to Mariachi Pride of UCI - brings together students from varied backgrounds and academic disciplines. Their interests range from criminology and art to psychology, history, mechanical engineering and Earth system science, among many others. Some members arrived with years of mariachi experience; others came from classical, jazz or concert music backgrounds, while some had never been involved in mariachi before.

That diversity is part of what makes the ensemble more than a performance group. Mariachi Orgullo de UCI provides students with a place to learn from one another while exploring culture through sound. It's both a reconnection to traditions they grew up around and an opportunity to discover a cultural art form for the first time.

Among the members is 19-year-old Sabalyn Castillo, a second-year mathematics major who has embraced the experience as a way to navigate her mixed identity. "I'm half Mexican and half Cambodian, but growing up, I was always seen as Asian, and my Hispanic side was always being dismissed," says Castillo. "Being part of the group has made me more confident and connected to my culture and has truly made my college life amazing. During my first year, I struggled to make friends - despite me living in the dorms and having smaller classes. My bandmates have [given] me a lot of guidance with my classes, internships and the process of just becoming an adult."

The group's mission is rooted in preservation. Mariachi is not simply music to be performed; it's a tradition transmitted from one generation to another through repertoire, language, instrumentation, performance practices and community. Mariachi Orgullo de UCI seeks to keep that alive by learning and playing classic Mexican music and sharing it with audiences both familiar and unfamiliar with the custom. Rafael Francisco Perez, co-founder and executive director of events, describes the organization as dedicated to fostering respect for and understanding of cultures within the campus community and beyond.

"One of the most rewarding experiences was performing for the Student Housing custodial staff and service workers," says Perez, a senior in informatics, as well as game design and interactive media, who's also a resident advisor. "We see them every day, so this was our way of showing appreciation for their hard work. It was incredible to look out and see them singing along with us."

The ensemble performs mariachi in a variety of styles associated with different regions of Mexico, allowing audiences to hear more than one version of what mariachi can be. Romantic songs, celebratory pieces and traditional rancheras become vehicles for storytelling, memory and cultural continuity.

On campus, that mission has brought the group into some of UC Irvine's most meaningful Latino gatherings. Mariachi Orgullo de UCI played at La Bienvenida, the university's Latino community welcome event, alongside Ballet Folklórico de UCI. It has also appeared at the Anteater Involvement Fair, where prospective members can discover the organization, and at La Despedida, commemorating the end of the academic year, in collaboration with the Latinx Resource Center and Mesa Unida affiliates. The ensemble's performances have extended to UC Irvine's Día de los Muertos and Nuestra Graduación festivities, connecting mariachi to moments of remembrance, celebration, belonging and academic achievement.

"Having the opportunity to represent not just mariachi music but also the Latino community as a whole - and to see us more represented on campus - has enriched my experience here at UC Irvine," Perez says.

Beyond campus, Mariachi Orgullo de UCI's reach has continued to expand. The students have played at venues and events including the Irvine Barclay Theatre, Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Downtown Santa Ana ArtWalk, the Long Beach Senior Center, and the investiture ceremony for U.S. District Judge Serena R. Murillo. Their participation in local gatherings places the group before audiences of different generations, allowing the musical tradition to move beyond the university and back into the communities it came from.

The ensemble's most visible breakthrough came via its serenatas. For Valentine's Day this year, Mariachi Orgullo de UCI offered personalized performances to people across campus and in nearby cities. The response was extraordinary. A promotional video received 1.3 million TikTok views and 619,000 Instagram Reels views, while the group's following grew from roughly 900 to almost 10,600.

To surprise his daughter for her UC Irvine graduation in June, Israel Pastelin booked the mariachi ensemble. "It was a great opportunity to support the school and the students," he shares. "They put on a wonderful performance and made the celebration special."

The organization has also been recognized by the city of Irvine, another indication of how quickly its presence has grown beyond campus. Today, Mariachi Orgullo de UCI is no longer a group of students rehearsing in a park. It has become an esteemed part of the university and the surrounding region.

That trajectory reached another milestone with the ensemble's first spring concert this May at UC Irvine's Winifred Smith Hall, marking the two-year anniversary of Mariachi Orgullo de UCI. Members poured months of hard work into funding, organizing and selling out their first independent showcase. It allowed the group to transcend the usual short performances and present its full, deeply personal repertoire. For the students, filling the hall with family and community members was a profound triumph that proved exactly what they could achieve through their own collective dedication.

"The feeling I get when playing mariachi music is pride," Torres says. "I'm able to express a part of me that's so close to home. When I sing a solo piece - especially a song filled with melancholy - I am not just singing; I am telling a story that so many people have lived through. Hearing the crowd's gritos [shouts] while my fellow musicians cheer me on - yelling '¡Cántale como tú sabes, chiquitita! [Sing it the way you know how, little one!]' - makes me feel like I'm not singing alone. I'm singing with everyone who identifies with the lyrics."