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Marisa Orduño is a mariachi performer, producer, band leader, and teacher whose professional career spans over 35 years, during which time she has been credited with some significant musical firsts.
A graduate of Roosevelt High School, she played bass and percussion in the Latin Jazz Band and was one of the first women to play in the Roosevelt High Mariachi Band when it was formed during her senior year. A few years later she became one of the first women to take up the guitarron, an instrument not commonly played by women. Then later still she went onto assemble Mariachi Mujer 2000, the first all-female professional mariachi group owned and musically directed by women.
Along the way she played in numerous Mariachi groups, including Mariachi de la Tierra here in the Central Valley, and the all-female group, Mariachi Reyna de Los Angeles. These experiences allowed her to develop her skills as a guitarron player and learn the vast Mariachi repertoire.
It was during her time with Mariachi Reyna de Los Angelesthat Marisa conceived of the idea of forming Mariachi Mujer 2000. It stemmed fromthe fact that while all the performers in Mariachi Reyna de Los Angeles were female, the director was male, and all the tunes were from a male perspective.
So Marisa teamed up with violinist Laura Sobrino, a fellow alumna of the Mariachi Reyna de Los Angeles, and scoured the country for talented young women with classical music training. Together, they put together a team that performed for Barack Obama and Oprah Winfrey and at the prestigious Teatro Delgollado in Guadalajara, celebrated as the regional birthplace of mariachi music. They were also one of five musical groups selected to perform at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.
Marisa continues to be a presence at Roosevelt High School and other community activities where she conducts workshops and encourages young women to pursue their musical dreams.
You can learn more about Marisa by connecting with her on Facebook, click here.