Mariachi Reyna de Los Angeles NULL

America’s First All Female Mariachi Reyna De Los Angeles®

Perhaps the greatest tribute to Mariachi Reyna de Los Angeles – the first all female mariachi in the United States – is that now there actually are other all-female mariachi groups. It is the growing proof that when mariachi Maestro Jose Hernandez created Reyna de Los Angeles, it wasn’t a novelty; it was a genre.

Reyna, which was formed in 1994, has taken the history of women in mariachi music from being solely singers to being the full complement of musical performers. The compliments have not stopped. In a musical landscape where songs are often written by men, about male perspectives, Reyna has created its own history.

That history had the best of beginnings with the mentorship of Lola Beltran, “La Reina de la Musica Ranchera,” who created confidence among the members in the early years.

While Maestro Hernandez often credits the tremendous contributions of Beltran and other early contributors, Reyna could not have been created if not for his vision. Always ahead of the curve, Maestro Hernandez saw the potential to include more people in the rich heritage of mariachi music, and the opportunity to include more families in learning and performing.

“I knew there were enough excellent female musicians to do it, and I didn’t want guys to say, ‘They play like girls,’ says Maestro Hernandez. “Now guys from other groups come up to me and tell me that they can’t get over how these girls sound so amazing. It’s because they sound like angels, and that’s why they are named after the City of Angels.”

Reyna has gained fame for the stars they have shared the stage with; such as Vicki Carr, Guadalupe Pineda, Miguel Aceves Mejia and Lucha Villa, but they have gained ever acclaim for the stars they have performed in front of: Tom Petty, the Dodgers’ Nomar Garciaparra and his soccer-star wife Mia Hamm, John Travolta, Oprah Winfrey, Tom Cruise, Robin Williams, Sean Penn, and the late George Harrison of the Beatles.

The success has propelled Reyna de Los Angeles to record three successful albums produced by Maestro Hernandez: solo Tuya (Yours Only), El major Mariachi Femenino del Mundo (The Best Femal Mariachi in the World). It is not just the title of the record; it’s a proud legacy for a new world of mariachi music.

Que Vivan Las Mujeres!