Mariachi Reyna de Los Angeles: The first all-female mariachi band in the U.S. is still pushing boundaries 30 years later
Mariachi Reyna opened their performance at Casa de Sol Cocina Mexicana in Tustin, CA, with one of their popular songs, “Pa’Que Sientas Lo Que Siento.” Sung by Romina Huerta Grijalva (left) and Monica Salinas (right) while Angelica Hernandez and Monica Henandez Leyva strum their guitar and guitarron. Photo credit: Emily Urias.
Mariachi Reyna was founded in 1994 in Los Angeles as the first all-female mariachi group based in the United States. Last year, in celebration of their 30th anniversary, the group released their eighth studio album, “Alma de Reyna.”
Despite being a centuries-old style of music, mariachi has not had much female representation until recently. Mariachi is a male-dominated art form, made evident with a quick search for mariachi bands on Yelp or Google, but the members of Mariachi Reyna aim to change this reality.
José Hernández, a sixth-generation mariachi from Mexicali, is the group's founder. He wanted to create an opportunity for his female students at the Mariachi Heritage Society’s music school in Los Angeles to join a band with experienced musicians.
“The little boys would say ‘I want to play in Sol de México one day,’ because they grew up on them,” Hernández said. “But the little girls wouldn’t say anything because they didn’t have any role models at all. They didn’t know of any groups in México. They didn’t know of any groups in the United States. So that’s why I decided to start an all-female group.”
Los Angeles has a rich mariachi history, with important groups like Mariachi Los Camperos forming as early as the 1950s. Today, Mariachi Reyna de Los Angeles continues to spread this tradition by innovating a genre vital to not only Mexican culture, but Angeleno culture as well.
The group has many impressive achievements, including eight studio albums, two Grammy nominations and performances for figures like former President Barack Obama.
Their influence is evident. Since their beginnings in 1994, many more all-female mariachi bands started popping up in the U.S., including Flor de Toloache, Mariachi Sirenas and Mariachi Bonitas are just a few of the very successful bands that formed after Reyna.
One of the most recent additions to the band, Crystal Hernández, is José Hernadez’ daughter and a seventh-generation mariachi. Crystal Hernández started playing when she was four years old, and was the first female member of the LA Rams’ official Mariachi ensemble. Now, inspired by her father’s efforts, she has joined him in continuing the family tradition of mariachi through Reyna.
Romina Huerta Grijalva (left), Crystal Hernández (right) and Angelica Hernandez (back) ignite the crowd in a duet of their song “Las Tres Huastecas.” Photo Credit: Emily Urias.
“[Mariachi Reyna] is really close to my heart because it’s something I’m representing. It’s like a family legacy that I think is different for me because I’m a woman,” Crystal Hernández said. “ I feel as though I have something different to bring to the table, and I want to show people that I am Mexicana and I’m representing the music well.”
Despite all of their achievements, Mariachi Reyna’s motivation continues to be playing for art and culture, not for success.
“When you’re doing what you love you don’t think, ‘Oh my God, I can’t wait until we’re 30 years and successful.’ You don’t think about it. You just love what you’re doing,” José Hernández said. “You continue doing it at the highest level you can do it. Things that come after that, they become like blessings.”
Even after all this time, bands like Mariachi Reyna have found a way to keep innovating the genre, all while representing their culture and breaking barriers for those who historically have not had the spotlight.
“I feel it is my responsibility to pay it forward to the next generation of little girls wanting to play mariachi music by showing that there is an opportunity to make a successful career out of it,” member Monica Hernandez-Leyva said.
After a historic year for Mariachi Reyna, the ensemble will keep performing and innovating their style. The efforts to grow the band and further spread Mexico’s art don’t seem to be halting anytime soon.
“Mariachi Reyna has opened doors. It’s not just a mariachi group that is all females. It’s a mariachi group that has made history in the industry and opened up other avenues for women,” Crystal Hernández said.