Music produces a sense of pride for Alejandro Cruz’ 27—one that ties him to his home in South Texas. The rhetoric and computer science double major and music minor showcased that deep connection by bringing mariachi, a genre of Latino folk music, to campus.
“Mariachi is a way to connect with your emotions— whether you are happy, sad, frustrated, or anything in between,” Cruz said. “It’s a universal feeling.”
Having grown up in a community surrounded by the music style, Julio Enríquez-Ornelas ’08, director of Latino partnerships shares a similar sentiment.
“(Mariachi) embodies the rich culture of Latin America. It’s an example of how people, over time, shape culture,” Enríquez-Ornelas said. “For me, mariachi was the music that made everyone come together to sing, laugh, cry, and laugh again, repeatedly.”
For Enríquez-Ornelas, Cruz, and many others in the Latinx community, mariachi is a celebration of where they came from and a gateway to connecting culture to the broader community through a medium all can appreciate: music.
When Cruz introduced the idea of forming a mariachi to a few of his friends on campus during the fall 2023 semester, it became an immediate hit.
“It was easy to recruit many of my Wabash brothers who had a range of talents in music,” Cruz said. “Singers, trumpet players, etc...”
Whether they knew the music or were hearing it for the first time, the ensemble known as Los Pequeños Gigantes quickly bonded. They committed to weekly rehearsals and made their campus debut shortly after.
“We are grateful for the support we received from staff, faculty, and students,” Cruz said. “I am excited for the future of Los Pequeños Gigantes.”
The quick momentum started by the group empowered Cruz to introduce the music style to the Crawfordsville community by forming a combined ensemble for the local high schools in the area. The group plans to start practicing early next spring.
He recognizes he has had a lot of help and guidance to get this far.
Cruz attended the National Mariachi Education Workshop in Las Vegas last June, seeking additional resources and training for the future of mariachi in the Midwest. Thanks to funding from La Alianza Latino Community Center and the Student Senate, Cruz met with masters of the craft and learned the basics of mariachi education and its importance to the well-being of the next generation of students.
“I found it no surprise that studies show mariachi boosts confidence in students,” Cruz said, as he reminisced about his own experience touring with his high school mariachi.
These factors make it even more important for Cruz to introduce the local high school community to the music style he grew up performing.
“I think that it’s awesome to see the high school interest that we have,” he continued. “It’s just a matter of time before the first state competition is held or the first mariachi conference in Indiana to grow interest outside of the Southwest.”