Mariachi Luz de Oro de Berkeley is the first UC Berkeley mariachi in over ten years. Created in the Fall of 2012 by Estefania Hernandez and Victor Muratalla, the group has grown from the two co-founding members to fifteen active student and community members.
In order to promote the new mariachi, the group’s first couple of performances consisted of Victor singing and playing the violin while Estefania accompanied him with her vihuela. Following these presentations, more students became aware of their intent to create a full and lasting mariachi group were students, alumni, and community members could join and perform for the Bay Area community.
In the Spring of 2013, Mariachi Luz de Oro was officially established as a student-run organization in the UC Berkeley campus and became AUSC sponsored. Its leadership roles were democratically established to consist of two Co-Chairs, two Public Relations Representatives, one Treasurer, one Historian, and one Secretary.
As of now, Mariachi Luz de Oro de Berkeley has not disappointed their audience with their presence and performances. The group has performed at several charitable and private events in the Bay Area, and has also hosted their own community celebration events. As the group continues to grow, the mariachi and its members are achieving a stronger bond within the Berkeley and Bay Area community. The group is now composed of members from different ethnical and cultural backgrounds, and the variety of the audience and frontiers of the admirers has expanded. The fields of study of the members are also very diverse: their majors range from Music to Mechanical Engineering.
Ultimately, Mariachi Luz de Oro de Berkeley aspires to continue growing and having a long-lasting group that influences the lives of the youth in the community for the better, and to increase the musical and multicultural awareness of students, staff, and community members.