Mariachi bands from the Kern High School District are coming together to celebrate Mexican Independence Day in a night full of music and culture that will also help fund a once-in-a-lifetime trip to New York.
The student performance is scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 16 at 5 p.m. and will feature multiple school mariachi programs and choirs, including Del Oro High School's Mariachi Rayos de Oro, Arvin High and Foothill High.
For students like Klarissa Soto, a senior at Del Oro High School, the performance represents weeks of dedicated preparation.
"I'm kind of nervous, very excited though because we've been practicing this special for a while, so I'm really excited just to perform it," Soto said.
The event holds special cultural significance for many participants. Estefany Cano, also a Del Oro student, says the music creates a meaningful connection to her family's heritage.
"It means a lot because my parents are from Mexico and playing the songs they grew up listening to and things like that, I just feel like it connects me closer to them and I think it's great," Cano said.
Beyond celebrating Mexican Independence Day, the concert serves as a crucial fundraiser. All proceeds will help Kern High mariachi and choir students pay for their upcoming performance at Carnegie Hall in New York next year.
For many students, this represents their first opportunity to travel outside California.
"It means a lot to us because I think most of us haven't gone out the states because our families can't travel a lot and it just costs a lot of money and knowing that we're fundraising for this it's just amazing to have the ability to be on a plane or something," Cano said.
The community is invited to attend the student performance and support these young musicians as they work toward their Carnegie Hall debut.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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