Community Engagement
The Mariachi Women’s Foundation engages the community in presentations, dialogues, performance demonstrations, films and exhibits to promote greater understanding of mariachi women’s performances, culture, history and lived experiences. Scroll down to learn more about our community engagement activities.
Presentations, Dialogues & Performance Demonstrations
Utah Southern Museum of Art
On November 5, 2022, the Utah Museum of Art held its Día de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebration. The Mariachi Women’s Foundation collaborated with the museum to curate its program. Mariachi Rosas Divinas, Dallas Fort Worth’s first and only all-female Mariachi was selected to perform and Dr. Leonor Xóchitl Pérez, MWF Executive Director, gave a presentation on the history of women in mariachi and mariachi music in Day of the Dead celebrations.
Trailblazing Women of Mariachi Music Exhibit
The Trailblazing Women of Mariachi Music exhibit was launched in 2014 and unveils the 100 year history of women’s engagement in mariachi music. The historical narrative is supported by vintage photographs and artifacts and is based on the original research of Dr. Leonor Xóchitl Pérez, Executive Director of the Mariachi Women’s Foundation. This exhibit has traveled to various colleges, universities, museums and community centers throughout California, Texas, Arizona, and Colorado. It was last exhibited at the Mexican-American Heritage and History Museum in Tucson, Arizona.
Korean Arriang Meets Mexican Mariachi
On October 14, 2022, the Mariachi Women’s Foundation collaborated with the Mexican and Korean consulates to implement a cross-cultural event that celebrated 60 years of diplomatic relations. Representing mariachi music in Los Angeles was the two-time Grammy winning Mariachi Divas. Performing Arriang was Dr. Donald Kim’s Korean Classical Music and Dance Company.
Mariachi Women Warriors: Tradition & Innovation - Community Dialogue
On March 27, 2022, the Mariachi Women's Foundation held a celebration of Women’s History Month at Olvera Street's Kiosko Plaza in Los Angeles with a bilingual community dialogue on the history, culture and lived experiences of mariachi women and a performance by mariachi DIVAS. Among speakers were Monica Fogelquist, Assistant Professor of Mariachi and Ethnomusicology at the University of Texas, Austin, Cynthia Cristal Marquez from Mariachi Voces de Mexico in San Luis Potosí, Mexico and Cindy Shea of Mariachi Divas. Over 250 children and adults were in attendance in person and another 700 attended virtually by LIVE STREAM.
Mariachi Women Warrior Films
From May 16-25, 2022, three films on mariachi women were offered FREE online & ON DEMAND through a partnership between the Mariachi Women’s Foundation and the Watsonville Film Festival. These films included “Compañeras” about Mariachi Reyna de Los Angeles, “Mariachi Estrella” about the all-female mariachi of the 70s from Topeka, Kansas and “La Mariachi” featuring the director of Boston’s first all-female mariachi.
On March 8, 2024, a presentation on the history of women in mariachi was given at the launch of the first Gala de la Mujer Mariachi at the Plaza de los Mariachi en Guadalajara, Mexico by Dr. Leonor Xóchitl Pérez, Founder and Executive Director of the Mariachi Women’s Foundation and International Mariachi Women’s Festival in Los Angeles.
Mariachi Women’s History Presentations
Plaza de los Mariachis Guadalajara, Mexico
On November 5, 2022, Dr. Leonor Xochitl Pérez, Executive Director of the Mariachi Women’s Foundation, gave a presentation on mariachi women’s history, based on her original research, at the Utah Museum of Art. On May 24, 2022, she also gave a talk on three films about mariachi women for the Watsonville Film Festival. Prior presentations have been given for the World Conferences of the Society for Ethnomusicology at universities in Thailand (2019) Ireland (2017) and Kazakhstan (2015). Additional presentations have been given for Stanford University, University of California Los Angeles, University of Southern California, University of California San Diego, San Diego State University, Chapman University, Texas Tech University and University of Texas, Austin to name a few.