Mariachi Los Tiburones Keeps Tradition Alive at the Beach

Mariachi Los Tiburones hopes to bring the music of our culture to the university. Photo by Kobe Lopez.

As Ariana Hernández read her sheet music in the music halls of Cal State Long Beach, each note flew off the page with every dip of her bow into the horsetail-made strings. The mariachi-style music flowing from her violin brings her back to a nostalgic time in her childhood. She knew she wanted to pursue music since she joined a mariachi group in eighth grade, and when her college didn’t have a similar group, she stepped up to keep the tradition alive.

“My mother always played mariachi music when I was a kid, so it is truly a part of me,” said Hernández.

Her mother and those early memories inspired Hernández to found CSULB’s Mariachi Los Tiburones, a group of student musicians with a strong connection to the traditional music genre. The violinist created a full board of five members including Vice President Justin Jiménez, Treasurer Marla Lorillo Farfán, Publicity Chair Alejandro Esparza and Secretary Ryan Gallagher.

The club officially launched in March 2023 after overcoming the hurdle of finding an advisor. They had their first performance later that year in April and have since played at different CSULB events like Latinx Week of Welcome.

Vice President Alejandro Esparza plays the guitarrón and joined the club when Hernández started forming the group in 2022. Esparza is extremely passionate about his love for music and acts as the musical director for the band. The guitarrón player takes practices very seriously and prepares the music ahead of time for practices.

The band practices for hours every Tuesday as they prepare for their upcoming show. Their focus on maintaining the mariachi tradition remains strong throughout the performances. The band’s favorite song to play is a piece called “El Todo Viejo.” Some of the band's regular songs include “El Son de la Negra,” “El Relámpago” and “Las Mañanitas.”

“We are really starting to finally analyze and get that song completely and learn every part,” said musical director Esparza.

Kate Martínez is a fan of mariachi and it’s been a part of her life for as long as she can remember. She reminisces on the times her grandma and her dad would sing “Hermosa Cariño” by Vincente Fernández—one of Los Tiburones’ regular songs now. The club has brought Martínez’s nostalgic childhood memories to her university campus.

“Every time I hear the song that my grandma used to listen to, [it] brings me joy,” Martínez said.