Album Notes

Raised in Mexico, Juanita Ulloa is a Classically trained, brilliant performer and enthnomusicologist with musical degrees from Yale, UC Berkeley and the Nice Conservatory of Music in France. Juanita is also a pioneering and award winning ranchera composer, the first to sing her own compositions in thie field. Two songs on this CD won the Festival de la Cancion Latinoamericana worldwide. Several of the arrangements on ther CD were written by Maestro Peter Jaffe of the Stockton Symphony and a new song "Huapango Enamorado" by the famed Mexican composer, Emma Elena Valdelamar, the composer of "Mucho Corazon" and "Mil Besos" was also given to Juanita as a gift for the CD. The CD was recorded in LA with a collaboration between two mariachis, Mariachi Voz de America and Mariachi Internacional. Several of the recording artists had also recorded on Linda Ronstadt's Grammy winning CD "Canciones de mi Padre".

Her touring 8 piece group, Mariachi Picante specializes in California contemporary mariachi with a feminine twist and includes 5 women. Many of the group members include regular symphonic players. Although based in California they also perform in Las Vegas, Nevada and New York. Juanita is instrumental for bringing women into the world of ranchera, or mariachi music not only as singers, but as composers and instrumentalists as well.

She has presented three recital tours in Europe with two concerts at the Ateneo Hall in Madrid, plus Mexico, Spain and the USA. Ms. Ulloa has appeared as a Latin Pops soloist with the Stockton & Sacramento Symphonies plus the San Diego Chamber Orchestra,singing many songs form this new CD, and has sung principal mezzo-soprano roles with regional opera companies as well. She holds music degrees from Yale unviersity, UC Berkeley and the Nice Conservatory in France.