Canciones del San Joaquín concert not to be missed

Would you like to hear music by renowned San Joaquin Valley folk singers and songwriters, creators of songs of celebration, resistance and survival in genres such as mariachi, conjunto norteño, traditional chilenas, son jarocho, nuevo canto, Latin rock, Afro-Latin jazz and rap mixteco, then we invite you to join us at the Canciones del San Joaquin event.

The Alliance for California Traditional Arts (ACTA) and Radio Bilingüe invite you to the Canciones del San Joaquin concert, a one-night-only event celebrating the rich culture and music of the San Joaquin Valley.

The event will take place on Saturday, June 7, 2025, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m., although you can arrive earlier because doors open at 4:00 p.m., at the Fresno Memorial Auditorium, 2425 Fresno St, Fresno, CA.

To encourage you to get to know and enjoy the stories and diversity that is lived day by day in this San Joaquin Valley, he presents this excerpt from the song Quibo Raza by Agustin Lira who was born in Torreon, Coahuila, Mexico. His family moved to California when he was seven years old to follow the crops with his fellow farm workers through the San Joaquin Valley.

Beginning at the age of 19, Agustin Lira co-founded El Teatro Campesino with Luis Valdez. Lira blended Mexican song traditions such as ranchera, huapango and bolero with Anglo-Saxon folk and popular musical forms to create his own music.

What we hear is the song El Inmigrante by Agustín Lira, another sample of his talent.

Next, I present Mariachi Mestizo with the song El Cascabel, coordinated by Juan Morales and he is another artist performing at this San Joaquin Concert. Following the family tradition, Juan Morales began playing the guitar at an early age, his interest in the harp came later when his father, who was born in Veracruz, Mexico, taught him about his heritage, traditions and music. While studying music at the University of Guadalajara, he received his first lessons on the Mariachi harp, While studying music at the University of Guadalajara, he received his first mariachi harp lessons from a blind street musician who used to play outside the Degollado Theater. Later when he transferred to the Arizona State University School of Music in 1986, Juan Morales had the opportunity to study with Mr. Arturo Mendoza, harpist for the popular Mariachi Vargas.

He also became a professional vihuelista with Mariachi Sol de Mexico, and now dedicates his talents to passing this musical tradition on to the next generation by teaching mariachi classes in school.

Also coordinates student youth group Mariachi Mestizo wins 2nd place in the Batalla de Mariachis youth mariachi competition.
Alpine, California, June 2004

And with this music I remind you that we have the concert “Canciones del San Joaquin” is part of ACTA’s Sonidos de California San Joaquin Valley initiative and Radio Bilingüe’s renowned folkloric singer songwriters will present 10 new songs commissioned from local artists that include diverse musical genres.

We have a date on Saturday, June 7 at the Fresno Memorial Auditorium at 2425 Fresno Street from 5 to 8 PM.

Songs of the San Joaquin is a musical collection that celebrates the depth and diversity of the San Joaquin Valley through the voices of its own artists.