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Mariachi Chula Vista was formed at Chula Vista High School in September 2001 by Mark Fogelquist. Over the next 12 years, the group of young musicians performed at more than 1500 events and earned a reputation as the leading high school mariachi in the country, appearing at festivals in Albuquerque, Tucson, Las Cruces, Santa Barbara, San Diego, Phoenix, San Jose, Fresno, Salt Lake City, Wenatchee (WA), Imperial Valley, and Guadalajara sharing the stage with the world's most famous mariachis: Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán, Los Camperos de Nati Cano, Mariachi Sol de México de José Hernández, Mariachi de América de Jesús Rodríguez de Hijar, Mariachi Reyna de Los Angeles, Mariachi Divas, and Mariachi Internacional Guadalajara. Mariachi Chula Vista won numerous awards and competitions, including five First Place Trophies at the Albuquerque Mariachi Spectacular and five First Place awards at the San Juan Capistrano Mariachi Competition in six years. Mariachi Chula Vista was the subject of an extended front-page article in the New York Times, was the first student mariachi invited to perform at a national music teachers' conference

In 2011 a group of Mariachi Chula Vista graduates approached Fogelquist about organizing an alumni mariachi. This was the beginning of Mariachi Estrellas de Chula Vista. In June 2013, Fogelquist retired from public school teaching and Mariachi Chula Vista merged with Mariachi Estrellas de Chula Vista. Mariachi Estrellas de Chula Vista carries on the legacy of its predecessor and has performed at more than 600 events, large and small. Among the highlights are: First Place at the 2014 Mariachi Spectacular Mariachi Competition in Albuquerque, New Mexico, First Place at 2012 Por Amor a Mi Tierra competition in Guadalajara, and featured appearances at mariachi festivals in Albuquerque, Santa Barbara, Wenatchee (Washington), Victorville, Imperial Valley, Rosarito, Mexicali, and Ensenada Baja California.

San Diego's Premier Mariachi