This ensemble of young musicians who live in Chicago’s Mexican-American neighborhoods has made a glittering debut in the Latin music scene, celebrating and defining an aspect of Mexican heritage (herencia) for a new generation. Participants in the Mariachi Heritage Foundation program, which incorporates mariachi music education into the curriculum of eight of Chicago’s public schools, the students’ 2017 first album (Nuestra Herencia) scored a Latin Grammy Award nomination for Best Ranchero/Mariachi Album. Their 2018 follow-up recording Herencia De La Tierra Mía (The Heritage Of My Land)—produced by mariachi master José Hernández— debuted at #1 on iTunes and #2 on the Billboard charts and features guest superstars Lila Downs and Aida Cuevas. Mariachi Herencia de México joins Krannert Center on Cinco de Mayo with the traditional sounds of violins, guitarrón, vihuela, and vocals and the distinctive traje de charro attire in a celebratory concert that both preserves the legacy of Mexican culture and trailblazes an artistic path all its own.
