mariachi
Rio Grande Valley, Texas
Photo courtesy of artist
Mariachi Mariposas, based in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas, is a groundbreaking all-female mariachi ensemble redefining a tradition long dominated by men. Founded in 2012 by educator and musician, Mayra García, the group has become a driving force in preserving and keeping the flame for mariachi music.
Mariachi is one of the many regional musical styles that emerged from the Mexican countryside. The people of the west-central state of Jalisco combined Spanish instruments including the violin, guitar, and harp with indigenous and African influences to create a mestizo musical culture that, by the late 19th century, became known as mariachi. In the 1930s, rural-to-urban migration brought mariachi to the attention of Mexico City’s emerging media industry; first radio and then movies helped to propel mariachi to international prominence. Today it is a central part of Mexican American identity, particularly in border towns where it is the soundtrack to life cycle events like weddings, in popular concerts, and even in the schools.
Mayra García began studying mariachi at age 12 at the La Joya Independent School District, which, like most South Texas schools, offers mariachi as an elective. She later joined the acclaimed Mariachi Aztlán while pursuing her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the University of Texas–Pan American. When she became a music teacher, García saw that the growing number of female students in her classes had few visible female role models as well as limited opportunities to perform, so she formed Mariachi Mariposas. The current membership of the group, ranging in age from 18 to 51, represents multiple musical generations. As violin player Elizabeth Salinas remarks, “Young women studying [mariachi] in middle school and high school look up to us and what we’ve accomplished. That’s something great, you know, to give hope to the new generation.” Mariposa’s trumpet player, Griselda Solis, now with the band for nearly a decade, is a perfect example: she was inspired by seeing the group perform at her high school in ninth grade, and then thrilled when she was invited to join the group before she graduated.
Mariachi Mariposas quickly rose to prominence as one of the most respected female mariachi groups in in the country. In 2014, they were awarded Best in Texas at the prestigious Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Mariachi Invitational, and in 2018, they returned to win the Grand Champion title. Recognized as stars across Texas and through the Southwest, they play everywhere from free community concerts to prestigious stages like the Albuquerque Mariachi Festival; the 2026 Richmond Folk Festival is their first East Coast appearance. Everywhere they go, the band’s elegant purple traje de charro—the traditional filigreed suit of the mariachi—proclaims their status as both women and mariachi; as mariposas (butterflies) who are gracefully evolving the music that they love and representing their culture. As Mayra García declares, “We’re very proud to be from the Rio Grande Valley…because the Valley has such a rich culture, you know, it’s a big part of us and who we are.