TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Tony Ozuna was born and raised in Tucson, but has spent many years building a mariachi community in Chicago.
"In Chicago, they're growing up the same way. Struggling families and a struggling community in Chicago, the same sort of exact experiences that I had," said Ozuna.
One of several success stories, he's bringing his skills back to the community that raised him as one of the instructors at the 43rd annual Tucson International Mariachi Conference.
Many Tucson mariachi performers went through the doors of Pueblo High School. The mariachi program, Mariachi Aztlan, is now directed by John Contreras. Before Contreras, it was Richard Carranza.
"Richard Carranza was one of my first mentors," said Contreras, who was offered the job by his mentor.
Carranza founded Mariachi Aztlan before he went on to become the principal of Pueblo High School, a superintendent for several districts across the country, and eventually, the Chancellor of the New York City Department of Education.
Ozuna also saw Carranza as a mentor during his years at Pueblo High School. He reflected on how he made an impact on his upbringing in Tucson's southside.
"When I met him in high school, I was going through a lot, living there in that environment, and he became like a father figure. He became somebody who went out of his way for me, to help me and to bring me into mariachi, and give me opportunities when nothing else was giving me opportunities," said Ozuna.
This year will be the second year Carranza is back home in Tucson as an emcee for the event. He reflected on how his lifelong experience with the art of mariachi built a path for his success.
"It's always been part of what we do. And when I became an educator, a teacher, and then later an administrator, it always amazed me how people would talk about the soft skills," said Carranza, going into detail on his appreciation. "The soft skills are so important, you have to be able to work on a team. You have to be able to communicate, be a good teammate, to be able to communicate in front of an audience."
For these mariachi musicians, getting to participate in the annual conference brings their experience full circle.
"I was going down the wrong path, and mariachi kept pushing me this way. It's really cool, because I get to provide those things for my students in Chicago. They're relating to mariachi music, as that component that keeps them in school, keeps them safe, lets the students make mistakes," Ozuna described.
For John Contreras, his work as the director of Mariachi Aztlan has kept him in Tucson for over twenty years. Reuniting with his mentor and getting to see his students learn from others from all over the country reminded him of what started his love for mariachi music.
"I wasn't the most fluent in Spanish, and my Nana was very fluent in Spanish. That's all she spoke. But then when I went and serenaded her, and I played her Las Mañanitas, and I saw her cry like that, it hit home with me as a small child. So all of a sudden, I was able to connect with my grandmother on a whole other level than I had ever thought of, and it was through the music," Contreras said.
La Frontera's Tucson International Mariachi Conference is from April 23-26. Several events will be at the Tucson Convention Center. For more information and tickets, visit the official webpage.
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Reyna Preciado is a reporter for KGUN 9, she joined the KGUN 9 team in July of 2022 after graduating Arizona State University. Share your story ideas with Reyna by emailing reyna.preciado@kgun9.com or by connecting on Instagram, or Twitter.
