How Orquesta Northwest Is Bringing Youth Mariachi to North Seattle
Young musicians from Mariachi Estrellas del Norte perform at an Orquesta Northwest concert in Seattle, Washington. (Photo: Calebs Media)
From One Workshop to North Seattle Mariachi
You’ve probably heard of the song “Cielito Lindo” byQuirino Mendoza y Cortés, a staple of mariachi music, recorded by various Mexican legends, includingVicente Fernández and Ana Gabriel. In 2024, “Cielito Lindo” helped launchOrquesta Northwest’sNorth Seattle Mariachi program.
North Seattle Mariachi is an afterschool youth mariachi program in North Seattle. Every Tuesday and Wednesday young students gather at Ingraham High School andRobert Eagle Staff Middle School – including many who are learning to play an instrument for the very first time- at no cost. The goal is to provide a welcoming space for young people of all musical backgrounds to learn and practice mariachi music.
The North Seattle Mariachi embodies Orquesta Northwest’s mission: to celebrate culture, build community, and create opportunities for youth to thrive through the beauty of mariachi music.
The project is one of five Orquesta Northwest programs: North Seattle Mariachi Program, Ballard Civic Orchestra, World Youth Orchestra, Cascade Conductors and Composers, Latino Chamber Music Festival. . Orquesta Northwest helps fund and organize while providing the opportunities for artists to lead classes and concerts.
After receiving some funding and support fromIngraham High School andSeattle Public Schools, the organization hosted an in-school workshop at Ingraham High School with local mariachi musicians from the Seattle area. The workshop became a major success and led to the creation of theNorth Seattle Mariachi.
Through the program, Mariachi Estrellas Del Norte was formed, an advanced group of performers that serves as a representative ensemble of the mariachi culture and community at Orquesta Northwest events and concerts around the region.
Music, Identity, and Belonging
Izchel Chacón was there helping teach the students “Cielito Lindo” at the first workshop along with some of her own mariachi bandmates. Chacon is a local mariachi musician and is now serving as orchestra manager and lead mariachi Instructor. Her first interaction with Orquesta Northwest came back in 2018.
“I remember just seeing the orchestra. I loved how small it was. It was a very diverse group of people, and I loved the repertoire that they were playing, and I could see myself on that stage,” said Chacón.
Chacón andPaula Madrigal, director of Orquesta Northwest, both identified the need for a mariachi program in the North Seattle region back in 2024. Chacon is originally from Wenatchee, Washington,where mariachi music has deep roots.
“I grew up listening to mariachi music, but to be honest I never appreciated it once (until) I started playing it,” said Chacón. “Both of my parents are huge fans of mariachi, and being able to do something that I know makes them feel closer to their roots through what I am doing is special to me.”
Chacón can be seen playing alongside her bandmates from Mariachi Guadalajara de Seattle in this Tik Tok.
Young Musicians Become Leaders
In 2026, North Seattle Mariachi officially launched their second afterschool program at Robert Eagle Staff Middle School, focusing on a younger audience. Older students are even stepping into leadership roles and mentoring the next generation of artists.
“These students are now assistant instructors for the middle school program, and then they're also mentoring new students who are just joining the high school program, and so it's nice to be able to have them take on those leadership roles, see themselves as like leaders and teachers, and trusting them with that responsibility, because they're so capable,” said Chacón.
The Meaning Behind the Traje de Charro
Over the past year, the advanced performers of Mariachi Estrellas Del Norte have been fundraising to purchase traditional Trajes De Charro, traditional matching uniforms with tight, ornamented trousers, boots, wide bow ties, sombreros, and short jackets worn by the musicians.
“They've been wearing all black, looking very sharp, but they're ready for trajes, and that's something that again brings a lot of pride to what they're doing to be able to wear a suit that is just like showing who you are and where you come from, and they deserve it. The students deserve it,” said Chacón.
Mariachi Estrellas Del Norte played at the 2026 Orquesta Northwest Annual Gala-Fundraiser alongside other musical groups from Orquesta Northwest. They can be seen here performing some of Vicente Fernandez's most famous songs such as “El Rey” and “Hermoso Carino.”
How the Community Can Support Youth Mariachi
Like many of Orquesta’s programs, North Seattle Mariachi relies on the community to provide these amazing opportunities to students across the region. With all their concerts being free for the public to enjoy, the group is looking for more ways to support the students.
“There are conferences that we would love to be attending every single year. There are workshops, there are instructors that we can bring in for more individualized support on, like, instruments, learning new repertoire. Just learning from others who are experts in the field is invaluable, and things that we need the community's support to be able to do,” said Chacón.
Join North Seattle Mariachi
North Seattle Mariachi class schedules and locations:
Tuesdays | 3:45 PM – 5:15 PMRobert Eagle Staff Middle School1330 N 90th St, Seattle, WA 98103
Wednesdays | 4:00 PM – 6:00 PMIngraham High School1819 N 135th St, Seattle, WA 98133
Violin & trumpet: recommended 1 year of playing experience. Participants with no / limited music experience will be encouraged to learn a traditional mariachi instrument, such as the guitar, vihuela or guitarrón.Other non-traditional mariachi instruments can be accommodated. Find out more about North Seattle Mariachi by contacting mariachi@orquestanw.org.
Article by: By Kevin Ruiz