OAK CLIFF FILM FESTIVAL 2023 REVIEW! As a way to hold on to the Mexican-American culture along the border, the state of Texas has sanctioned Mariachi as a school program. It holds state and national competitions each year. Filmmakers Alejandra Vasquez and Sam Osborn tell the tale of one school’s Mariachi program in the documentary, Going Varsity in Mariachi.
The feature-length film is the story of Edinburg North High School’s Mariachi Oro, led by their director Abel Acuña. Our story picks up as schools return to a regular schedule after the Covid lockdowns. The school’s mariachi program was decimated after the group’s juniors and seniors graduated and after not having a traditional program for two years.
Led by their team captain Bella, a graduating senior who wants to make the most of her final year in Mariachi, the Mariachi Oro is in somewhat of a rebuilding pattern. The band is split into three sections: strings, trumpets, and the rhythm section, known as armonías, consisting of acoustic guitars and a harp.
The school is at a disadvantage this year as many of the members are new to mariachi, mainly one student, Drake, who plays the guitarrón—the bass guitar and foundational to the band’s overall sound. Drake has been playing the guitarrón for only a few weeks.
The documentary’s narrative follows Mariachi Oro as they prepare for their first national competition and then state competitions to their final destination, the state finals. The road to victory (if there is one) is paved with hardships. The first rehearsal doesn’t sound so great… it’s awful. The school then fails to place at the national competition while overshadowing its rival schools. Lastly, the aforementioned Drake is kicked out of the band for not attending practice. Can director Acuña and his students pull one out of the hat and save their school…and this documentary?
“…follows Mariachi Oro as they prepare for their first national competition…first rehearsal doesn’t sound so great…”
I want to start by discussing the audience for Going Varsity in Mariachi. There are two audiences here. One is fans of Mariachi music. There’s a joy and pride in the film’s participants over connecting with an essential part of the Mexican part of their Mexican-American Culture. Young people can continue the mariachi tradition for generations thanks to school programs like this.
The other audience is fans of documentaries and people interested in still learning about the world around them. I knew little about Mariachi other than the music played at my local Mexican restaurant or a performance or two at Disneyland. Going Varsity in Mariachi serves as a crash course in the history, musical instruction, and cultural significance of mariachi and features impressive performances from the top high schools in Texas.
Of course, there are personal stories as well. Along with Bella and Drake, Going Varsity in Mariachi follows students’ lives as immigrants along the southern border, place high enough to get college scholarships, and a same-sex couple navigating through school and prom, wondering how their love will be accepted outside the classroom.
Coach Acuña also takes centerstage as a mentor to his students. He guides them through the technical process of performing mariachi and how the music has impacted their culture. Make no mistake, Coach Acuña wants to win and refuses to accept anything less than the best from his students. Like a good sports documentary, this is a story of underdogs who find the spirit within themselves to come out on top.
There’s a lot of Texas pride oozing through Going Varsity in Mariachi. It’s a documentary made for the multi-cultural citizens of Texas, who are intimate with the music, and it shows how its appeal spread beyond the Mexican-American community. Like the mariachi music in Texas, Going Varsity in Mariachi’s appeal will spread to fans of documentaries.
Going Mariachi in Varsity screened at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, SXSW Film Festival, and the Oak Cliff Film Festival.