Xicano Music Program

The Xicano Music Program strives to promote and preserve the traditional music of the Chicano and Latino people through classes, concerts, festivals and other programming. The Xicano Music Program began initially to teach the basic instruments of mariachi music to students from the West-Side of San Antonio. Since then, it has expanded to provide music and instrument instructions to over 450 students each year. Among the classes offered are guitar, bajo sexto, accordion, trumpet, violin, voice, Latin percussion, and piano.

Each year, the Xicano Music Program sponsors the Tejano Conjunto Festival en San Antonio, the largest festival of its kind in the world to an international audience of over 30,000. Through this festival, the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center strives to conserve the traditional music of Conjunto and Tejano.

Throughout the year, the Performing Arts Series features invited artists in music, stand-up comedy and other performing arts. Annual events of the Series include A Night of Latina Comedy, Valentine’s Day Oldies Dance and Holiday Saxophones. Through this on-going programming, the Xicano Music Program is devoted to increasing appreciation of Latino and Chicano performing arts.

As a member of the National Performance Network, every year the Guadalupe participates in presenting touring artists/companies from Latin America. This opportunity connects artists with communities to help artists make work in their own neighborhoods, and to cross geographic and cultural divides to increase the traffic of fresh, challenging artistic work.

It is the goal of the Xicano Music Program to continue increasing the knowledge and appreciation of the Chicano, Latino and Indigenous culture through accessible exposure of performing arts in the community.