Oregon youth mariachi group brings Gen Z flair to time-honored cultural tradition

They’re professional musicians who live with their parents and attend classes before rehearsals.

On Sunday afternoon at the

Multnomah County Fair

, the seven members of Mariachi Luz de Oro tuned their instruments and took the stage at Oaks Park. Some were still getting used to the size of the crowds, but for the next hour, they played to a crowd of roughly 100 people with the confidence of seasoned performers.

The young musicians — all students or recent graduates of Woodburn High School — played a wide selection of traditional Mexican music for their audience, with vibrant vocals layering above the rich sounds of trumpets, violins and mariachi-specific string instruments.

Dozens of onlookers, including several proud parents recording videos on their phones, applauded and cheered as the performers, led by singer Karen Capetillo Soto, transitioned between slow, melancholy ballads and time-honored Mexican folk songs known as rancheras.

The hour-long paid set, encore included, was the latest performance of the Gen Z mariachi group that has played at birthday parties, funerals, confirmations and community events along the I-5 corridor in Oregon.

“It went from just an idea that we would tell each other, like in the group chat, ‘Let’s start a mariachi group,’ and it would never happen,” said Brian Luna Sánchez, who plays trumpet in the group. “But then here we are. … It made it out of the group chat.”

Most of the performers met each other in their early years at Woodburn High, one of the few Oregon high schools that offers a mariachi band class. Several of them picked up their instruments in middle or high school, sticking with it even through months of virtual learning amid a global pandemic.

Forming a band last year felt like an obvious way for the friends to continue sharing their passion for mariachi music as some of them graduated and started classes at local colleges or found other jobs, they said.

But it wasn’t until Capetillo Soto’s birthday party last spring that the group put on an impromptu performance and officially decided to continue playing music together – an endeavor that took some parental encouragement.

“They didn’t even have the clue that they wanted to create a mariachi,” said Maria Capetillo Soto, mother of the lead singer and unofficial manager of the group. “But I’m like, ‘Why not? You guys have the talents.’”

Professional youth mariachi groups are rare in Oregon, a point of pride for the young musicians. The group’s members casually drop Gen Z slang into conversation during their weekly rehearsals and band practices feel more like hanging out with friends than clocking in for a shift, they said. Plus, the side income certainly doesn’t hurt.

That doesn’t mean they don’t take their art seriously. Capetillo Soto started singing as a young child and has participated in regional competitions. She plans to practice opera singing after graduating in June. The band usually practices at least weekly at one of the members’ homes and is booking shows through the busy summer season.

Group members say they are slowly but surely conquering their fear of performing in front of large crowds. More than a year after forming the band, they say it’s immensely rewarding to see their hard work paying off.

“When I first started I was really nervous,” said Andrew Perfecto, who plays the vihuela, shaped like a small guitar. “But I don’t know, once I got on stage and we actually started playing, I gained that confidence and I don’t feel as nervous.”

While members of the group bring a youthful flair to their performances, they say they view their participation in the tradition as honoring their Mexican heritage and culture, from playing classic songs to donning traditional mariachi attire.

“When we go out in person and play for people, they look surprised because we’re so young, and mariachi typically is older gentlemen,” Luna Sánchez said. “It’s fascinating how we are young and are doing what we’re doing to represent our culture.”

Some members of the group have aspirations for careers outside of music, but said they plan to continue playing together for the foreseeable future. Luna Sánchez said he would like to pursue electrical engineering but continue playing music as a hobby. Capetillo Soto said she would like to study vocal performance while training to become a veterinarian. Perfecto has taken classes at a community college and plans to transfer to a four-year university.

But with the summer season already filling up with scheduled gigs, the group is currently focused on their upcoming shows. Of course, they will have to block off a few important dates – like graduation in early June.

From the perspective of a parent, that day will only be the beginning.

“I just want her to be able to make her dreams come true, and their dreams as well,” Maria Capetillo Soto said of her daughter and the band. “She’s so young still, and doesn’t maybe have the whole vision of how much talent she has, but I’m here to support her, and I always tell her that I’m just her number one supporter.”

— Carlos Fuentes covers state politics and government. Reach him at 503-221-5386 or


cfuentes@oregonian.com


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