In Mexico, Christmas is not just a single day, but a whole season of Christmas-related celebrations. Today, the Christmas traditions in Mexico are a blend of indigenous culture, Spanish heritage, and many influences. On Nochebuena (Christmas Eve), it is tradition for Mexican families to attend midnight mass before returning home to a late-night feast that includes foods like bacalao, ham, turkey, tamales, and mole, with ponche to drink and lots of music! Gifts are not usually given at this time, but this is changing with increasing cultural influence from the USA. Santa Claus has started coming to Mexico! In this concert, we’ll go through some of the traditions that people in Mexico celebrate during Christmas time, but keep in mind that many of these customs and their celebration vary across region to region. Many of them are also changing with the influence of other cultures (most notably that of the United States).

Posadas

El Cascanuez

Polkas Navideñas

Nuestra Virgen

Posada En Colima

Popurri de Jose Alfredo Jimenez

Retablo Purépecha - Michoacan

Intermission

Blanca Navidad/Las Olas/El Caporal

Popurri de Vicente Fernandez

Algarabía Mestiza - Nayarit

El Siquisiri/El Gustito

Veracruz

Navidad Jarocha

Mi Cuidad/Tierra Linda

Founded in 2011 by Kareli Montoya, Ballet Folklórico de Los Ángeles (BFLA) has distinguished itself as the nation’s premier Mexican folk dance company. Their skillful dancers have graced world-class venues such as the Anaheim Convention Center, Orpheum Theater, Nokia Theater, Greek Theater, John Anson Ford Amphitheater, Santa Barbara Bowl, Valley Performing Arts Center, the Staples Center, Tempe Center for the Arts and the Rady Shell at Jacobs Park. Since its inception, BFLA has worked with the industry’s finest Grammy Award-winning artists such as Lila Downs, Pepe Aguilar, Mariachi Divas and Mariachi Los Camperos.

They have shared the stage and accompanied mariachi greats like Mariachi Nuevo Tecalitlan, world-famous Mariachi Vargas and Mariachi Garibaldi de Jaime Cuellar. Not shy of any genre, Ballet Folklórico de Los Ángeles has worked with music celebrities like Ana Barbara, Morrissey, Ruben (Cafe Tacuba), Las Cafeteras, Beatriz Adriana, Banda El Recodo, Paquita la del Barrio, Empress Of, and Armenian pop star Lilit Hovhannisyan. This amazing dance troop was the first Folklórico company in the country to accompany symphony orchestras such as the San Bernardino Symphony Orchestra and the Marina del Rey Symphony, both conducted by Frank Fetta.

Media coverage has made BFLA internationally recognized especially after being featured in the 2016 National Geographic Traveler UK edition and with their collaboration with Mitu Network on a Mariachi Remake of Beauty and the Beast’s “A Tale as Old as Time,” featuring Mariachi Garibaldi de Jaime Cuellar and BFLA’s Director, Kareli Montoya. The video went viral on Facebook at 15 million views (and counting)! If you have seen the Pixar “Coco Live” at the Hollywood Bowl or on Disney+, then you have already had the opportunity to see BFLA in action, as they assisted Disney Studios with magical performances during 2017 for the release of “Coco.” They were the folkloristas at the D23 Expo where they performed on stage with Benjamin Bratt, Mariachi Divas and the Grammy®- winning Gordon Goodwin Big Phat Band.

Perhaps you caught them at the Coco Premiere at El Capitan Theatre or even on Dancing With the Stars, “Disney Night.” If you missed those performances we are sure you saw them grace the stage at the 90th Annual Academy Awards alongside Natalia Lafourcade, Gael Garcia Bernal and Miguel with a rendition of Coco’s Academy Award-Winning song, “Remember Me.”

Fundada en 2011 por Kareli Montoya, Ballet Folklórico de Los Ángeles (BFLA) se ha distinguido como la principal compañía de danza folclórica mexicana de Estados Unidos de America. Su elenco ha adornado lugares de clase mundial como el Hollywood Bowl, Estadio SoFi, Centro de Convenciones de Anaheim, Teatro Orpheum, Teatro Nokia, Teatro Griego, Anfiteatro John Anson Ford, Santa Barbara Bowl, Teatro Soraya, Staples Center, Tempe Center y el Rady Shell en Jacobs Park. Desde sus inicios, BFLA ha trabajado con los mejores artistas ganadores de premios Grammy de la industria, como Lila Downs, Pepe Aguilar, Mariachi Divas y Mariachi Los Camperos. Al igual han acompañado a grandes mariachis como el Mariachi Nuevo Tecalitlan y el internacionalmente reconocido Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlan. Tambien ha trabajado con celebridades de la música como Ana Bárbara, Morrissey, Ruben (Café Tacuba), Las Cafeteras, Beatriz Adriana, Banda El Recodo, Paquita la del Barrio y la estrella pop armenia Lilit Hovhannisyan.

BFLA fue la primera compañía folklórica del país acompañar a orquestas sinfónicas como la Orquesta Sinfónica de San Bernardino y la Sinfónica de Marina del Rey, ambas dirigidas por el Maestro Frank Fetta. La difusión de los medios de comunicación  ha hecho que BFLA sea reconocida internacionalmente, especialmente después de aparecer en la edición de 2016 de National Geographic Traveler UK y con su colaboración con Mitu Network en una nueva versión de Mariachi de "A Tale as Old as Time" de La Bella y la Bestia, siendo viral en Facebook con mas de 15 millones de visitas. BFLA colaboro con Disney Studios durante el 2017-2019 para el lanzamiento de “Coco” en eventos como D23 Expo,  el estreno de Coco en el Teatro El Capitán,  Dancing With The Stars, "Noche de Disney,” y la  90va Entrega Anual de los Premios Oscar junto a Natalia Lafourcade, Gael García Bernal y Miguel con una interpretación de la canción ganadora del Premio Oscar, “Recuérdame.” También han colaborado con equipos deportivos como los Rams donde se presentaron en un espectáculo de medio tiempo en el 2022, y con los Dodgers durante los juegos de temporada.

Mariachi Garibaldi de Jaime Cuéllar has enchanted audiences with their dynamic musicianship and lively stage presence for over twenty five years. Founded in 1994 by Jaime Cuéllar, Mariachi Garibaldi’s commitment to providing a quality representation of the mariachi genre has propelled them into becoming one of Los Angeles most recognized Mariachis and arguably in California.

Under the direction of Jimmy “El Pollo” Cuéllar, son of Jaime Cuéllar, Mariachi Garibaldi is considered one of the leading Mariachi ensembles regularly called upon to share the stage with some of Mexico’s most beloved performers such as The Aguilar Family: Pepe, Angela and Leonardo, Juan Gabriel, Alejandro Fernandez, Pedro Fernandez, Espinoza Paz, Paquita del Barrio, Aida Cuevas, Ana Barbara, Steeven Sandoval, Graciela Beltran, Maria Elena Beltran, Yolanda del Rio, Pablo Montero, Mercedes Castro, Humberto Herrera, Beatriz Adriana, Empress Of, and Armenian pop star Lilit Hovhannisyan. Most recently Mariachi Garibaldi were featured performers for Camila Cabello’s Tiny Desk concert performing “La Buena Vida,” truly displaying that mariachi music transcends across all platforms.

Their elevated musicianship has also opened invitations to perform on prestigious stages to sold out crowds, such as the Auditorium Theater in Chicago, Teatro Degollado, Valley Performing Arts Center, The John Anson Ford Amphitheatre, Bakersfield Fox Theatre, The Chandler Center for the Arts, The Smith Center for the Performing Arts, Tempe Center for the Arts and The Gallo Center for the Arts.

Mariachi Garibaldi enjoys a professional partnership with Ballet Folklorico de Los Angeles and together they have entertained thousands of people at sold out venues. Both collaborated with Mitu Network to recreate Disney’s Beauty and the Beast’s “Tale As Old As Time” which catapulted their professional careers and became a viral video with over 15 million views. Their ornate mariachi jacket became a commodity of trade when Dodger pitcher Joe Kelly wore it with honor at the White House.

El Mariachi Garibaldi de Jaime Cuéllar ha encantado ha audiencias con su dinámico talento musical y su alegre presencia escénica por más de 25 años. Fundado en 1994 por Jaime Cuéllar, la dedicación del Mariachi Garibaldi a la alta calidad de representación del género del mariachi los ha impulsado a ser uno de los mariachis más reconocidos en Los Ángeles y se podrá decir en California.

Bajo la dirección de Jimmy “El Pollo” Cuéllar, el Mariachi Garibaldi es considerado uno de los conjuntos de mariachi más destacados, regularmente acudidos para compartir el escenario con algunos de los artistas más queridos de México, tal como, la familia Aguilar: Pepe, Angela y Leonardo, Juan Gabriel (qepd), Alejandro Fernández, Pedro Fernández, Espinoza Paz, Paquita del Barrio, Aida Cuevas, Ana Barbara, Steeven Sandoval, Graciela Beltrán, María Elena Beltrán, Yolanda del Rio, Pablo Montero, Mercedes Castro, Humberto Herrera, Beatriz Adriana, la emperatriz de y también sensación de pop de Armenia Lilit Hovhannisyan  Más recientemente fueron los artistas destacados en el concierto Tiny Desk de Camila Cabello, donde interpretaron la canción “La Buena Vida,” verdaderamente mostrando que la música del mariachi trasciende a través de todas las plataformas

Su alto talento musical les ha aportado invitaciones para presentarse en escenarios prestigiosos con enorme éxito de taquilla, tal como, Auditorium Theater en Chicago, Teatro Degollado, Valley Performing Arts Center, el John Anson Ford Amphitheatre, Bakersfield Fox Theatre, el Chandler Center for the Arts, el Smith Center for the Performing Arts, Tempe Center for the Arts y el Gallo Center for the Arts.

Mariachi Garibaldi disfruta de una colaboración profesional con el Ballet Folclórico de Los Ángeles y juntos han entretenido a miles de personas en lugares con mucho éxito de taquilla. Los dos colaboraron con la cadena Mitú para recrear el baile “Tale As Old As Time” de la Bella y la Bestia de Disney, el cual lanzo sus careras profesionales y resulto en un video viral con más de 15 millones de vistas. Su florida chamarra de mariachi se convirtió en una mercancía comercializada cuando el lanzador de los Dodgers, Joe Kelly, se la puso con mucho honor en la Casa Blanca.

Bert & Candace Forbes

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