A Mexican Soundtrack for American Football
A Mexican Soundtrack for American Football
As professional athletes grunted on the football field below, a group of 10 musicians blared into trumpets, sang proudly and glided bows across violin strings. Instead of helmets and shoulder pads, they wore custom-embroidered suits known as trajes de charro, the traditional outfit for a mariachi band.
The group known as the Mariachi Rams performs three times during Los Angeles Rams home games, their music displayed on SoFi Stadium’s large video board.
“It's something that resonates with a lot of the audience,” said Crystal Hernandez, who plays violin in the band and is the daughter of its founder. “Any special event that happens in L.A. or in Mexico, you'll see a mariachi there — any family function, quinceañera, wedding, even funerals.”
After the Rams relocated from St. Louis in 2016, the N.F.L. franchise began integrating elements of the Los Angeles region’s character. The city is about 150 miles …More