Port Alberni Mariachi Gala

Date: 

Friday, May 29, 2015 - 7:00pm to 9:00pm

Venue: 

ADSS Auditorium

4000 Roger Street, Port Alberni

Contact: 

604-338-4064

MARIACHI ANYONE?
I, Don Rogelio (aka Roger Arndt), will once again be the host for the 6th
Mariachi Festival Canada. I am one of the founding members of Mariachi Los
Dorados, a mariachi group based in Vancouver that have been together for
over a decade. Los Dorados are well known throughout Western Canada for
their mixture of Canadian and Mexican talent. These musicians deliver the
passion, love and respect they feel for México and its culture. One of the
missions of Mariachi Los Dorados is to maintain and promote the beauty of
Mexico through its traditional and uplifting music. Los Dorados have played at
events and festivals across western Canada, the US, and Mexico, with feature
performances at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, the 2011 and 2012
Calgary Stampede and a number of times at the Guadalajara International
Mariachi Festival.They are the host band for this event.
The festival takes place from May 26-May 30th. There will be performances in
Duncan, Port Alberni, Victoria, and will culminate with the Gala Show at the
Vogue Theater on May 30th. The line-up this year features the return of
Mariachi Orgullo Azteca from Indio California. They put on a spectacular show
and we are glad to have them back with us. From Mexico, we are excited to
showcase Mariachi Nuevo Ordaz who hail from Michoacan. They are one of the
oldest Mariachis in Mexico and carry on the family tradition (all the members
are related).They are an exciting group of performers who exemplify the true
spirit of Mariachi and we are pleased to be able to bring them to Canada for
this show. Joining us again will be the Mexican dancers, Cuadillos del Sur
Ballet who are always a crowd favourite. Returning for the second time is
Maestro Armando Cervantes Tinoco who will be the musical director for the
festival. Armando is a talented musician, composer, arranger, and a scholar
when it comes to the history of Mariachi. He is from Guadalajara Mexico where
he holds the position of Commissioner to Safeguard Mariachi (Conasam-
Crespial-Unesco), Musical Director for the International Mariachi and Charreria
Festival, and the Musical Director of Traditional Mariachi National Meeting in
Guadalajara, Jalisco Mexico. Mariachi is thought to have originated in Cocula,
Mexico, and the government of Cocula awarded him with a lifetime achievment
award for the preservation and promotion of Mariachi Music. He is the only
person to recieve this honour.We are indeed fortunate to once again have him
as our musical director.
Mariachi has been called the Spirit of Mexico and is a unique musical spectacle.
Come and share this unique presentation with us. For more information you can
go to .
Gracias, Don Rogelio.
YOUR HOST ............. DON ROGELIO
Don Rogelio (aka Roger Arndt) is one of three founding members of
Mariachi Los Dorados. He is a multi-instrumentalist, music teacher,
recording artist, and performer who has been friends with Alex Alegria for
fifteen years. Roger began his musical career playing classical violin,
moving into rock and roll bands, and then to country and bluegrass
groups. Along with Mariachi Los Dorados, he currently performs with his
own Tex-Mex band ‘The Texicanos’. As well as being the oldest member of
Los Dorados, he is the only one to claim true “Dorado” status - he is a
decorated combat medical veteran who saw service during the Vietnam
war. His experience in leadership, his organizational and promotional
skills, his respect for the history and culture of Mariachi music, all make
him an excellent host once again for the 2015 festival.