Newport Beach resident José Hernández is the founder and director of eight-time Grammy-nominated Mariachi Sol de México, one of the premier mariachi groups in the United States.
He also received two Grammy Award nominations for Mariachi Reyna de Los Ángeles, America’s first all-female mariachi, and he’s the founder of Mariachi Rams, the first official mariachi for an NFL team.
This year marks Maestro Hernández’s 50th anniversary continuing a family legacy in mariachi and music that can be traced back to the 1700s, but rather than rest on his impressive laurels, Hernández finds time to pass down the mariachi tradition to students at his annual Mariachi Nationals & Summer Institute, held last July at Betsy Ross Elementary School in Anaheim.
This 14th edition of the Mariachi Nationals consisted of workshops led by members of Sol de México and Reyna de Los Ángeles, including Crystal Hernández, the daughter of Maestro Hernández. A seventh-generation mariachi and Newport Beach native, Crystal continues her family’s musical heritage as a mariachi performer in Mariachi Reyna and educator.
“I was 12 years old when the first mariachi nationals started,” recalled Crystal, who plays violin. “I was in it as a student and signed up every year since then. I decided in my senior year of high school that I wanted to be a music teacher, so I attended Texas Christian University to get my music education degree. I knew I wanted to teach music, Mariachi music. And my dad’s Academy and the Nationals just kind of fell into that category, and I loved it, so for the past two years I’ve been involved as an instructor.”
According to Crystal, more than 100 students – most from out of the area – participated in the Mariachi Nationals & Summer Institute this year.
“We’ve had people fly from all over the country. We’ve had people from New York. We’ve had people from Texas and Las Vegas. People really travel to get these three days of workshop. As an instructor, it’s so special. The Mariachi Nationals is like an integral part of summer for not only just me, but for our musicians—my Dad’s musicians.”
“We get hired to teach all over the country, but Mariachi Nationals is special to us because it’s our workshop with the music that we want to do,” added Crystal. “And my dad is there, and he does a lot of special things that really make it stand out.”
“The Mariachi Nationals is an event that’s put on by my Mariachi Heritage Society Foundation that I started in 1991,” said José Hernández, whose Mariachi Sol de México ensemble performed at the Orange County Fair in August. “I do a lot of teaching, a lot of master workshops throughout the country, and I helped start mariachi programs in different states. We’ve impacted about 37 states across the United States, and we’re involved with about 30 schools in Orange County and Los Angeles.”
According to José, the students at the Mariachi Nationals learn more than music.
“They learned to work as a team. They learned to have pride for their heritage. They are getting in-depth three days of music and instruction,” said José. “These kids are going away changed, and not just by being better musicians. When we have student groups go up and showcase their music, it’s awesome because kids get motivated.”
José said he was fortunate to come from a family that’s been playing mariachi for many generations. His father was a violinist, and his five older brothers were all top tier mariachi musicians. José has expanded the musical palette of his mariachi ensemble, but the most important thing is the foundation of mariachi music.
“That’s what we teach at the Mariachi Nationals,” he said. “It’s great because the kids really get into it. I tell them you have to feel it in your heart. It’s music that’s very passionate, and it’s music that in a way has a lot of patriotism for Mexico. Mariachi music is the music that represents Mexico all over the world. It’s very important to keep that alive and to pass it down to the newer generations.”
“Music is my life,” added José, who has collaborated with such artists as Vikki Carr, Linda Rondstadt, Arturo Sandoval, José Feliciano, City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra and the Beach Boys. “I am so blessed to pass down my knowledge to the next generation of mariachi musicians.”
For more information, visit https://www.mariachinationals.com/ and https://www.mariachisoldemexico.com.
