Mariachi Reyna de Los Ángeles

Music

Formed 1994

California Connection

• Launched and based in Los Angeles

Achievements

Biography current as of induction in 2026

As America’s first all-women mariachi ensemble, Mariachi Reyna de Los Ángeles has transformed the sound, look, and cultural imagination of the musical tradition. Dazzling international audiences for over three decades, the vibrant group has become a defining force in the historically male-dominated genre.  

Conceived in 1994 by mariachi musician and director José Hernández to provide a north star for young women in his music education nonprofit, the Mariachi Heritage Society, Mariachi Reyna was formed through an open audition call. Debuting to great public acclaim, the ensemble distinguished itself with inventive reinterpretations of traditional mariachi repertoire. Combining musical excellence with dynamic stage presence and artistry, Mariachi Reyna claimed a hard-earned place on major stages in the United States and Mexico.  

In 1998, Mariachi Reyna made history as the first all-women mariachi group signed to a major record label, releasing their debut album, Solo Tuya, the same year. The group has since released six more studio albums, expanding into original works with a fresh, distinctly female perspective. Their landmark 2008 album, Compañeras, earned nominations at both the GRAMMY and Latin GRAMMY Awards. The group’s 2024 release, Alma de Reyna 30 Aniversario, received a Latin GRAMMY nomination for Best Ranchero/Mariachi Album.   

Mariachi Reyna also has reached into popular culture, contributing to the soundtrack for the Disney film Seabiscuit (2003), and making a guest appearance in Cartoon Network’s Victor and Valentino (2022). They were featured in the PBS documentary Compañeras (2008) and selected by the Smithsonian Institute to record an album as part of its Folkways Tradiciones/Traditions Series (2018). They have shared the stage with world-renowned musicians such as Vicki Carr, Lola Beltrán, and Lucha Villa, and performed for Tom Cruise, Oprah Winfrey, and President and First Lady Barack and Michelle Obama, among other celebrities. Mariachi Reyna stands today as the flagship of women’s mariachi, having inspired generations of young women and girls to take up the violin, trumpet, guitarrón, and vihuela with pride and assume leadership in the genre. Today, founding members Cynthia Reifler Flores and Patricia Martin further the tradition as music educators in Los Angeles, while Crystal Hernández, who joined Mariachi Reyna in 2024, carries forward her family’s multigenerational mariachi legacy, reshaping a musical heritage once only passed from father to son.     

View more inductees from the 19th class, inducted in 2026.