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World's best mariachi plays with GR Symphony

Mariano Avila
/
WGVU

The rain holds off but the clouds cool the thousands who gathered at Cannonsburg Ski Area. Whole families, with spreads ranging from traditional home-cooked meals to chopped fruit and soft drinks. Half or more of the audience is Latino, a rarity for symphony concerts, though not surprising given that the symphony is performing with the best Mariachi in the world, and their joint conductor for the day Nathaniel Espinoza.

“The board of the Grand Rapids Symphony they wanted to get together both cultures, Mexican, Latin cultures, and the American culture of course.”

And that they did, both in the audience, and in the performers. Espinoza who lives in Mexico, but who told the audience that has family in West Michigan, says he is surprised at how people responded to the concert.

“…all the energy and I mean, we had a lot of fun, this, tonight.”

To mark the importance of the event, Mayor Rosalynn Bliss issued a proclamation declaring August 5 2017 Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlan Day.

Mariano Avila is WGVU's inclusion reporter. He has made a career of bringing voices from the margins to those who need to hear them. Over the course of his career, Mariano has written for major papers in English and Spanish, published in magazines, worked in broadcast, and produced short films, commercials, and nonprofit campaigns. He also briefly served at a foreign consulate, organized for international human rights efforts and has done considerable work connecting marginalized people to religious, educational, and nonprofit institutions through the power of story.
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