By Natalia Serrano
Mariachi Las Aguilitas de Davis, April 2025. Photo by Kevin Van Rensselaer.
Tucson’s weekend full of beautiful mariachi music has celebrated its 43rd consecutive year. Since 1983, the Tucson International Mariachi Conference (TIMC) has been one of the largest and longest-running Mariachi Conferences in the United States.
The TIMC hosts four events for the general public to attend and enjoy mariachi. At the root, they offer rigorous courses for mariachis and folklorico dancers to take. These classes range from level one to master’s and have been serving performing youth in the community since their beginning.
Students in these courses are taught by professionals from Tucson and all over the world. Master’s mariachi students get the chance to learn from the “headliner” of that year. Students can begin classes as young as seven years old.
Tucson’s youth groups are to thank for this. Mariachi Changuitos Feos (Changuitos), the oldest mariachi youth group, was founded here in Tucson in 1964. Changuitos started as a premier youth group in Tucson, traveling to Chicago, Mexico and even various trips to Disneyland as a representation of what young and talented mariachis offer in the southwest.
Mariachi Canta & Student Showcase entrance on April 29, 2026. Photo by Natalia Serrano.
Eventually, the members would branch off into an adult group called Mariachi Cobre. Mariachi Cobre was and still is composed of many Changuitos members; they now represent Mariachi music at Epcot in Walt Disney World. Mariachi Cobre was the first mariachi to teach and perform at the TIMC.
Changuitos was just the beginning of youth mariachis in Tucson. Since then, many schools have implemented programs at schools or have started programs for the community. Almost every high school in TUSD has a mariachi program, with a handful of elementary and middle schools joining in on this.
There are also a couple of summer mariachi programs throughout Tucson. Davis Elementary and John E. White Elementary have been giving this opportunity for kids to learn even outside the mariachi classes during the school year.
Mariachi Rayos del Sol de Tucson High on April 30, 2026. Photo by Natalia Serrano.
TIMC offers scholarships to its outstanding mariachi and folklorico students as well. The Elisa Gastellum Memorial Foundation has been offering scholarships since 2008 in honor of Elisa Gastellum. Elisa was a mariachi lover and performer, performing mariachi with Mariachi Los Portillos de Cholla High School. Her memorial foundation offers college scholarships for exemplary mariachi students and TIMC scholarships for Mariachi groups.
Youth groups are only the beginning for mariachis. Mariachis have been represented in traditional media in a big way this year, especially. Bruno Mars’ music video, Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl performance, Thalia’s performance at Billboard Women in Music and Karol G’s Coachella performance, just to name a few.
TIMC offers a space for musicians and enjoyers alike. It gives students a chance to meet people who love music just as much as they do. If you’ve been past Jácome Plaza in Downtown Tucson at the end of April and wondered what goes on inside, don’t be afraid to buy a ticket and enjoy the show.
Local Mariachis practicing 2026 repertoire, April 2026. Photo by Kevin Van Rensselaer.