Cricket Hosts Third Annual Mariachi Battle of the Bands Today in El Paso
EL PASO – May 1, 2008 – Cricket Communications, Inc, a leading provider of unlimited wireless services, is hosting the third annual Mariachi Battle of the Bands competition and fiesta today. Five mariachi groups from area high schools will compete for a chance to win the grand prize of $1,000 for their school. Second place will receive a $500 and third place winner will receive a $250. This event is free and open to the public, and will be held at the Fox Plaza shopping center parking lot, located at 5579 Alameda, starting at 5 p.m.
“This is a great opportunity to highlight the amazing local high school talent in El Paso and Las Cruces, while teaching the community about the mariachi culture in our region,” said Reagan Anderson, district director for Cricket for El Paso and Las Cruces. “Come on by and show your support by cheering on these talented kids.”
Manuel Ramirez, Juan Jose Uribe, and Ramiro Gonzalez from the Las Cruces Internacional Mariachi Conference are this year’s judges. Manuel Ramirez is a vocalist, guitar, vihuela and guitarron player with Mariachi Real de Jalisco. He was the founder and director of Mariachi Alegre from 1994 to 1999 and Mariachi Aztlan from 1999 to 2005. Juan Jose Uribe is a vocalist and guitar and guitarron player with Mariachi Tapatio. He has been in the mariachi business for 10 years. Ramiro Gonzalez has been singing mariachi music for the past 20 years. He was chosen by the Las Cruces International Mariachi Conference to sing at its third annual showcase.
In addition to the mariachi competition there will be a jumping castle, food, drinks, giveaways, and much more. Eastwood High School’s Ballet Folklórico Nuevo Amanecer will also be performing.
Cricket will also be giving El Pasoans the opportunity to register to vote and to learn more about the voting process through a partnership with Declare Yourself, a national nonpartisan, nonprofit youth voter initiative aimed at empowering and encouraging America’s 18-year-olds to register and vote in the 2008 general elections.
About Cricket®
Cricket is a simple, affordable wireless service offering consumers and local businesses a flat-rate unlimited service over the latest technology, high-quality, all-digital CDMA2000 1X and 1xEV-DO wireless network. Designed for customers whose basic and advanced wireless needs have not been met by traditional communications companies, Cricket is the pioneer of unlimited services with no long-term commitments or credit checks required. Cricket offers customers access to a variety of the latest devices and feature-rich mobile applications such as unlimited text, instant and picture messaging, Mobile Web, popular games, ringtones and wallpapers. For more information on Cricket, visit www.mycricket.com. Cricket services are offered by Leap Wireless International, Inc., headquartered in San Diego, Calif. For more information on Leap, visit www.leapwireless.com.
