The MECA mariachi program began in 1991 under the direction of Alfonso Guerra. Mr. Guerra, a mariachi instructor and a professional mariachi for over 50 years, began the program with a small ensemble, which played a modest repertoire of three traditional mariachi songs. The program now instructs approximately 175 youth, both at MECA and in Houston area schools.

MECA's advanced mariachi ensemble, Mariachi MECA, is comprised of students who participate in MECA's after school program and students from HISD and AISD. Mariachi MECA has played for President Bush and President Clinton, received first, second, and third place awards at national mariachi competitions, and performed in New York, France, Northern Ireland, Norway, Vietnam and Mexico. They also perform at countless festivals, community celebrations, and private parties throughout the year.

The members of Mariachi MECA are students in various independent school districts. Most of the students come from economically disadvantaged communities, where cultural and academic opportunities are limited. Through their many performances and their cultural exchanges in countries such as Northern Ireland and Mexico, Mariachi MECA students have come to understand how the arts can be used to define a culture and bind a community together. They have succeeded in finding what there is to celebrate in their culture and in themselves, and have used this knowledge to prepare themselves for the future.

Get the CD, Viva Mariachi MECA