Neuroscience concentrator Diamante Balcazar (‘25) was invited to perform at the White House as part of the student-led mariachi ensemble Mariachi Véritas de Harvard. The group made their special appearance on September 25th, at the Adelante! Summit, which convened to address the spread of HIV in Latino communities nationwide. Balcazar is president of Mariachi Véritas and plays violin and sings in the ensemble.
(l to r) Emiliano Maldonado, Chris Ruiz, Elaine Haddox, Xavier Piña, Guadalupe Vazquez, and Diamante Balcazar
“This was the first time Mariachi Vèritas has ever received an official invitation to perform there, and, as a result, the entire group was full of excitement and disbelief,” Balcazar says. “Coming into the year, this was something we never even considered being a possibility. This said, we opened the summit with a 15 minute performance in the morning and then played again during the middle of the event for another 15 minutes. Both performances went extremely well, and I am happy about the way we were able to represent not only ourselves and the college, but also the way we were able to represent such an important part of Mexican culture.”
Mariachi has been important to Balcazar for a long time. “I come from a humble background with all of my family immigrating to the US from Mexico,” he says. “While my family did not have a lot of resources at their disposal, as many worked as field or factory workers, one thing that was never out of reach was music. Growing up, mariachi was always being played around me whether it was while my grandmother was cooking, at family gatherings, or just at different life milestones such as birthdays and graduations. As a result, this music connects me with fond memories of my family, our cultural roots, and my humble beginnings. To this point, mariachi is also important to me as it serves as a way to bring people together and as a way to foster community. With songs that portray a wide range of themes and emotions, there is something for everyone to relate to. Because of this, I feel that mariachi really has the ability to go beyond cultural boundaries and serve as a uniting force while also presenting a unique way for people to learn about Mexican culture.”
This semester, Mariachi Véritas will be performing at events around Boston. Their upcoming projects include a collaboration with the nonprofit Zumix and a performance at the Peabody Museum’s Day of the Dead celebration. In December, the group will compete at the 30th Annual Mariachi Extravaganza in San Antonio, TX.
“As a big fan of Mariachi Veritas, it has been a delight to work with Diamante over the last three years and learn about his involvement with the group,” says Assistant Director of Undergraduate Studies in Neuroscience Ryan Draft. “I have been amazed watching him grow the band and spread Mariachi community and culture. What his audience members may not know is his deep engagement with research as a thesis writer in the Faja lab, and his academic achievements on our ‘Mind, Brain, and Behavior’ Track. He is a very talented young man.”
Balcazar expressed gratitude to several people in the Harvard community for their support. “I’d like to warmly thank Dean Thomas Dunne, his team, and the wonderful deans and
tutors of Pforzheimer House for all the support we were given to make our performance possible,” he says. “Without the support of the college, we would not have been able to have this truly incredible experience. I would also like to shout out Francisco Ruiz, Director at the Office of National AIDS Policy, and The White House staff for extending the invite to us. Lastly, I would really like to emphasize that this performance was not only a great opportunity for the group to represent itself and the college, but it was also a great opportunity for us to represent the thriving latine community here at Harvard and in the greater Boston area. For some in the latine community, Harvard seems like a place that is unreachable. But, by being able to represent Harvard and perform at a place at The White House, this not only highlights the diversity on campus, but also makes Harvard more accessible to the communities and culture Mariachi Véritas strives to authentically and proudly represent.”
