Event: Battle of the Mariachis. At the Mission in San Juan Capistrano, California. On May 03, 2008. This is the 4th annual celebration where mariachi bands from different cities compete. For this particular event, prizes were as follows: $3,000 for first place, $2,000 for second, and $1,000 for third. I would say the monetary award comes second to the goals of the performers. It is the prestige of being selected the best of an old time Mexican tradition.
I talked to different performers (my Spanish sure came in handy - chopped up as it is) and I could sense PRIDE from them. It is indeed something to be proud of. I'm glad I was there to witness and document a part of their heritage.
The Tracy Family Foundation made this event possible.
These photos are the first time I used Lightroom. I'd say, it is very user friendly and fast. I thank Erma(a photo classmate) for persuading me to get one.
Photo info: Canon 20D, 24-70 lens. Shoot with strong sun. Post photo processing: Lightroom and barely with Photoshop CS2