The sound of rancheras, sones, huapangos, and more will fill The Ford on Saturday, September 14th when Las Colibrí arrives for ¡Viva La Tradición! La Quinceañera. Serving as the chambelanes for the famed all-female string mariachi ensemble will be the similarly revered Mariachi Ángeles de Pepe Martínez Jr. and ranchero singer Julián Torres. The evening will also feature special performances by guests of honor Los Del Momento, a trio bringing the music of Regional Mexican into the present, and Ballet Folklorico Ollín. Tickets for the performance start at $53, but you’ll also have the chance to win a pair during our giveaway. Subscribe to our newsletter to find out everything you need to know about that upcoming ticket giveaway.

Words: Steven Ward

A night with international sensations Las Colibrí

For over a decade, Las Colibrí have been making a name for themselves at mariachi festivals across North and South America, from Boyle Heights to Las Cruces. This immensely talented group of instrumentalists and vocalists merges the heartfelt simplicity of all-string traditions of early 20th-century mariachi music with Mexican cinema of the 1940s and 1950s, bringing to the stage the aura and vibrancy of its feminine divas. Their sets are colorful in more ways than one—weaving in the music of later decades like jazz, rock, and oldies even as they transport audiences back to their childhood with the heart-wrenching tones and swelling rhythms of their strings—the guitarrón, guitar, vihuela, and violin. If you want to experience an internationally celebrated mariachi ensemble who are fifteen years into its prime, you’ll want to be in the audience for Las Colibrí’s next flight.

Celebrate the mariachi roots of Los Angeles with Pepe Martínez Jr.

Joining Las Colibrí will be Mariachi Ángeles, an ensemble led by Pepe Martínez Jr. whose ties to the performance of mariachi music might as well be genetic. The son of “Don Pepe” Martínez Sr.—a highly praised musician who performed for over two decades with Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán—his devotion to mariachi music is a deeply rooted one. With Mariachi Ángeles, he’s gathered together a group of musicians and singers with the intent of spotlighting, preserving, and nurturing that tradition in Los Angeles, a city whose Mexican residents have done just that for generations. Paired with Las Colibrí their performance will represent the selfsame cultural flourishing they hope to inspire.

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Catch rising singer Julián Torres and his stunning voice

The story of Julián Torres is just as awe-inspiring as his vocal prowess: at the age of three, he was already bellowing at tunes, and years later, he found himself in front of the Staple Center (back when it was called that) singing “Amor Eterno,” catching the ear of Grammy-winning producer Fredwreck, and eventually finding himself at another iconic Los Angeles venue, Dodger Stadium, this time performing inside with Mariachi Cenzontle during Dodger games and special events. If you want to get a little preview of how his impressive voice channels all the ecstatic emotion of the bands he performs with, have a listen to “Tragos Amargos” and “Perderte Por Mi Cuenta,” both of which appear on his EP Julián Torres y Mariachi Cenzontle.

Arrive early for Los Del Momento

On a night overflowing with mariachi music arrives Los Del Momento, a band that’s sought to revolutionize those longstanding traditions in a way that both honors their past while embracing their future. Their renditions of sierreño, a genre of regional music from Sonora, Chihuahua, and Sinaloa that’s enjoyed a resurgence in recent years as sad sierreño, unfold as anguished harmonies paired with richly melodious instrumentation. With a growing catalog of songs like recently released singles “Un Millón De Primaveras” and “Por Ti” that showcase their bittersweet charm, the trio are proving themselves to be the very embodiment of the generational sharing of music, culture, and community events like this represent.

Ballet Folklorico Ollín personifies the pageantry and enchantment of Mexican Folk Dance

A night showcasing the ardency of Mexican regional music would be incomplete without experiencing the magic of the dances they exist alongside. To this end, Ballet Folklorico Ollín will emerge as the night’s representative of the eclectic cultural styles of Mexico that find expression in their songs, choreography, and vivaciously colored outfits. From the regal vibrancy of the dances they perform to the beauty of watching such a spectacle play out at The Ford—if you’ve never seen a ballet folklorico company perform on the big stage then this is an absolute must-see. A feast for the eyes and ears that will leave you enthused and mesmerized by the splendor of Mexican culture.

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Make sure you check out the rest of the events taking place at The Ford this season. If you’re looking for more shows like ¡Viva La Tradición! La Quinceañera, here are some performances that might pique your interest: 100 Años de Libertad, ¡FIESTA! with Bob Baker Marionette Theater, Noche de Cumbia:
Son Rompe Pera, Reyna Tropical, and Los Gaiteros de San Jacinto, and Un Fandanguito con Caña Dulce y Caña Brava.