Los Changuitos Feos is the group that started Tucson’s youth mariachi movement, and very likely kicked it off around the country as well.

Founded in 1964, the group toured widely, broke down racial barriers and created the concept of the youth mariachi not just as a cultural touchstone but as an Avenue toward higher achievement through its scholarship program.

It has experienced good time and lean but continues with strength and resilience.

I admire this group so much, not just for the scholarship but for the pride and high musician standards it has insisted upon and instilled in generations of young musicians.

Looking at the current crop that performed at the Tucsón International Mariachi Conference Student Showcase at the San Agustin Mercado Annex on May 22, one is struck by the number of students who also play in other groups at their schools. Mind you, academic standards are high in all of these groups and the performance demands of being in a youth mariachi are never ending. And yet they juggle it all in normal years and pandemic times without compromise to their musicianship, dedication to their community and pride in their culture.

Here’s a few extra shots from the TIMC event.

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