Ruby Flores first heard mariachi as a young girl at a family party. Her aunt had just arrived in the U.S., and the family wanted to celebrate their Mexican roots.

The music captivated her: the unpredictable sounds of violas and guitarrónes, the upbeat melodies, and the ‘grito’ of the singer at the song’s climax.

But she couldn’t understand the lyrics. She had grown up speaking English, not Spanish.

“ I grew up a ‘no sabo’ kid, being in the United States. My mom really wanted me to be, you know, a United States citizen and kind of conform to their norms,” Flores said. “I grew up with a lot of the traditional things, but it just didn’t feel like I was as connected to it.”

At least, not until she wandered into the mariachi class offered by Denver’s Metropolitan State University.

The firs

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