SANTA MARIA — The Righetti High School Marimba Band & Ballet Folklórico will present its 42ndannual “Big Show” performance on Friday, April 5th, and Saturday, April 6th, at Santa María High School’s Ethel Pope Auditorium, located at 901 South Broadway in Santa María.
Showtime is at 7:00pm.Tickets can be purchased at the Righetti Student Business Office. Advance sale tickets are priced at $10 for all age groups. Tickets may also be purchased at the door before each show for $15.
The “Big Show” is a two-hour program featuring the music and dances of Righetti High School’s Marimba Band and Ballet Folklórico. The program is festive and colorful, and is filled with a great variety of songs and dances reflecting the diverse world of Mexican and Latinomusic and folk dance. The “Big Show” is considered the group’s biggest and best program of the year and has gained recognition as one of the cultural highlights of the Santa María Valley.
This year’s Big Show program will feature:
- 6 Traditional Folk-Dance Regions: Veracruz Huasteco, Guerrero, Sinaloa, Coahuila, Chihuahua, and Jalisco
- Traditional ranchera-style songs
- Classic mariachi tunes
- Cumbiasby Selena, Fito Olivares, Sonora Dinamita, and Los Ángeles Azules
- Son Jarocho
- Contemporary hits:“Recuérdame” from the movie Coco, and “Adiós Amor” by Christián Nodal
This year’s group consists of 33 talented musicians and dancers. The band’s repertoire highlights the richness and variety of Mexican and Latinomusical styles, from traditional Mariachifavorites, upbeat Cumbias, Son Jarocho,Pop Latino,Rock n’ Español, popular hits by contemporary Chicano and Latinomusicians, and a variety of other Latin, Salsa,and Tropicalrhythms. The group emphasizes the beauty and value of preserving traditional Mexican and Latinomusic and dance, and begins each show with Las Gaviotas, the very first song learned by the first group back in 1975.
The Ballet Folklóricoperforms dances from several of Mexico’s most popular regions, including the Norteño states of Chihuahua,Coahuila, Sonora, Nuevo Leónand Baja California Norte. Especially popular are dances from the states of Sinaloa,Veracruz, Nayarit, and Jalisco, each renowned for their brilliant costumes, vibrant and inspirational music, and for the gaiety and joy that they reflect. Many of the songs and dances have been passed on from one group to the next. The general success of the dance group has been that student leaders assume the responsibility of teaching the group, sharing their steps and performance techniques with incoming group members. Another key is that a few extraordinary alumni members play an extra special role, volunteering their time to teach the dances and keep these wonderful traditions alive.
Since 1975, the Marimba Band and Ballet Folklórico has given over 1,700 performances throughout the Central Coast. The group has also done performing tours to Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area. In 1982, the group was invited to perform in Mexico City by Mexico’s Secretary of Education. The group returned in 1984 for performances in Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta. The group has also performed at Disneyland and the Queen Mary. Special honors include participating in the 50th anniversary of the United Nations in San Francisco in 1995; helping Santa María win “All-America City” honors in Mobile, Alabama in 1998; representing Santa Barbara County at the 1999 Inauguration Celebration of Governor-elect Gray Davis; and performing for talk show hostess, Cristina Sarálegui in 2005. The Ballet Folklórico has also performed at the Santa Barbara Mariachi Festival on three occasions since 2007 with headliners Beatriz Adriana, Yolanda del Río, Aida Cuevas, Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán and others.
Throughout its rich 40-plus year history, the Righetti High School Marimba Band and Ballet Folklórico has distinguished itself by developing a tradition of quality and excellence in presenting Mexican folk dances and music. We sincerely appreciate your continued interest in and support of our group. ¡Muchísimas gracias!