With membership dwindling, Rice’s Mariachi Luna Llena seeks new talent

Houston Astros fans in attendance at Minute Maid Park on Sept. 18 were treated to more than just a ballgame. As part of the team’s National Hispanic Heritage Month celebration, Rice University’s Mariachi Luna Llena performed the national anthem.

The group has plenty of practice playing before huge crowds of Houston sports fans. It was the third time the group had been invited to play at an Astros game, and it’s performed at four Houston Rockets games.

Members of Mariachi Luna Llena are pictured Sept. 18 at Minute Maid Park, where they performed the national anthem ahead of the Houston Astros’ game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. (Courtesy photo)

The Rice mariachi has grown in popularity since it played for the first time in 2013, performing at various venues on campus and throughout the Houston community. At one time, the group boasted up to 17 members, and it’s not limited to just Hispanic students. It has been as diverse as Rice itself, including members from Korean, Chinese and Middle Eastern backgrounds. Indeed, the band has earned a reputation for being the most diverse mariachi in Houston — maybe the whole world.

But now the group is struggling to replace many of its members who will be graduating in May because auditions had to be canceled in fall 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, threatening to end the group on a sour note. Health and safety precautions have prevented the Rice mariachi from rehearsing on a regular basis and performances have been few and far between.

“This lack of exposure has put us in a very tough situation,” said Andrea Galindo, research administrator for Rice’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and a lead singer who’s been with the mariachi since it started. “We haven’t been as visible as in previous years, so most of the new generation don’t know about the mariachi.”

Mario Bencomo, Mariachi Luna Llena’s music director, explained that the band desperately needs to replenish its ranks. “The mariachi group requires a constant influx of members to survive, thrive and continue to pass down its tradition,” said Bencomo.

“We have lost many members over the years and have had trouble rebuilding due to the pandemic,” he added. “This year we will be losing more key members of the group, members who want to pass down their years of experience with Mariachi Luna Llena to the new generation. Now, more than ever, we need capable Rice undergraduates passionate about contributing to the diversity of Rice and interested in doing so through Mariachi Luna Llena.”

Now that students are back on campus, the band is going full force to save itself. The mariachi held an in-person information session Sept. 21.

“We need Rice undergraduates!” said Bencomo.

For more information about Mariachi Luna Llena, contact Bencomo at mariachilunallena@gmail.com.