For one thing, these children and youth had never touched a musical instrument, until now. For another, they live in a neighborhood known by its sprouts of violence. But what really makes this event worth attending, is that the 50 students have learned to play mariachi music in just a few weeks, and they are Latinos.

Here are the details:
Mariachi Camp Student Performance
Friday, August 7, 12pm to 1pm
Cook Middle School
2480 Sebastopol Road, Santa Rosa, CA

For all of you who claim to be Latino-friendly and Latino-proud, here is a chance to cheer, admire, and be taken away by what a Mariachi Camp can do for children. Jose Soto, from Mariachi Barragan, and a group of enthusiastic volunteers have made this a reality. Community activist Maria Canas says: “We must be there when our children succeed. We must attend this event.” Way to go! See you then!

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Text by Lupita Peimbert. Images by Jeff Kan Lee.
Lupita is a bilingual freelance writer and web content producer.
Jeff Kan Lee is a photojournalist extraordinaire who lives in Santa Rosa.