Young mariachi performer is living his dream

M

usic was always welcome in the Rodriguez home. Jesus Rodriguez Sr. made sure of it. Guitars, trumpets and other instruments were lying around. And if Jesus wasn’t playing, his four children would see what sounds they could coax from them.

The youngest of the kids, Jesus “Chuy” Rodriguez Jr., was the most intrigued. Maybe it was because his dad and musician friends would treat him to mariachi performances on his first few birthdays.

“One time, the guys were over at the house for a party or something, and there was this trumpet. I’m told that I grabbed it and started making funny noises with it,” Chuy said. “I think that really got my attention. I guess it was a sign of things to come.”

When Chuy was 4, his mother brought him and his sisters to a restaurant where his dad was playing with his mariachi band. Although she was shot and killed a few years earlier, Selena’s music was still very popular.

“My dad set me up on a table, and I sang one of Selena’s songs. That was my first gig,” Chuy said.

Now 25, with countless performances and lots of hard work and planning to his credit, Chuy is on the verge of realizing a dream.

Thanks to the popularity of a music video for a song from his first album, Chuy grabbed the attention of Enrique Guzman Yanez. Known as Fato, he is regarded as today’s top composer and producer of Latin American music.

Fato is helping Chuy record an album of alternative mariachi music, and he will soon begin his first major tour. 

“I can honestly say this is the happiest I’ve ever been in my life,” Chuy said. “A moment like this only comes around once, so I plan to take full advantage of it. I feel super blessed to have this opportunity.”

Father’s influence

If not for his father, Chuy knows his story would be different. 

When Chuy was young, his dad logged long, hard days working construction jobs to support his family. To supplement that income, he performed with mariachi bands at private parties and restaurants on nights and weekends.

Jesus Sr. was injured while working on the Fred Hartman Bridge project, and it forced him to retire. That’s when his musical talents took on greater importance.

In addition to playing with mariachi bands, he gigged by himself for tips at restaurants. Chuy began tagging along.

“I was 6 years old. That was the point when I started learning what it was to help take care of the family. We really began to rely on the money we made from music.”

They played for hours on weekends. It wasn’t big money, but every little bit helped.

Chuy began playing a Mexican vihuela, whose sound falls somewhere between a ukulele and nylon-string guitar. He later picked up the accordion and trumpet, and he continued playing trumpet in middle school.

Through high school and college, Chuy played with his dad in mariachi bands at parties and other events. 

They played traditional mariachi ranchera music, which became popular in 1940s-1950s Mexican cinema. Chuy was further exposed to it while watching his dad’s collection of Pedro Infante movies on VHS tapes.

“There were several really good actors who also were singers. There were Jorge Negrete, Jose Jimenez and Miguel Mejia. But Pedro Infante was my idol. He was a phenomenal singer and actor,” Chuy said.

“I would see these guys like heroes. So whenever I would play with my friends, and they would be Batman and Superman, I would come out with, ‘I’m Pedro Infante.’ They thought that was kind of strange.”

College and beyond

Chuy’s love for mariachi music helped him get accepted to University of Houston’s entrepreneurship program. He recorded a video with a mariachi band, and he talked about his passion for the musical genre.

While attending classes, Chuy reached out on Facebook to one of the most respected trumpet players in the mariachi world, Crescencio “Chencho” Hernandez. Chuy asked if he could take lessons from him, and it worked.

“One day I was telling him how I always wanted to be like Pedro Infante. I said, ‘Maestro, my biggest dream is to be a singer.’ And he said, ‘That’s all I wanted to hear. I can produce an album for you.’”

They started working on the album in 2013, but production slowed while Chencho battled prostate cancer. With two songs still to be recorded, he passed away in July 2017. 

Chencho’s brother, Jose, helped Chuy finish the album this March. It has yet to be released.

To help promote the music, Chuy decided to make a video. A friend was able to rent the National Theatre of El Salvador, which is the oldest theatre in Central America.

“The people from El Salvador treated me like a king. They were proud that somebody was coming to record something that was such a special part of Mexican culture and their country,” Chuy said.

Since launching the video for “Por Cien Caminos” on Cinco de Mayo, it has received more than 330,000 views.

Enter Fato

While Chuy was thrilled with the reaction to his music video, he was stunned when his manager called to say that it caught the attention of Fato. 

“He tells my manager, ‘I like the way he sings. I like his presence. Why don’t you all come down to Mexico. I’d like to give him a song.’”

When they arrived at his home in Mexico City, Fato began playing his guitar and singing some of his songs. Then he handed the guitar to Chuy, and asked him to play and sing.

“When I finished he said, ‘You know what? I’m not going to give you a song. I’m going to give you an album. I’m going to produce an entire album.’ At that moment, I just froze. My manager and I looked at each other like, what just happened?”

He was handed an opportunity of a lifetime to make a name for himself in alternative mariachi. Compared to traditional ranchera, the alternative music has more of a modern, pop feel. 

Chuy recently returned from a session at Fato’s studio in Guanajuato, Mexico. They recorded two songs for the album, including one that Fato had set aside for about 12 years. “Other artists have been asking him for this song for a long time, and he gave it to me. That’s quite an honor,” Chuy said.

A few more sessions are needed to complete the album. In the meantime, Chuy is preparing to launch his tour on July 28 in California. Final details will be announced, but the tour will include stops at various cities in the U.S. and Mexico.

“I’ve been selling cars, but I put in my two weeks’ notice,” Chuy said. “It was a no-brainer. This is my dream.”

Lessons learned

Friends and family are excited about Chuy’s future, and he is grateful to all his supporters.

“Everything has been possible because of God’s will, my family’s support, hard work and the public who has believed in me,” he said.

Chuy’s father has been in his corner since the early days. “He always saw that I had a big passion for this.”

And wherever his career takes him, Chuy will hold his dad’s guidance close.

“He’s always been a role model for me. One of the big things I learned from watching him is that if you want something bad enough and you work for it, you can achieve it,” Chuy said. 

“He came from very humble beginnings. He was never able to attend school because he needed to stay home and help support his family. But he achieved a certain level of accomplishment in life that is just a product of hard work and wanting it bad enough. That’s an important lesson that I carry with me.”

Follow Chuy Rodriguez on Facebook and Instagram, and on his website.