As the performers walked in, the crowd cheered loudly in excitement. Violins played and singers sang. Dancers danced and trumpets blared. The spirit of the Mariachi was alive, and there were many viewers there to witness it. On Feb. 20, a Mariachi concert was held in the McIntyre Music Building. It showcased a number of traditional Mariachi songs and dancing.

Eventually the lights dimmed low and the performers began to perform, audience members were buzzing with opinions. “Mexican and Spanish and Latin culture is such an important part of  Washington State in general,” Magnolia Samdell, a senior music and library student, said. “Bringing in other musicians, bringing in the dancers, having it so it’s authentic in so many ways. I think that’s really it. Where you’re inviting the culture and the people of the culture who do the event outside, into the building.” 

When one performer belted a classic song, the crowd cheered loudly. Clapping erupted through the room as the performers continued to play Mariachi music, and the clapping gradually faded as viewers returned to watching. 

“It’s the togetherness that it brings. It brings a lot of people together to support their culture and their friends, their family. I think that’s a big part of music,” Rowan, a first-year music performance major, said. Rowan shared that this event was larger than the last. “I’ve attended one of them. It’s just bigger than the last one I attended. With the high school also there, you can tell how much effort they really put into making this happen. Making this fun for everybody. I could see all the performers with a smile on their faces, and I could see the fun that they were having. It brings a smile to the audience.”

Yajayra Ramirez, a second-year music education student and student leader for the mariachi event, gave some insight into what inspired them to host this event. “We really wanted to paint a picture of what our music has to provide, and that’s allowing people to feel their emotions in all.  Love is a spectrum, and love has all kinds of phases,” Ramirez said. 

Luca Castillejo, who is also a second-year education major student, chimed in with their opinion as well. “Our inspiration for the program and for the music we chose was Valentine’s Day, since we were in the Valentine’s Day vicinity, we chose love-inspired songs, not just one type of love,” Castillejo said. “You’re in love. Even though we had that type of song, we also had painful love. We had regret and loss of a love. It was just a variety of different loves that you see in the world.”