enter the golden state with real california dairy. damian trujillo: hello and welcome to "comunidad del valle." i am damian trujillo, and today, more opportunities that benefit children on your "comunidad del valle." ♪♪♪ alex padilla: congratulations, damian, on 25 years of hosting "comunidad del valle." not bad for a kid from greenfield with big dreams. your show has helped inform and inspire the greater bay area community by sharing the many vibrant stories of latino leaders, advocates, and families. i'm proud to be a regular guest, due for my next appearance. congratulations again and i wish you many more years of success.

damian: thank you, senator alex padilla. yes, 25 years here on "comunidad del valle," but we're gonna begin with the monthly visit by the consulate of mexico in san francisco. with me, the consul general remedios gomez arnau on "comunidad del valle." consul, welcome back. you were gone all of august. remedios gomez arnau: thank you. i'm so glad to be back with you, damian, and your audience. damian: yes, thank you for being back. well, you know, there's--it's been a rough year and a half for everybody, but it's important, again, to reiterate that your offices are open, remain open. you're making appointments, you're giving out visas like never before. remedios: exactly, please remind that if you need, for example, to apply for a visa, there are many people here in this area that are interested in going and live as permanent residents in mexico, you just need to make your appointment through mexitel. remember, the telephone number is 1-877-639-4835. and we open the appointments every friday in the afternoon.

so please go there to make your appointment if you need a visa or any other consular document. damian: yeah, and our hearts and prayers are with the people of acapulco and guerrero. there was a big earthquake this past week so we hope that everybody there is doing fine. wanna make sure we mention that. but consul, there's still-- we're still celebrating. i can't believe that we're celebrating el grito one more time. it seems like we just did it not too long ago. remedios: well, yeah, and unfortunately, because of the pandemic, we will celebrate this online through our facebook page, but i invite everyone to connect on september 15 at 5 p.m. and also on september 27 i-- at 5 p.m. why are we doing this year two celebrations, two videos, for that? well, first of all, because we are celebrating the el grito that is the beginning of the independence that in-- the beginning of the war for the independence that was in 1810,

so we're celebrating this year the 211th anniversary. but also this year, very big, we are in the bicentennial of the achievement of our independence or of the consummation of the independence and that was september 27, 1821. so this year, 200 years we finally got our independence. and i think california, as other states, should celebrate with us because, just remember, that in 1821 alta california there was the previous name of california was part of the new spain so we both celebrated the achievement of our independence because it was not until 1850 that california became part of the united states. so this is a jointly celebration. i invite you to connect on september 15 and september 27 to our facebook page.

damian: so it's not just a celebrike you said, for the californios and everybody else in the american southwest. remedios: exactly, so i hope you find it entertaining and interesting, the videos that we have prepared for all of you on these two dates, september 15 at 5 p.m., september 27 at 5 p.m. damian: all right, and finally, consul, you all have been very busy in your office, even with the pandemic. you're telling me that you're the second busiest consulado in this side of the border that issues visas. remedios: yeah, i mean, the other one that is busier than us is san diego, but after them, it's san francisco. for some reason, the people in the area that we cover, they're very interested in going to mexico and we welcome all of them, of course, and we are very glad that they are interested in going there and keeping very well connected our-- both sides of the border.

damian: all right, well, we're celebrating el grito de la independencia here on this side and then inviting all americans to do the same because of history between the two countries. consul, any final thoughts before we let you go today? remedios: yes, please. i think we all have to do our part in order to keep our traditions, but mainly to keep the history alive and pass it on to our second and third generations. i think we all should feel proud of the history, whatever it is. it's in the past but it's part of our roots and of our beings, so please don't forget that. damian: all right, thank you so much, consul general de mexico in san francisco, consul remedios gomez arnau. thank you for being on the show. remedios: my pleasure. damian: thank you, welcome back. and again, the information for the consulado should be on your screen. they're right here on folsom street in san francisco. there's the web address. remember, mexitel is the number to call for making your appointments either for your di, your parents, or whomever.

that will be also on the website. we'll be back here on "comunidad del valle" with a competition for youth mariachis here in the south bay so stay with us.

damian: it's an annual youth competition for mariachis and with me on "comunidad del valle" is kathy chavez napoli and shirley trevino. boy, two powerhouses in silicon valley. they're here to--they're doing something good, as always, for the community. ladies, welcome to the show. both: thank you. damian: thank you for being here. well, shirley's on the left and kathy is on the right. we're gonna start with the right, kathy, and then tell us about this event. you've put this on before. it's been a great success. kathy chavez napoli: yes, and what we wanted to do is really showcase in the city of morgan hill and san martin and gilroy the talent we have with the young people playing mariachi. and so this was a way for us to showcase them and we're hoping to continue into the next decades. damian: why is it important, shirley, to do this? i mean, i don't think i need to describe your accomplishments

in silicon valley going back to you and i talking about the chicana movement, if you will, but it's 2021 and you're still going. what is it about this event that lured you in? shirley trevino: well, i think it's threefold. one, that the youth are supported in their effort to continue their education, especially their musical education. as you know, damian, musical programs have been cut in many of the schools and so it's a time to celebrate culturally and musically their efforts. secondly, it's important to celebrate also that the parents have got them involved and are supporting them as well. and thirdly, it's a community as a whole that has created this event so that we could celebrate their successes and show them that there's a large community of latinos and others that support their efforts.

they will be getting money for the different levels, whether they win, and this can help them buy musical instruments and support their musical programs. damian: boy, and this is in morgan hill. i think if morgan hill was divided into a state, it would be a red state, right? and the fact that you're bringing mariachis into morgan hill is really wonderful. but kathy, who can participate? who is eligible? do you have your list already compiled? what are the hitch runs and errors? kathy: well, we would like to welcome young people so, under 20 years old, ideally from the schools surrounding the area but we welcome people from hollister, gilroy, san josé. we welcome all young people who are mariachis or aspiring to be mariachis and so it's any school district, any program that's a private program. everybody's welcome to participate and, because morgan hill is 35% latino,

we really wanna showcase the latino community and the traditions of mariachi. we also have a museum that has exhibits that are showcasing the instruments, the trajes, and the culture and the traditions of mariachi music. damian: all right, well, and you've had this event before and, shirley, are you surprised at the level of talent that some of these kids come with? shirley: that is incredible. the last--right before covid, we had our first celebration for this mariachi festival and competition, and they were so professional. i mean, little children up to, like she said, 20-year-olds, were so professional and, you know, i think that we had over 200 people here that celebrated and supported those little kids and our little latino friends.

damian: and i saw that in the last celebration, you had one of the tigres, tigres del norte, there awarding one of the winners there, and it looks like, kathy, it really is a family event, right? you have a picnic as well to go along with this. kathy: well, that's one of the beautiful things about the latino community. the whole family gets involved. so we have the young people, the folklorico dancers. the youngest was five years old. we have the older students, but it's a family event. this site is a park that's opened from-- will be open from 10 o'clock until 6 o'clock and we welcome everybody to come. bring your picnic lunch or buy something from the food truck. we have free activities for the children, arts and crafts. we have birds of prey from werc, the wildlife education and rehabilitation center, and we have science journaling. we have a lot of activities that are free for the children and families to participate in. it's a time to relax, enjoy the music,

support our young people, and also share that tradition, that culture, that tradition, that we have here with a larger community that's not been exposed to it. damian: and there's still time to sign up if i have my small mariachi group. there's still signing up-- time to sign up? kathy: yes, we have another two weeks we'll keep it open, and we will be welcoming everyone. of course, the later you sign up, we might not be able to put your name in the program but we certainly can put it in the banner and announce it. so, yes, we welcome everyone to participate. and even if you're a beginner, we want those beginners to feel like they're welcome also because one of the beauties of mariachi is that you perform in front of groups, and the earlier you get used to performing, the better, the more comfortable, you are. and that's what we wanna do: we wanna encourage and support our young, musical mariachi performers. damian: all right, well, i can't wait that. we're gonna put the information on the screen. if you'd like more information, you can call.

the number is about to go up on your screen. there it is. it's a youth mariachi competition happening at villa mira monte in morgan hill, and there is the number to call. we'll be back and talk with these young ladies when we continue, stay with us. shirley: thank you.

every single day, we're all getting a little bit better. we're better cooks... better neighbors... hi. i've got this until you get back. better parents... and better friends. no! no! that's why comcast works around the clock constantly improving america's largest gig-speed broadband network. and just doubled the capacity here. how do things look on your end? -perfect! because we're building a better network every single day.

damian: we're back here on "comunidad del valle" with shirley trevino and kathy chavez napoli on "comunidad del valle" and organizing this great youth mariachi competition in morgan hill. and the key word, kathy, is that it's free. kathy: yes, it is free. all the activities are free for the young people, for the performers. you can come and look at our museum, our centennial trail, the house that was built in 1884. but the most important is you get to see our young people performing mariachi music. the best, the beginners, the advanced. we have 'em all. damian: what is it about your generation, shirley, that continues to give? again, i mentioned it's 2021 and here you are still on the board

of lulac in san benito county and you're here, organizing this event for youth. what is it about that generation, the [speaking foreign language] shirley: i think that when i was younger, it was to show the kids in kindergarten that, you know, you could aspire and--to go to college. and now, it's to inspire young latinos and latinas, latinx member and--that you should continue to be involved because change needs to be, you know, kept on through history so that the latino community can be highlighted, like in this mariachi competition, but also to show the larger community that we have a lot to offer. it's not just our food, but, you know, it's our music and the unity that we show as a family when all of us come together and that will be shown and highlighted on october 2.

damian: all right, and the-- who does the judging now when it comes to this, kathy? who's in charge of making sure that, you know, the appropriate mariachi group gets the accolades? kathy: one of our community committee members, helen nijata reyes, who is involved in the community too. i'm very fortunate that i'm on the board of directors for the morgan hill historical society, and this has been my dream to bring in activities for the latino community with the help and support of shirley, the hope--the help of dora mescita and helen nijata reyes, we put this together the first time, and that is to really showcase our community and work together, but also we're lucky that the morgan hill historical society and the county of santa clara has helped fund this effort. damian: all right, and helen knows a thing or two about holding a note, right? she's pretty astute when it comes to music. kathy: she's in charge of the judging and bringing in the judges.

we also have another person who's helped us a lot and that is jonathan clark. he's a professional mariachi who has really helped us to put some of this together. we have an exhibit in our museum of the trajes and the musical instruments of mariachi that will be showcased all this month and part of next month. and then in october, at the end of october, we're gonna have the other los motos so we really are showcasing our community, our traditions that are, you know, centuries old. and so that's what we're trying to do: share it with the larger community because we've been here the longest and we should be showcased. damian: absolutely, well, i took a class at san jose state with jonathan clark and i used to call him [speaking foreign language] because he knew he was it; he knew everything. i don't know why he was a student; he should have been the professor in front of the class. but it's vital--right?--that other organizations are helping you, and the county is helping you, it's a collaborative effort. kathy: yes.

shirley: for example, the [speaking foreign language] at san josé, they're gonna be helping with sponsorship and they'll be also coming to showcase the-- and highlight what they do as firefighters in our community. but you know, damian, i really wanna thank kathy for making sure that the morgan hill historical society has a focus on latinos as well because it's been missing for many, many years. they've been in existence for 50 years and this is the only-- the second time that they've featured latinos and, you know, kathy goes around the schools talking about her american indian, native american heritage. and she does it through this--the society. and so i just wanna tell kathy, my dear friend, that i really appreciate all her efforts and they should not go unnoticed. damian: no, absolutely. i lived in morgan hill for nine years and it's nice

that this recognition of our [speaking foreign language] is alive and well and, you know, it benefits not only us as latinos but it benefits the non-latinos as well. kathy, any final thoughts before we let you go? kathy: we have a lot of activities for the whole family so we have free activities, arts and crafts for the children, prizes for them. we have journaling, science journaling, and we have the tours of the centennial trail, the house itself, and the museum. and most importantly, as the latino community is all about family, this is a family event. you can bring your own picnic, hang out most of the day from 10 o'clock until 5 o'clock and enjoy the music and support our young people. shirley: and damian, i just wanna say that we wanna do a shout-out to our funders who, you know, kathy wrote a grant and santa clara county provided the funds, and so i also wanna say that you, too, can support young

musicians like mariachis by being a sponsor. you can call that number that damian's gonna put on the screen to let us know how much you could--from $5 to $100 to $1000. we'll take it so that we can continue the effort to show our community that we-- you know, it's appreciated. damian: that's wonderful. ladies, thank you so much for spending time with us and for doing what you are doing with the youth there in south county. thank you so much. kathy: thank you for inviting us, thank you so much. damian: door is always open. thank you. and again, for more information you can call the number that's gonna flash on your screen. this is happening in morgan hill, the youth mariachi competition, at villa mira monte. and we'll be back here on "comunidad del valle" with a little bit more music, so stay with us.

damian: if you want to get a hold of us here on "comunidad del valle," you can follow me on twitter. my handle is @newsdamian, on instagram it's @newsdamiantrujillo. you can also pick up a copy of "el observador" newspaper and support your bilingual weeklies all across the bay area. and we thank you once again for sharing a part

of your sunday with us on the show. we're gonna leave you with a interview we did a couple of weeks ago with a local singer. it didn't air because of nbc golf. our show was preempted, but we wanted to bring that interview to you. here is [speaking foreign language] damian: now, with a local singer and he's got a new-- a song out at this point. he goes by the name of severiano. severiano is now my guest here on "comunidad del valle." severiano, welcome to the show. severiano: thank you so much, damian. thank you for having me. damian: thank you for being on. we have video, actually, of you performing the song. tell us about, first, your work and then this latest song that you have. severiano: well, i've been recording for a long time. this is my seventh cd that i'm presenting to you, and the title is "amor de madrugada." and it's set down with mariachi, with [speaking foreign language] from mexico city under the direction of roberto lopez bacerro, which is one of the greatest arrangements in mexico,

and he's been--for the longest time, he was with [speaking foreign language] with juan gabriel, with [speaking foreign language] with all those great, great, great singers from mexico. and i feel very lucky to be with him right now. damian: and what is it that--what is it that excites you about singing the ranchero music when you have mariachis around you? what is it that inspires you? severiano: well, you know, it's--i think it's in my blood because i'm from mexico, as you know, from durango, and from very early on in my life, i listened to the mariachi and i really, really like it. and another opportunity that i had, that i must say right now, is that knowing juan gabriel which is one of the greatest songwriters of mexico, well known around the world, him and i, we had a wonderful friendship and it lasted for at least ten

years, from 1976 to 1986. and when he become very famous, i couldn't get, you know, very much in touch with him. but we continue our friendship until the day he died in 2006. and he inspired me to do and become a ranchero singer because i saw that his style was a little bit more relaxed than the natural cantante mariachi. damian: and where are you-- where do you perform nowadays? where is it that you can hear severiano live and in person or is it--i know tt because of covid, it's hard to get out there but where can people stop to see you? severiano: well, right now, we're preparing this magnificent show that is gonna--i'm gonna have to travel to mexico city to refer to the mariachis and the show is gonna be called

"severiano de mexico," which is going to be--is going to present a lot of my music, a lot of my compositions, a lot of what i've been working to this years and it's gonna be fantastic. i'm opening the concert with a song that i wrote, especially for the late leo guadalupe, [speaking foreign language] guadalupe.* damian: ah, that's beautiful. well, we're looking at some--the video that you provided for us and, you know, you might be nervous, right? before you hit the stage, but once the music starts playing, it's on, right? severiano: yes, exactly. right now, i have the opportunity to present my work in guatemala, which i've been there for two weeks, promoting the cd, "amor de madrugada," which my first cut

that i'm promoting internationally from my latest work with the mariachi. and right now, we're in columbia. we also are in honduras and el salvador. and i'm very lucky, actually, that people have really received my music and my interpretation of the music, you know, with a lot of love, actually. damian: all right, well, severiano is his name and he's performing now all over--well, all over. you know, he's on his way to mexico and he's got a new album out, bay area. a man who has now hit the big states. [speaking foreign language] and good luck to you in the future. severiano: gracias, thank you. damian: all right. ♪♪♪ [speaking foreign language] [speaking foreign language]

♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ [singing in foreign language] [singing in foreign language] [singing in foreign language] ♪♪♪ cc by aberdeen captioning 1-800-688-6621 aberdeen.io

over 150 years of insight and expertise. >> looks good.