The 3rd annual Voz de la Paloma competition at the Palo Alto Performing Arts Center aimed to showcase girls and women at various points in their mariachi careers, while honoring the life of ranchera singer Beatriz Llamas.
28 women and girls competed in Voz de la Paloma on Saturday, spanning five different divisions: middle school, high school, college, adult amateurs, and adult professionals. They wore colorful outfits like bright pink charro suits and black gowns embellished with roses as they sang mariachi classics to an enthusiastic audience.
12-year-old Noelani Vasquez, a competitor in the middle school division, closed her eyes and swayed with the music as she sang…