BOSTON – Mariachi music has been Adrian Longoria's passion since he was a child. The Houston-born 21-year-old has performed for packed wedding receptions, private business parties and in dark corners of Mexican restaurants.
By all accounts, the violinist/guitarist, whose family is from Guanajuato, Mexico, could have just formed a steady and successful mariachi group in Texas. But Longoria said he longed to learn jazz, musical arrangements, and acoustic rhythms. So, with the encouragement of his sister, he applied to the Berklee College of Music.
Attracting Latino students like Longoria has been part of Berklee's plans to diversify its student body. But now the school has launched an even more aggressive effort to recruit more and be a dominant force in music education in Spanish-speaking countries.
Berklee staged a concert this week in Mexico City with students and alumni from Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Colombia, Uruguay and Puerto Rico. It was the first time the Boston college had staged such a concert outside the United States.
Performers included Latin Grammy nominee and Berklee alum Alexander Acha. The concert is scheduled to be broadcast on Televisa at least three times all over Latin America.
