CAMPUS: TAMIU hosts annual El Grito event
Juan Carlos Puente
Editor-in-chief
Published Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024
Celebrating Mexican Independence with its annual El Grito event, TAMIU showcased Mexican culture with food, dance and music.
On Thursday, Sept. 12, Texas A&M International University held El Grito outside the Center for the Fine and Performing Arts. The event featured games, traditional Mexican food and performances from the TAMIU Ballet Folklorico and TAMIU Mariachi Internacional.
Ballet Folclorico dancers perform during El Grito on campus Sept 12, 2024.
Ballet Folklorico performed several times, from beginners to advanced dancers and a soloist dance. The performance began with indigenous dances from Azteca to represent Mexico City with the mariachi performing traditional songs between them. Soloist Alexa Sanchez performed La Bikina with the beginning and advanced dancers doing other traditional dances.
“Really what it means to us is that we are representing our heritage, our customs, our traditions and our ancestors,” TAMIU Ballet Folklorico Director Nayeli Lopez said. “We’re representing Mexico through dance, and I think that’s what this event is really about—making people happy and representing Mexico.”
As for the TAMIU Mariachi Internacional, this was the group’s second time attending the event and collaborating with TAMIU Ballet Folklorico.
TAMIU Mariachi Internacional Director Carlos Castañeda spoke about the special nature of this event.
“This helps the community because a lot of them are Mexican-American, especially here in Laredo, so they like to be brought back to their Mexican roots and celebrate such an iconic date,” Castañeda said.
The event also offered insight into Mexican culture for those who are not from the area, or the country. Multiple foreign students attended and were able to see and experience some of what Mexican culture has to offer. TAMIU student Fakhriya Suleymanova mentioned how the event affected them.
“As an exchange student, I don’t have information about Mexican culture,” Suleymanova said. “It is a great experience for me to get info on the culture.”
Another student, Azucena Lira, said their favorite aspect of the event was the dancing and mariachi.
“I like how they show our culture,” Lira said, before adding later that they enjoyed going with friends and celebrating their heritage.
For more information on future events, interested persons may visit the TAMIU Campus Activities Board website, as well as follow them on Instagram at txamiucab1.
