Twenty minutes later, it was the flip of Mariachi Nuevo Santander. They adopted Las Vegas Academy of the Arts, which delivered a vigorous present that made clear why the Starr County groups thought of them a risk. Because the announcer referred to as Roma’s title, the room erupted in loud cheers, purple pompoms shaking within the air. Roma was identified for packing the home with enthusiastic supporters. The family of Martinez, the violinist, waved particular person block letters spelling out “NANA,” her nickname. As they’d rehearsed so many instances, the scholars walked onto the stage in bone-colored outfits with purple trim and purple boots. Martinez signaled together with her bow, and the primary tune started. Roma performed with a giant, balanced sound and near-perfect approach, because it had executed 12 months after 12 months underneath Garza. One choose, a guitarist named Jonathan Palomar, started nodding his head alongside to the beat.
Then the second tune began. Garza had chosen “Qué Bonita Es Esta Vida,” popularized by the Colombian singer Jorge Celedón and organized for mariachi. The tune pays tribute to life, which Garza discovered applicable after the isolation and deaths Starr County had endured due to the pandemic. Garcia, the violinist who’d sung the nationwide anthem on the Border Patrol ceremony, started singing: “I really like the scent of the morning … ” Three college students joined him within the refrain, harmonizing: “Oh, how stunning is that this life! Though typically it hurts a lot, and regardless of the sorrows, there may be all the time somebody who loves us, there may be all the time somebody who takes care of us. … ”
The instrument solos adopted. Christian Cano pulled his harp to the entrance of the stage and made his fingers dance on the strings. After taking part in with the violins, Martinez traded her instrument and joined the trumpeters of their group solo. As the scholars sang, Óscar Ortega, a choose who had been bobbing his head and tapping alongside to the music, now took a folded serviette and dabbed at his eyes. He’d executed the identical when Las Vegas Academy was performing, and now it grew to become evident that he was wiping away tears. The judges took extra notes, and when the present was over, they applauded because the viewers chanted, “Roma, Roma, Roma!”
The faculty groups adopted the excessive colleges, so it was nighttime earlier than the judges walked onto the stage to announce the highschool finalists. The primary title they referred to as got here as a little bit of a shock — Roma’s junior-varsity group had made the reduce. This was a formidable feat for Garza, who had coached each groups in the identical period of time the opposite administrators had educated one. The following 4 bulletins weren’t wholly surprising. Mariachi Cascabel, Mariachi Grulla de Plata and Mariachi Nuevo Santander’s varsity workforce had made it, too, together with Mariachi Nuevo Cascabel from Sharyland Excessive College, additionally from the Valley. Then, as Zárate had predicted, the sixth and final group was referred to as: Mariachi Internacional from Las Vegas Academy of the Arts.
That 4 of six finalists had been from Starr County was one other spectacular feat. The judges defined that at this time’s scores could be tossed out, and every group would compete from scratch tomorrow earlier than three new judges. After three months of preparation, all of it would come down to at least one final efficiency.
The final day of the competition started on a promising be aware for Starr County: two of Grulla’s singers positioned third within the vocal competitors. All that was left for the administrators that afternoon was to provide the groups, now dressed and awaiting their warm-ups, a last message. Every director approached these moments in another way. Rodriguez gathered his college students in a hallway to inform them that, after reviewing a video of the day past’s efficiency, he wished to make some tweaks. “As a director, I’m asking so that you can respect my selections,” he stated. The scholars nodded, and he led them backstage to their dressing room, the place they might run via components of the present he felt wanted tightening.
Within the dressing room subsequent door, the Rio Grande Metropolis workforce’s warm-up had a welcome interruption when Carlos Martínez, the director of Mariachi Vargas, popped in to want them properly. He delivered an impromptu pep discuss in Spanish. “For me, that is probably the most stunning factor,” he stated of mariachi music, “and the way fantastic that being that you simply had been born right here in america, you’re persevering with with our traditions from Mexico.” He inspired the scholars to get pleasure from themselves onstage. When he left, Zárate determined to let his workforce chill out within the minutes remaining earlier than the present. He grabbed a guitarrón and joined the scholars as he sang “Mi Tesoro” — “my treasure” — and one in every of his assistants improvised a wistful violin solo.
