José “Chuy” Hernandez
Mariachi Choir
José “Chuy” Hernandez is a tenor and guitarist with a musical background in classical, mariachi, rondalla and trio. At the age of eight, Hernandez became a member of the Xochiquetzal Boys Choir, headed by Father Salvador Barba Adame in Guadalajara, Mexico, a renowned institution for half acentury. For five years, he was educated in and performed classical pieces by Mozart, Bach, Shubert, Beethoven, and many others in operas and other dramatic performances.
Since 2009, Hernandez has been studying and performing Mariachi music with well-established groups like Mariachi Azteca, Mariachi Tapatio, Mariachi Jaliscience, and others. In 2015, he revisited his classical roots by training in the genre of opera once again. In April 2017, he was a part of an intensive Opera Workshop in Queretaro, Mexico, where he participated in individual and Master Classes with internationally renowned voice professors like Carlos Aransay from the Royal Opera house in London. Hernandez has been a music instructor at The School of Arts and Culture (Mexican Heritage Plaza, on the East side of San Jose) since 2015. He is part of a network of teaching artists serving mainly at-risk youth within the Mayfair neighborhood in East San Jose.
José joined the ACTA family in 2017 and has taught Mariachi Choir at Salinas Valley State Prison.
Listen to José sing in this video from our “Sounds of California: Mayfair” collection, below.
