Members of Mariachi Reyna de Los Angeles, the United States’ first all-female professional mariachi group. They are celebrating their 30th anniversary with a concert on Friday, Sept. 6, at 7:30 p.m. at the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts. Photo courtesy of Mariachi Reyna.
August 19, 2024
By Laurie Hanson
For some parents with children, passing a heritage love of music from one generation to the next is at the forefront of their lives.
The same is true for Jose Hernandez, who founded Mariachi Reyna de Los Angeles, and his daughter, Maria Crystal, who performs in the United States’ first all-female, professional mariachi group. They are celebrating their 30th anniversary with a concert on Friday, Sept. 6, at 7:30 p.m. at the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts.
José founded Mariachi Sol de México, Mariachi Heritage Society, and Mariachi Rams. Born in Mexicali, Baja California, he comes from a long line of mariachis that can be traced back to the 1860s.
When he was six, Jose started singing for neighbors, charging a nickel a song. By the 4th grade, Jose picked up the trumpet. Later, he performed mariachi music with his brothers throughout high school and was a part of Disneyland Resort’s mariachi ensemble in Frontierland.
In 1981, he departed and established Mariachi Sol de Mexico, shattering musical barriers and advancing a genre of songs from the “Golden Age” of Mexican cinema and ranchero music.
Nominated for four American Grammys and 13 Latin Grammys, José has recorded and produced for artists such as Selena, Vicente Fernandez, Linda Ronstadt, Green Day, Luis Miguel, Bryan Adams, and the Beach Boys.
He and his group performed for five U.S. presidents, including Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama. They also served as cultural ambassadors for Mexico, North Korea, and China and sold out shows from New York’s Lincoln Center to Viña del Mar in Chile.
His daughter, Maria Crystal, recently completed her bachelor’s degree in music education at Texas Christian University. She is a member of Mariachi Los Rams, the official Mariachi band for the Los Angeles Rams football team, and performs with Mariachi Reyna.
Pictured (l-r) are Jesus Hernandez, Crystal Hernandez, and her father, Jose L. Hernandez.
Ms. Crystal believes that mariachi is not just a man’s world. “Women’s interpretation of mariachi music brings a whole new perspective to the stories of old,” she explained. “After all, some of the greatest voices in mariachi have been women. Lucha Reyes, Lucha Villa, Lola Beltran, Aida Cuevas, Linda Ronstadt and so many more.”
“Women in mariachi bring a new twist to the genre and drive forward the impact of this genre around the world,” Ms. Crystal added. “Women increase the preservation and continued celebration of mariachi.
“Though it took time for Mariachi Reyna to be taken seriously, the quality of their music proved the men wrong,” she said. “We were able to gain the respect of our male counterparts.”
According to Jose, the group also gave little girls something to look up to. This was his reason for creating Reyna. It initially provided a guiding star for young girls participating in his afterschool mariachi music education nonprofit, the Mariachi Heritage Society. Three decades later, Reyna continues to blaze a trail for women pursuing mariachi music.
Many of the original Mariachi Reyna members were once students of the Mariachi Heritage Society. Jose created the group to address the need for more women present in mariachi at the professional level.
The Mariachi Heritage Society is a children’s nonprofit afterschool program founded by Jose in 1991. Its purpose is to meet the growing need for cultural immersion and preservation of mariachi music in the next generation. The society is based in Walnut, California. It offers afterschool programming to the Santa Ana School District, Newport Mesa School District, El Monte School District, Garden Grove School District, and Anaheim School District.
Depending on the school year, the Mariachi Heritage Society has between 600 and 1,000 students who participate in the music program.
“When I first began the Mariachi Heritage Society, it was an even split between male and female students,” he explained. “The boys would come up to me all the time and express their interests and dreams of being part of Sol de Mexico and other mariachi groups. The girls, however, needed a group to look up to. And thus, Mariachi Reyna was born.”
“Many of our female students look up to Reyna, aspiring to be part of the group one day,” he said. “It is priceless seeing the little girls look up to the Reynas when they perform. They see themselves in each of the ‘Reynas’ that are on stage.” It is remarkable seeing the impact they have made for women in mariachi.”
Jose established Reyna in 1994. As a world-renowned mariachi musician and director of Mariachi Sol de México, he went on to spread the news throughout the mariachi community from Fresno to Tucson that he was holding open auditions in Los Angeles to form the first all-female mariachi group in the U.S.
“I knew I had to represent women in mariachi at a high, professional level,” he said. “I did not want it to be just a gimmick. I want them to project a sound that will blow everyone away. I do not want them to say that for girls, they play ‘pretty good.’”
Experts have determined that Reyna, as the first female mariachi group in the U.S., maintains significant historical importance for its contributions to the mariachi world. The very first female mariachi group, Las Perlitas Tapatias, started in Mexico.
“I am honored to be part of mariachi music history by establishing Reyna,” said Jose. “In the 30 years of performing, they have risen to worldwide acclaim.”
Reyna is the first group of its kind to have signed to a major record label in 1998, releasing their first studio album, “Solo Tuya.” Others include “El Mejor Mariachi Femenino Del Mundo” (2002), “Compañeras” (2008), “Entre Mariachi y Corazón” (2014), “Mariachi Reyna de Los Ángeles” (2018), “¡Que Vivan Las Mujeres!” (2021), “Alma De Reyna” (To be released during September 2024).
They have performed for high-profile celebrities and leaders, including at John Travolta’s 50th birthday celebration in 2004, with private performances for George Harrison, Tom Cruise, Oprah Winfrey, the Obama White House Cinco de Mayo Celebration in 2009, and Tom Petty’s wedding in 2001.
They were also chosen in 2018 to record an album for the Smithsonian Folkways Tradiciones/Traditions Series of Latino music albums, produced with support from the Smithsonian Latino Center.
Reyna did a Cameo featured in soundtrack for the Disney’s “Seabiscuit” in 2003 and appeared in a PBS documentary entitled “Compañeras” in 2008, while also doing a Cameo in Cartoon Network series “Victor and Valentino” in 2022. They were the featured ensemble accompanying Aida Cuevas in the 2015 album “Pa’que Sientas Lo Que Siento.”
The group was also nominated for Best Regional Mexican Album, “Compañeras,” at the 52nd Grammy Awards, and Best Ranchero, “Compañeras,” at the 10th Latin Grammy Awards.
Reyna rehearses for two hours once a week; however, the ladies studied their instruments for years before joining the group. Many of them completed their college education in instrumental performance, and all have auditioned live before Jose.
Current Mariachi Reyna musicians are Samantha Cabral (Buena Park) – trumpet; Linda Uhila (Chula Vista) – trumpet; Monica Salinas (Las Vegas, Nev.) – violin; Maria Crystal Hernandez (Newport Beach) – violin; Laura Peña (Long Beach) – violin; Brisa Peña (Tucson, Ariz.) – violin; Romina Huerta Grijalva (San Fernando) – violin; Julie Murillo (Los Angeles) – violin; Elizabeth Garcia (Oxnard) – guitarron; Monica Hernandez-Leyva (Long Beach) – vihuela; Angelica Hernandez (Albuquerque, N.M.) – guitar; Giovanna Cabral (Buena Park) – harp.
“I am so proud to see my daughter be part of Mariachi Reyna,” said Jose. “She has a true passion for mariachi and is excited to make an even bigger impact with the group.”
Ms. Crystal sings for Reyna besides playing the violin. Born and raised in Newport Beach, she grew up around Mariachis with her father, Jose, an uncle, and cousins, who all inspired her to pursue her craft.
Like her father, she began her musical pursuit early, with mariachi slowly but surely being introduced year after year. Her musical training started when she was four when she took up the violin and piano and sang. Her first major performance was in 2005 at the annual Mariachi Sol de México show at the Balboa Bay Club & Resort, where she sang a rendition of the Los Cuates Castilla classic “El Pastor.”
“Mariachi music is vibrant, passionate, and unique,” Ms. Crystal said. “The stories I can tell through this genre are like no other. It is history in song. The thought of performing the same songs my ancestors played is remarkable. I love representing and preserving my cultural heritage through mariachi music.”
She enjoys being a role model for young girls interested in the genre.
“It is possible to be in this world,” she explained. “With a dedication to your instrument and understanding mariachi music inside and out, you can succeed.”
Her advice for children interested in mariachi is to consume as much music as possible by listening to albums and live recordings and attending concerts—anything that will help them get accustomed to the playing style.
“I also recommend training in classical instrumentation for whatever instrument you play, as that’s a great foundation before branching off into mariachi,” she added.
For more information about the Mariachi Heritage Society and to donate to the nonprofit, click here.