José L. Hernández (born 27 August 1958) is a Mexican

mariachi Mariachi (, , ) is a genre of regional Mexican music that dates back to at least the 18th century, evolving over time in the countryside of various regions of western Mexico. The usual mariachi group today consists of as many as eight violins, t ...

musician. Hernández is the youngest of eight children (Esteban and Maria Eva Hernández, parents). He is the founder o
Mariachi Sol de Mexico and also Mariachi Reyna de Los Angeles
America's first all-female professional mariachi ensemble.

Career

Hernández has worked with many famous musicians in Latin music, including

Selena Selena Quintanilla Pérez (; April 16, 1971 – March 31, 1995), known mononymously as Selena, was an American Tejano singer. Called the " Queen of Tejano music", her contributions to music and fashion made her one of the most celebrated Mex ...

Luis Miguel Luis Miguel Gallego Basteri (born 19 April 1970) is a Puerto Rican-born Mexican singer, often referred to as ''El Sol de México'' (The Sun of Mexico), which is the nickname his mother gave him as a child—"mi sol". Luis Miguel has sung in mu ...

Linda Ronstadt Linda Maria Ronstadt (born July 15, 1946) is a retired American singer who performed and recorded in diverse genres including rock, country, light opera, the Great American Songbook, and Latin. She has earned 11 Grammy Awards, three American ...

Vicente Fernández Vicente Fernández Gómez (17 February 1940 – 12 December 2021) was a Mexican singer, songwriter, actor, and film producer. Nicknamed "Chente" (short for Vicente), "El Charro de Huentitán" (The Charro from Huentitán), "El Ídolo de México ...

and

Lola Beltrán María Lucila Beltrán Ruiz (7 March 1932 – 24 March 1996), known professionally as Lola Beltrán, was a Mexican actress and singer. Beltrán is and was one of Mexico's most acclaimed singers of Ranchera and Huapango music. She made the ...

. He is a mariachi leader in the United States and is recognized internationally as an innovative force behind mariachi music over the last thirty years, both musically as well as in mariachi education. He immigrated to the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

when he was four years old and spent his youth growing up in

Pico Rivera, California Pico Rivera is a city located in southeastern Los Angeles County, California. The city is situated approximately southeast of downtown Los Angeles, on the eastern edge of the Los Angeles basin, and on the southern edge of the area known as the ...

. He began to sing aged four and played trumpet in his school's music program at age ten. His interest in music eventually led him to study arranging and composition at the Grove School of Music in Hollywood 1979 to 1982. Hernández is owner of the Mexican cuisine restauran
Casa del Sol
in Tustin, California (formerly Cielito Lindo Restaurant in

South El Monte, California South El Monte is a city in the San Gabriel Valley, in Los Angeles County, California, United States. At the 2010 census, the city had a population of 20,116, down from 21,144 at the 2000 census. Geography According to the United States Cen ...

), established in 1986. In 1991 he founded the Mariachi Heritage Society, a non-profit organization whose purpose is to teach mariachi music to children. Over 7,000 young people have been served through this successful music program. Hernández married Teresa Alicia in 1979, and they have four children: Karina born in 1986, Melody born in 1991, and twins Cristian and Crystal born in 2000. His daughter Melody is following in her father's footsteps by pursuing a career in music. He also has a son, Alex Estrada, who is the singer of the band Silver Snakes. He received a Grammy nomination in 2001 for ''Tequila con Limon''. Among others, he has arranged and produced recordings for Vikki Carr,

Jose Feliciano Jose is the English transliteration of the Hebrew and Aramaic name ''Yose'', which is etymologically linked to ''Yosef'' or Joseph. The name was popular during the Mishnaic and Talmudic periods. * Jose ben Abin * Jose ben Akabya *Jose the Galile ...

, and Shaila Durcal José Hernández serves as a mariachi education consultant for Music Education Consultants, Inc. Through the Conn-Selmer Company, Hernández has developed the Bach Stradivarius Trumpet LR19043B, released at the NAMM Show in January 2013. Since 2012 he has operated the Summer Institute for performers. Mariachi Sol de Mexico continue to tour and have performed throughout Europe, Asia and Latin America. Jose Hernandez and Mariachi Sol de Mexico have played on film scores for

Seabiscuit Seabiscuit (May 23, 1933 – May 17, 1947) was a champion thoroughbred racehorse in the United States who became the top money-winning racehorse up to the 1940s. He beat the 1937 Triple Crown winner, War Admiral, by four lengths in a two-horse ...

, The Wonderful Ice-Cream Suit (1998),

Old Gringo ''Old Gringo'' is a 1989 American romantic adventure film starring Jane Fonda, Gregory Peck, and Jimmy Smits. It was directed by Luis Puenzo and co-written with Aída Bortnik, based on the 1985 novel '' The Old Gringo'' by Mexican novelist Ca ...

(1989),

American Me ''American Me'' is a 1992 American crime drama film produced and directed by Edward James Olmos, his first film as a director, and written by Floyd Mutrux and Desmond Nakano. Olmos also stars as the film's protagonist, Montoya Santana, loosely ...

(1992), Don Juan de Marco,

A Million to Juan ''A Million to Juan'' is a 1994 romantic comedy film starring comedian Paul Rodriguez. It was also his directorial debut. The story is a modern spin on Mark Twain's 1893 story "The Million Pound Bank Note". Plot Alejandro Lopez narrates the ev ...

(1994),

Glory Road ''Glory Road'' is a science fantasy novel by American writer Robert A. Heinlein, originally serialized in ''The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction'' (July – September 1963) and published in hardcover the same year. It was nominated for t ...

(2006),

Beverly Hills Chihuahua ''Beverly Hills Chihuahua'' is a 2008 American comedy film produced by Walt Disney Pictures, the first in the ''Beverly Hills Chihuahua'' series. It is directed by Raja Gosnell and was released on October 3, 2008. The films stars Piper Perabo, Ja ...

(2008, 2011, 2012) and Rango (2011).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hernandez, Jose American male singers Singers from California Living people 1958 births Mexican emigrants to the United States Mariachi musicians American male composers 21st-century American composers 21st-century American male musicians