From Springfield High School to professionals, mariachi musicians share tradition

Elena and Miguel Gonzalez were in the first class of musicians in Springfield High School’s Mariachi del Sol group in 2008, which the school’s band director created to offer cultural music education for a diverse student body.

Now, 17 years later, the Gonzalez siblings are professional musicians in an ensemble called Mariachi Cuervo. The group will perform 10:30-11:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 2, at the Springfield Public Library as part of the library’s summer plaza series.

“When there’s mariachi music playing, it’s just the time to rejoice as a Mexican person,” Elena Gonzalez told Lookout Eugene-Springfield.

Mariachi is a genre of music traditional to Mexico that is often played during celebrations. Gonzalez said it is a tradition that needs to be passed on to future generations.

“But also in this community, where we are not necessarily the majority,
I appreciate the opportunity and the welcomeness of everybody to listen to our music and to accept that there are different types of people living here,” she said. “And it’s important to me, especially right now with the political climate and what’s going on with immigration, to continue this tradition.”

Elena Gonzalez plays the guitarrón, a large bass guitar, while her brother plays the Mexican vihuela, a five-string instrument similar to the guitar but smaller and with a curved back. The siblings are joined by a trumpet player and two violinists. All the musicians sing and wear the traditional traje de charro suit. 

Charro master Antonio Huerta will also perform traditional charrería rope tricks as part of the event. The program “will share a very representative presentation of the traditions and culture of Mexico and Latin America,” according to a statement from the library.

Miguel Gonzalez said he enjoys sharing the music with the community and “having fun with them.” He also likes being part of a performance that helps people of Mexican heritage remember their roots. “People that come from Mexico and want that part of their culture with them, we’re able to remind them a little bit of their homeland and sing their songs with them.”

The group performs at community events, such as Lincoln City’s Fourth of July celebration and Newport’s Seafood & Wine Festival. Recently, they played alongside local artists at Eugene Symphony’s Make Music Eugene event at the Owen Rose Garden. They also play at private weddings and birthday parties.

Miguel Gonzalez said he was excited when Mariachi del Sol started at Springfield High School because, “we never thought we’d have something like that here.”

After graduating from high school, the siblings taught younger students how to play mariachi music as part of a free program at First Baptist Church, so that the students would have experience with the genre when they got to high school. 

In 2023, the siblings attended a quinceañera (15th birthday celebration) for Mariachi del Sol at Springfield High School.

“It was just encouraging,” Elena Gonzalez said. “There were so many mariachi musicians now.”

That’s when she asked her brother to form Mariachi Cuervo. They were joined by Jason Villa, whom Elena Gonzalez met while practicing with a mariachi group at the University of Oregon. Mariachi Cuervo also includes Sierra Freeman and Ana Laura Penaloza, who also played in the Springfield High School mariachi band and the orchestra at the University of Oregon, according to the Springfield Public Library.

If you go

What: Mariachi y Charrería

When: Wednesday, July 2, 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Where: Fountain Plaza at the Springfield Public Library, 225 Fifth St.

Cost: Free. No registration required. Following the program, Food for Lane County will provide free lunch for kids ages 1-18, while supplies last.