When mariachi was removed from the class schedule in Questa in 2023, longtime educator and musician Rachel León retired with a mission: keep the music alive.

That determination led her to establish a new music group, the Communities of Questa Mariachi, a grassroots program initially supported by the Questa LOR Foundation.

Led by León, the group now offers free lessons, practice sessions and performance opportunities for aspiring musicians across northern Taos County.

“Mariachi is more than music — it’s a tradition that connects us to our roots, our families and our community,” León said.
The program meets Mondays and Wednesdays at the Cerro VFW hall, with beginner lessons from 7 to 8 p.m. and advanced practice from 8 to 9 p.m. and also on Thursdays from 4 to 6 p.m. at Rael’s Coffee Shop in Questa.

Lessons are open to anyone 10 and older. While students are responsible for their own instruments, León says she is trying to gather a basic inventory of high-quality equipment for aspiring musicians to rent or rent-to-own. León is also working to set up guest mariachi artists who also visit to share their skills and inspire young musicians in future performances.
For León, the effort is personal.

She grew up in Chamisal, where her parents were educators and her mother traded sewing lessons for her first piano lessons. Her grandparents passed down Spanish language and music, while radio stations KDCE, KANW and KKIT filled her home with traditional New Mexican music.

After moving to Questa, where her father became a school principal and her mother taught English, León attended Questa High School. There, she learned guitar, played in the school band and discovered her voice as a performer. It was also in Questa that she met her husband, Ricky León, and built a family in nearby in Cerro.

León worked as a school secretary and educational assistant as she raised her family before eventually returning to Highlands University, where she studied music, bilingual education and secondary education. She earned her teaching certification in 2004 and went on to teach in Questa. Over the next 20 years, León taught music in Taos, San Luis, Colo. and Questa sharing her love for New Mexican music.

Her passion for education and music has now come full circle with her Communities of Questa Mariachi, which she sees as both a cultural preservation effort and a bridge for future generations.

Weekly sessions focus not only on developing instrumental skills but also on fostering the spirit of mariachi — a centuries-old tradition that remains alive in northern New Mexico.

León encourages anyone who is interested in playing to join the group. It’s free and open to anyone ages 10 and up. The group is also looking for donations of high-quality musical instruments including a violin, guitarra, vihuela, guitarrón, or trumpets.

For more information, Rachel León can be reached at (575) 779-0565 or by email at vozdeoro2017@gmail.com.