The reviews are in, and we're thrilled to announce that the 2009 San José Mariachi and Mexican Heritage Festival was a huge success! We broke previous attendance records, and our net revenue almost doubled from 2008. During these tough economic times, that is a true testament to the power of Sí Se Puede!
But don't take our word for it -- see what the local press had to say. Check out this editorial from the San Jose Mercury News, as well as this column by the Merc's Sal Pizarro. There are also two reviews by Metro writer Jack Van Zandt. The first talks about Joan Báez's powerful concert on Sept. 25, and the second (simply scroll down the page) discusses the festival as a whole.
Many thanks to all of our sponsors, stakeholders, artists, volunteers, students, and the public for helping us celebrate our heritage and be inspired by the spirit of César Chávez!
We'll be announcing our 2010 Mexican Bi-Centennial Celebration soon... In the meantime, here are a few festival memories to keep your craving for Mexican culture satisfied.
First, here are two great slide shows from the Mercury News, featuring images of the festival from Sept. 26 and Sept. 27:
The Mercury News also posted a fantastic video about the festival's dancers, which you can view online:
Plus, we've posted this slideshow with more concert pictures, taken at the Joan Báez concert on Sept 25, and at the Concert Tribute to César Chávez on Sept. 27, featuring Little Joe y La Familia, Los Lobos, and special guest Carlos Santana. Check it out!
If you'd like to see more photos (and hear the thoughts of one of our workshop instructors), check out this extensive blog post from photographer and straw-bale construction expert Bill Steen, in which he discusses not only his ongoing work on San José's historic Perala Adobe but also the festival's musical offerings.
And here are a couple photos from our cooking workshops. The cooking workshops were new this year, and we're happy to say they were a great success!
Finally, we'll close with some final images from the festival -- three great performers who worked tirelessly to promote this year's festival: (from L to R) Linda Ronstadt, Joan Báez, and Carlos Santana.
Planning for next year's festival will begin soon, and of course we will continue to bring you cultural and educational events throughout the year. Thanks again for making the 2009 festival such a great success, and stay tuned to find out what's coming next!
Marcela Davison Avilés
President and CEO
Mexican Heritage Corporation mdaviles@mhcviva.org
MCH photos by Dave Lepori, Tommy LaPorte, and Hank Herrera.
2009 Mariachi Festival Sponsors
We would like extend another heart-felt "thank you" to all of the sponsors who supported the 18th San Jose Mariachi and Mexican Heritage Festival. We could not have brought you this fabulous week of music, culture, and education without their help!
Supported, in part, by a cultural affairs grant from the City of San José.
![[ Click to view the slideshow from Sept. 26 ]](images/09festival-slideshow1.jpg)
![[ Click to vew the slideshow from Sept. 27 ]](images/09festival-slideshow2.jpg)
![[ Click to view the Mercury News video ]](images/09festival-video.jpg)
![[ Click to view the slideshow ]](images/09festival-slideshow3.jpg)
![[ Photo from cooking workshop ]](images/09festival-cooking1.jpg)
![[ Photo from cooking workshop ]](images/09festival-cooking2.jpg)
![[ Photo of Linda Ronstadt ]](images/09festival-linda-ronstadt.jpg)
![[ Photo of Joan Baez ]](images/09festival-joan-baez.jpg)
![[ Photo of Carlos Santana ]](images/09festival-carlos-santana.jpg)
