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News • New Mexico • United States • 2011-10-28

18TH ANNUAL LC INT\'L MARIACHI SPECTACULAR CONCERT ANNOUNCES VIKKI CARR TO HEADLINE WITH MARIACHI SOL DE MEXICO DE JOSE HERNANDEZ® & MARIACHI COBRE TICKETS STARTING AT $28 AT TICKETMASTER.COM!

Las Cruces, N.M. - The Las Cruces International Mariachi Conference (LCIMC) presents its 18th Annual Spectacular Concert, 7:30 p.m., Saturday, November 12, 2011 at the Pan American Center at New Mexico State University. Vikki Carr will headline this year\'s concert, accompanied by Mariachi Sol de Mexico de Jose Hernandez® from Los Angeles. Also appearing will be Las Cruces favorites, Mariachi Cobre from Walt Disney World in Orlando, FL.

\"Grammy award winner, Vikki Carr, is not only a talented performer, but also a supporter of educational and cultural arts programs, such as the LCIMC. We are so pleased to welcome Vikki Carr to the 18th Annual Spectacular Concert and appreciate her acknowledgement and support of our youth Mariachi Music and Folkloric Dance program,\" according to Phyllis Franzoy, LCIMC Director.

Spectacular Concert is Cultural Event

\"The Las Cruces International Mariachi Conference is one of the most exciting cultural events of the year and attracts visitors from the regional Southwest and across the United States,\" Franzoy said.

The Spectacular Concert will feature international recording artists performing with world-renowned Mariachi groups at NMSU\'s Pan American Center in Las Cruces. The Spectacular Concert showcases over 750 workshop students in performance with world-class musicians and dancers during the staged opening numbers.

An audience of over 7,000 is expected to attend the Spectacular Concert highlighted by featured vocalist, Vikki Carr, and renowned entertainers Mariachi Sol de Mexico de Jose Hernandez®, and Mariachi Cobre Past performers at this cultural event include Aida Cuevas, Pepe Aguilar, Lola Beltran, Ana Gabriel, Vikki Carr, Linda Ronstadt, Alicia Villarreal and Pedro Fernandez.

Vikki Carr, Featured Vocalist

Vikki Carr is one of the best loved and most accomplished entertainers in the United States, Latin America and Europe. This year marks the fifth decade of a career in which she has won three Grammy

Awards and has released over 60 bestselling recordings. She has performed for the Queen of England, five United States Presidents, wartime soldiers in Vietnam and sold out audiences around the world. She has worked in radio, television, film and theater. Her music embraces two languages and she is among the first artists to bridge the cultures of the United States and Latin America, paving the way for many performers today.

Born in El Paso, Texas, and raised in Southern California, Vikki Carr, the eldest of seven children, began performing at the tender age of four singing \"Adeste Fidelis\" in Latin, at a Christmas program. She was signed to a contract with Liberty Records in 1961 and recorded \"He\'s A Rebel\" which first became a hit in Australia. That title was quickly followed by the unforgettable release, \"It Must Be Him,\" which charged up the charts in England, followed by \"The Lesson\", \"Can\'t Take My Eyes Off of You\" and \"For Once in My Life.\" In 2008 she was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Honors by the Latin American Grammy Foundation.

The diversity of Vikki\'s voice is impressive, whether singing the blues or touching the heart with a soft romantic ballad. Frank Sinatra said, \"She possesses my kind of voice\"; Dean Martin called her \"the best girl singer in the business;\" and Bing Crosby and Ella Fitzgerald named her among their three favorite female singers of all time. Elvis Presley was also very fond of her and even remarked on stage in Las Vegas many times that Vikki Carr was one of his favorite singers and that he liked her because, \"she sang from the gut\" and introduced her at many of his personal appearances in which she attended.

Vikki Carr has received too many prestigious awards to list. In addition to the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, these honors include the 2005 National Hispanic Media Coalition Impact Lifetime Achievement Award, 2003 Latino Spirit Award, 2003 Tito Guizar Award, 2002 Trefoil Award, 2000 Inductee, Latino Legends Hall of Fame, 1998 Imagen Foundation \"Humanitarian Award, among many others.

Respected as both an artist and a humanitarian, Vikki Carr devotes time to many charities including The United Way, The American Lung Association, Cancer Therapy and Research Center, The Muscular Dystrophy Association and St Jude\'s Hospital. For 22 years she held benefit concerts to support Holy Cross High School in San Antonio. In 1971 Vikki established the Vikki Carr Scholarship Foundation, dedicated to offering college scholarships to Latino students in California and Texas. To date, the Foundation has awarded more than 280 scholarships totaling over a quarter of a million dollars.

\"My voice is a gift and a gift is nothing unless you can share it. The Foundation is one of the ways that I am able to share my gift,\" said Carr. \"The Foundation seeks to help young Mexican-American students achieve their goals through a college education, something I myself was never able to do.\" This year marks the fifth decade of this highly successful and multi-faceted career. To mark this accomplishment she has teamed with mariachi master Mr. Jose Hernandez and his Mariachi Sol De Mexico to produce a 50th Anniversary Album. The recording includes new songs as well as recognizable standards featuring lush string and vocal arrangements by Mr. Hernandez.

Mariachi Cobre Returns to Celebrate 40th Anniversary

Returning for the 18th Annual LCIMC Spectacular Concert, Mariachi Cobre from Walt Disney World in Orlando, FL is popular throughout the Southwest. The group, a mainstay to the LCIMC\'s educational programs, is celebrating their 40th Anniversary this year. \"LCIMC is proud to acknowledge Mariachi Cobre on this significant Anniversary, and we wish them many more years of performance and service as Mariachi Ambassadors,\" Franzoy stated.

Since 1982, Mariachi Cobre has delighted visitors at the internationally famous EPCOT. For the past 31 years, Mariachi Cobre has served as clinicians and lead instructors at international Mariachi conferences and festivals in the Southwest, including the LCIMC. Professional musicians at the symphonic level, Mariachi Cobre has performed with symphonies throughout the United States and recorded with the Boston Pops.

Founded by brothers, Randy and Steve Carrillo and friend Mack Ruiz, in Tucson, Arizona, Mariachi Cobre\'s roots are still entrenched in the Southwest. Mariachi Cobre has performed in both national and international venues, and has accompanied popular vocalists including Lola Beltran, Linda Ronstadt, Pepe Aguilar, Pedro Fernandez, Ana Gabriel, and Graciela Beltran.

Mariachi Sol de Mexico de Jose Hernandez®

Established in 1981, Jose Hernandez created an ensemble to reflect the passion of the rich cultural heritage to which he belonged. Raised in a family of musicians, Jose envisioned setting the Latin music world on fire, incorporating new sounds, ideas and original rhythms to create unique musical arrangements in the Mariachi genre. His intensity has expanded the boundaries of Mariachi music to new levels. Jose Hernandez has recorded with some of the most respected names in the industry, including Jose Feliciano, Selena, Vikki Carr, Luis Miguel, the Beach Boys, Lola Beltran, Rocio Durcal, Brian Adams, Lucha Villa, Juan Gabriel and more. With his vast knowledge of music history, Jose tantalizes his audience with reflections of a wide range of legendary musicians, ranging from Leonard Bernstein, to Augustine Lara. to Glen Miller, to Jose Alfredo Jimenez.

Based in Los Angeles, Mariachi Sol de Mexico de Jose Hernandez® is an international institution and cultural icon that symbolizes eclectic musicianship and cross-generational communal joy. The group has performed internationally in renowned venues, including symphony and concert performances.

Las Cruces International Mariachi Conference

The LCIMC, now in its 18th year, is a popular cultural event that focuses on education and entertainment. Approximately 750 students of all ages have an opportunity to attend the annual five-day Conference, with educational workshops in mariachi music, voice, and folkloric dance. The workshops offer a quality educational experience through a unique cultural arts program. All proceeds from the annual event support educational scholarships that improve the quality of life across southern New Mexico.

According to Franzoy, the primary mission of the LCIMC is to provide educational workshops in Mariachi Music and Folkloric Dance and performance opportunities for youth. The LCIMC is a fine arts program, and LCIMC embraces music, dance, visual, theatrical and performance arts.

Franzoy stated, \"Cultural arts performances bring quality of life to our community and strengthen the cultural ties to our Southwestern heritage.\"

\"In addition, the regional community realizes the economic impact of cultural tourism, and the business community enthusiastically supports this event,\" Franzoy stated, \"And we acknowledge their assistance with LCIMC as we celebrate its 18th year. We invite the community to join us in \'Celebrating tradition and Preserving Culture\'\".

Additional information can be found online at www.lascrucesmariachi.org and by calling 575-525-1735. Tickets for the Conference start at $28 and can be purchased at Pan American Center Ticket Office: 575-646-1420 and Ticketmaster: 1-800-745-3000 or www.ticketmaster.com.

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