For some students, joining Mariachi Panteras reminds them of home.
Of their culture.
Of their ancestors.
Editor’s note: This is an occasional series where Voice of OC works with local community photographers to offer residents a first-hand look at the local sites and scenes of Orange County.
“Mariachi especially reminds me of my late great-grandmother. When I first started performing, I practiced in her kitchen and she taught me how to sing with passion and perfect my performance delivery so the audience can feel, not just hear, the music,” says Alyssa Torres, sophomore vocalist and violinist for Mariachi Panteras.
The group is learning together through every rehearsal and song.
Chapman University’s Mariachi ensemble is composed of current undergraduate students in Chapman’s College of Performing Arts.
“I joined [the Mariachi Panteras] because my roommate was in it and I felt inspired…It’s an opportunity to learn more about the culture and the music, [as well as] improve my Spanish skills,” said Kylee Edwards, American Sophomore Vehuela player in the Mariachi Panteras.
The ensemble group is directed by Assistant Professor Dr. Tammy S. Yi, within the College of Performing Arts Hall-Musco Conservatory of Music.
Dr. Yi grew up as a first-generation Korean American and closely tied to the Mexican community, for her family “worked alongside Mexican immigrant families at sweatshops [and felt] united by working-class roots and the sacrifices made to build a better life.”
Starting in 2021 with a few students and a $5,000 grant from the Office of the Provost, the Mariachi Panteras became one of Orange County’s first collegiate mariachi ensembles.
The ensemble is “a space where students [can] take immense pride in their identities and backgrounds, [foster] an environment where they feel truly seen, valued, and empowered,” says Dr. Yi.
They have a yearly public event that historically sells out.
“I joined [the Mariachi Panteras] because I wanted to continue playing in a music ensemble and represent my culture,” says Melina Deleon, a Freshman Violin player in the Mariachi Panteras. Deleon is a first generation student of Mexican descent and grew up listening to the music genre as she attended family parties.
“[Playing in the Mariachi Panteras] makes me feel proud of my ethnicity and furthers my love for mariachi music,” says Deleon.
The Mariachi Panteras have given the opportunity to Latinx students to express themselves and share their cultural heritage through music. The Chapman community gathers in the college’s Bertea Hall Salmon Recital Hall to support their fellow students. The ensemble also performs in the annual Cinco De Mayo celebration hosted by Chapman’s Latinx club.
Mariachi Panteras continues to connect many Latino students to their roots.
“Whenever I think of Mariachi, I think of the gifts my great grandparents blessed me with and I am honored to carry on their music legacy,” says Torres.
