Inside a home studio in Hacienda Heights the Mariachi Divas are giving us a delicious taste of Mexican culture that dates back hundreds of years.
The woman who founded this all female group in the late 90s is Cindy Shea, a single mother of two who fell in love with the music.
"When I jumped into mariachi it was different because when I performed the people in the audience cried, laughed, and danced all in the same hour and I thought what other music can give this kind of effect," Shea said. "Here I am new to the music not really understanding Spanish at that time, wondering what the song is about why everyone is moved it made me intrigued. It made me want to understand more."
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Shea says it wasn't easy in the beginning.
"I would love to sit here and say I was given a re carpet with flowers and welcomed into the mariachi world bit I wouldn't be honest, it was very difficult," Shea said. "For women it was just being a female but for me I had not only that I was a gringa Irish Italian American, people didn't know if I could even speak Spanish. People didn't know my love for Latin music, they didn't know my history and they didn't know if I was a good musician or not they just judged me right away."
Two regional Grammy awards and 18 albums later there is no question. The Mariachi Divas are a big success performing all across the country and on a regular basis at the Magic Kingdom.
"I want to celebrate all cultures and I felt like I was a good person to represent that by building my group which became a melting pot of women from all over the world and truly became a multi-cultural group," Shea said.
Shea has spent the the better part of two decades she says working too hard on her music. Last month all that stress finally caught up to her.
"I had a sub araneid hemorrhage which means bleeding outside the brain," Shea said.
A type of stroke that many people don't survive which is why Shea says she may never play the trumpet again.
"I know those days are probably gone for now. I'm trying to find a new balance to life and if there is any message I can give anyone in the business I would say 'slow down and enjoy all of your successes,'" Shea said.
Her biggest success is a band of talented women who are spreading the wonderful sound of the mariachi for generations to come.
