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Creative Entertainment: Musician is Living HisDream with Mariachi Cobre

Posted by Kelli Fitzpatrick Jun 18, 2015

Louie, far right, plays the vihuela in the World Showcase with Mariachi Cobre

Louie Ranjel began playing the vihuela, a Spanish string instrument, with Mariachi Cobre atWalt Disney World Resort just two months ago, but his story first entwined with the groupover 20 years ago.

Creative Entertainment: Musician is Living His Dream with Mariachi Cobre

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At 8 years old, Louie began attending mariachi conferences through his youth group inTucson, Ariz, and joined a class led by Randy Carrillo. Randy and his brother Steve hadbeen performing mariachi music at Epcot since it opened in 1982.

“From there it blossomed. I’d always sit in the front if I could, and got to knowthem on a personal basis--they’d give me pointers,” Louie said. “Just the fact thatthey’d ask me how I was doing was pretty awesome.”

The three musicians actually had a lot in common: Louie’s grandmother and thebrothers’ mother were close friends and lived a block apart in Tucson, and Louie’sgrandfather worked with the Carrillos’ father.

“That’s how small Tucson was,” Randy said of the connections.

Louie continued to attend Randy’s class every year, honing his skills until he wasgranted a special privilege at 15: Randy allowed Louie to use the microphoneduring the weekly student concert. The instructor typically used the microphoneto lead the students, but Louie’s talent spoke for itself.

“He was capable at a very young age,” Randy said.

After finishing his youth program, Louie played in his father’s mariachi band. Heattended the University of Arizona and graduated with a music theory degree.This year, Louie jumped at the opportunity to audition to play the vihuela withRandy and Steve’s band at Walt Disney World. Though he had learned theguitarron with Randy, his first instrument had been the vihuela.

“It’s interesting how life started for me, musically, with this instrument,” Louiesaid. “And here I am professionally, coming back to it.”

Louie landed his audition and began performing with Mariachi Cobre in mid-April. For Louie,joining his former teacher at Epcot signified achieving a lifelong goal.

Creative Entertainment: Musician is Living His Dream with Mariachi Cobre

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“Being that we’re all from Tucson, it meant even more to me that I was followingin their footsteps,” he said. “As a kid, it was always a dream of mine to one dayhave the opportunity to perform with them, side by side. I get to play the music Ilove for a living, next to Randy and Steve.”

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