Mariachi magic at Dodger Stadium: How the music brings culture, tradition and passion to fans
LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Mariachi music is a staple in Mexican American culture, especially in Los Angeles, and one place where you can certainly feel the magic of tradition is inside Dodger Stadium.
"I feel so happy that we're representing our culture. Mariachi and mariachi music brings happiness to everyone," said Julian Torres, a Mariachi artist signed to Death Row Records who occasionally performs at the stadium.
Torres was born in Hawthorne to Mexican parents, who introduced him to the Mariachi genre at an early age. According to his website, one of his proudest moments was to sing both the American and Mexican National Anthems in the presence of his parents at Dodger Stadium.
"Obviously, you're in L.A. so you have so many cultures happening," he said. "The biggest culture is 'cultura Mexicana.' I love performing here. I feel like I'm at home."
Even Dodgers' pitcher Joe Kelly, who stole the show in 2020 when he wore a Mariachi jacket to the White House to celebrate the teams' World Series win, knows how special the music is to the culture.
"The commercial always comes on now on bobblehead night and somebody's son always walks around goes, 'Mariachi Joe,'" said Kelly with a smile. "So that's the hit right now in the Kelly household."
For Anisette Noperi, who plays the violin for a local Mariachi band, there's power in each song.
"I'm very proud to say that I'm Latina and I could be here representing Mariachi women," she told Eyewitness News before a performance at Dodger Stadium. "I love the Dodgers. Even if you've never heard Mariachi music, you're going to remember it because of the way it makes you feel."
And that's the magic of the music.
