Sacramento State celebrated El Grito, also known as Mexican Independence Day, with a colorful performance from Banda Rorros La Perrona de Sacramento on Thursday, Sept. 15 at the University Union Ballroom.
At the show, 14 members of Banda Rorros entered the ballroom in their matching silver and black tuxedos, and began to stroke their instruments to regale a night of patriotic, home-away-from-home celebration.
“We always try to give 100 percent to what we know how to do,” said Rogelio Diaz, the group’s lead vocalist.
Lalo Aguilar, the band’s trombone player, said he felt especially happy to be performing on campus since a few of his nephews are current Sac State students and others are proud Hornet alumni.
“It’s a very important date, and it’s really a pleasure to come [to Sac State],” Aguilar said. “Living here in Sacramento and having family members that live here, it’s really an honor to come and participate in the festivities for a day like today. It’s really cool because dates like these are very important for us as Mexicans.”
“El Grito,” which in English translates to “The Cry,” is a symbolic event that represents the call Father Miguel Hidalgo made in 1810 for the Mexican people to come together in order to end the ruling of Spain over Mexico, and, as a whole, represents the beginning of Mexican independence.
Sac State has a large number of Mexican students and every year, the university’s UNIQUE Programs hosts a similar event on Sept. 15th. In the past “El Grito” was usually celebrated during lunch hours with the presence of a mariachi band or a smaller-scale “banda,” which means band in English.
“I had been asked by the students and various others why we don’t do this big celebration,” said Ajamu Lamumba, advisor of UNIQUE Programs.”So we’re doing it big this year.”
Since this year’s date fell on a Thursday, UNIQUE decided to host an evening event instead and bring the larger-scale, well-known local band Banda Rorros La Perrona de Sacramento, which had already visited Sac State in 2011.
Many students attended the show and danced until the last note of the last song was sung. Yasmin Velazquez, a freshman kinesiology major, was among those students.
“I think it was such an influential event, due to the fact that they represent our culture and brought our type of music to show others and let them appreciate what we do,” Velazquez said. “I enjoyed it and it made me feel right at home because I grew up with this around me. It made me appreciate my culture and be proud of who I am.”
The banda said it is currently recording its first album and all 14 members will continue to tour the region.