Corridos del San Joaquín: A Night of Song, Story, and Community

On Sunday, December 8, the Roosevelt High School Auditorium in Fresno was filled with emotion, memory, and powerful melodies as we gathered for Corridos del San Joaquín. Organized by ACTA and Radio Bilingüe, this concert was the culmination of the Concurso de Corridos del Valle de San Joaquín, a regional songwriting contest inviting community members to submit original corridos—story-rich ballads rooted in Mexican tradition that chronicle the experiences of el pueblo (the people.)

Ten contemporary corridistas—farmworkers, truck drivers, students, educators— took the stage to perform original songs exploring themes of migration, labor, family, and belonging in California’s Central Valley. Some of the finalists performed alongside Las Damas del Valle and Familia Morales, two beloved local ensembles who served as the “house bands” for the concert. Others delivered intimate solo performances, just voice and guitar. The result was a deeply moving, sometimes tearful, sometimes joyful ride through generations of community history. Between sets, the audience joined in for a grito contest and raffle, adding some levity to our jam-packed program.

“Corridos are more than songs—they are living history, a way for communities to tell their stories, preserve traditions, and celebrate identity,” said Amy Kitchener, Executive Director of ACTA. “This concert highlights the voices that shape our region and inspires us to embrace the shared cultural threads that connect us all.”

From young artists like Adrián Sánchez Ávila to retired fieldworkers and teachers like Salvador Mendoza Peña and Salvador Urista Alvarado, these storytellers span generations, geographies, and professions. What unites them is a shared commitment to lifting up the stories that often go untold—through melody, memory, and powerful lyrics. Their corridos speak of home and heartbreak, love and loss, resistance and resilience. Collectively, they offer a sonic portrait of a region where migration is both history and heritage, and where the corrido remains a vital and evolving form of cultural expression.

 

Explore these 10 talented musicians and get to know their remarkable voices:

•  Adrián Sánchez Ávila (Fresno, CA) – A 17-year-old student and seasonal fieldworker who composed his first corrido as a tribute to his father’s migration journey.

  

• 🏅 Félix Arreola (Delhi, CA) – A contractor and proud son of immigrants whose ballad “El Inmigrante” is both a love letter and protest song.
• 🥇 Gregoria Sánchez (Watsonville, CA) – A seasoned vocalist and fieldworker whose deeply personal “Adiós Ranchito” remembers her mother and her hometown.
• Heriberto Jaime Pérez (Visalia, CA) – A truck driver whose pandemic-era love song became a family project and an ode to heartfelt resilience.
• John B. Soto (Fresno, CA) – A prolific songwriter with over 150 compositions, including “Valle de San Joaquín,” which honors the land that welcomed him.
• Martín Rodríguez (Gonzalez, CA) – A former fieldworker and current truck driver whose song remembers a rural hometown and a migrant generation.
• 🥉 Dr. Nelly Paredes (Oakdale, CA) – An educator and advocate whose corrido uplifts everyday laborers—in fields, dairies, construction, and more.

  

• Rodolfo Carranza (Hayward, CA) – A long-haul trucker whose powerful “Fracasos del Inmigrante” shares a cautionary tale from his own border crossing.
• 🥈 Salvador Mendoza Peña (Bakersfield, CA) – A retired oil worker who writes with love and longing for his childhood home, El Chamizal.
• 🏅 Salvador Urista Alvarado (Lagos de Moreno, Jalisco) – A retired teacher whose historical and personal compositions honor unsung heroes, like his father.

The ten finalists were evaluated by a panel of community judges on a mix of cultural connection, thematic relevance, lyrical originality, and musicality for more than $2,000 in prizes. Ultimately, Gregoria Sánchez won first place for “Adiós Ranchito,” Salvador Mendoza Peña won second place for “Canción a mi tierra”, Dr. Nelly Paredes won third place for “Corrido al Valle Central”, and Salvador Urista Alvarado and Félix Arreola won honorable mentions for “Y no poder volver” and ‘El emigrante,” respectively.

We’re honored to celebrate these artists and the enduring power of the corrido tradition. This project not only showcased musical talent—it also amplified the voices of storytellers whose experiences are too often left out of the mainstream narrative.

We’re grateful to everyone who made this night possible—from the musicians and judges to the volunteers and audience members who filled the space with love and applause. And most of all, to the corridistas who reminded us that even in times of challenge, we can still sing.

✨ Want to hear these talented musicians’ corridos? Stay tuned for the launch of our Sounds of California: San Joaquin Valley microsite in 2025, which will include these sonic stories and more!

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Corridos del San Joaquín was presented by The Alliance for California Traditional Arts & Radio Bilingüe, and funded in part by the City of Fresno Measure P Expanded Access to Arts and Culture Fund administered by the Fresno Arts Council, and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

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