A screening of “Ugly Little Monkeys” will be held at the University of Wisconsin-Madison as the documentary’s directors look to bring the film to schools with mariachi groups and highlight the group’s origins.
Released in early 2026, “Ugly Little Monkeys” tells the story of “Los Changuitos de Tucson,” the first youth mariachi group in the United States, its original members and the legacy they left behind. The documentary was directed by David Valdez, whose father, Joel, was one of the founders of Los Changuitos, and actor Enrique Castillo. The Madison screening was brought to the city by Oscar Mireles’ Latinos Organizing for Understanding and Development (LOUD).
“There’s multiple layers within the film, and this is kind of a story, or secret, that has been swept under the rug for a number of years,” Valdez said. “My father helped start the organization back in ’64, and I really do think that it was because of the respect and love and support that they had for my dad and my dad had for them that they entrusted us with their stories.”…