To continue our celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, Los Angeles Union Station (LAUS) in partnership with Metro and several other transportation agencies will bring mariachi music to the community this Friday, September 29 between 10 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.
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For this free event, those in charge of adding a touch of joy are members of the mariachi “Los Servidores,” which translates into English as ‘public servants’, a group created in 2017 and whose members are law enforcement officers.
The group’s founder and vocalist, Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Detective Chris Reza, promises that the must-haves in the musical repertoire will be “Cielito Lindo,” “La Bikina,” “Bésame Mucho,” “Si Nos Dejan” and many more. “We are going to have all-time classic hits,” he adds excitedly.
Reza, who was born and raised in East Los Angeles, says his parents –– originally from Chihuahua and Mexicali, Mexico –– taught him about music. However, the seed of love for mariachi was planted by his mother, who used to sing traditional melodies at home, weddings, and school events.
“She made me listen carefully to the lyrics to understand them,” says Reza. Through his mother, he learned about Vicente Fernández, Juan Gabriel, and Rocío Dúrcal, some of the greatest singers of traditional Mexican music.
“My mom’s favorite song is “El Rey” and that is why it will also be included in our repertoire this Friday,” he says.
While Reza started as a law enforcement officer more than 20 years ago, he never left mariachi aside. “I started with my career, but in my free time I sang at family events, restaurants and I started to take singing classes.”
He says that once you perform with a mariachi group on stage it becomes something you want to do again because it is something beautiful.
This traditional Mexican musical genre is loved and recognized for the contagious melodies that come from trumpets, guitars, violins, vihuelas and other string instruments. Furthermore, in 2011 mariachi was recognized by UNESCO as “Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.”
“For me, it is very important to maintain our culture through music because it is something that identifies us and gives us pride,” Reza says about Hispanic Heritage Month. He adds that, although the members of the group are law enforcement officers, they are also Latinos with Mexican roots. “We do our job, but we don’t forget where we come from…We also identify with our music and with our community.”
So, join us in the musical celebration this Friday! “Come sing and have a good time,” Reza says. “That’s what music does, it makes us connect.”
Event details
When: Friday, September 29, 2023
Time: 10:00 am to 1:00 pm
Where: in Union Station’s Ticket Concourse
For more information visit: unionstationla.com/happenings
How to get there by Metro: take the B (red), D (purple) or A (blue) line and get off at Union Station.
If you need assistance with the Metro system, you can use Google Maps or call Metro at (323).GO.METRO / (323)-466-3876. This service is available in English and Spanish Monday through Friday from 5 :00 am to 9:00 p.m. and weekends from 6:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
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