In a dark Bovard Auditorium, orange lights descend upon a group of 13 performers, all decked out in shimmery crimson trajes de charros and black beaded corbata de rebozos. Applause erupts from the crowd as Mariachi Los Troyanos de USC – USC’s only official mariachi band – blares its trumpets and begins its song.
Mariachi Los Troyanos de USC celebrated its back to back victory at Songfest Saturday night, one of USC’s oldest and largest musical traditions. A competition that dates back to 1954, the event fosters friendly competition amongst student performers while raising money for Troy Camp, a student-run organization that mentors underprivileged youth in South Los Angeles. This year, 11 student organizations competed against one another for Songfest’s winning title, including groups like the Mariachi Los Troyanos, Trojan Men (an all-male a cappella group), the USC Magic Association, USComedians and Spade A Dance.
Nicky Guzman, a sophomore majoring in human biology, plays the violin and works as social media chair in Mariachi Los Troyanos de USC. He said that winning at Songfest with the band felt surreal. For him, the victory was a full circle moment.
“Last year, I wasn’t a part of the mariachi. I was an audience member, and I watched [the mariachi band] and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh. That’s amazing,’” he said. “I wanted to be a part of that, so then I joined the mariachi, then performed at Songfest, and we won it again. It just came full circle, really.”
In the fall of 2021, the mariachi band burst onto the scene as a new student-run mariachi ensemble at USC. Bringing together students from diverse backgrounds who share a love for mariachi music, the group quickly found its stride. They’ve made a name for themselves outside of their two consecutive Songfest titles, also having performed at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum for the East L.A. Classic – the homecoming football game between James A. Garfield High School and Theodore Roosevelt High School.
The group has even caught the attention of NBC, which featured the band in 2022. But garnering accolades isn’t the band’s only goal. Guzman finds Songfest to be an important showcase of talent at USC.
“[Songfest] is a great way to show what everyone is interested in besides academics,” he said. “It gives them a voice and a way for them to express themselves in a way that’s eye-catching and jaw dropping.”
For sophomore law, history and culture major Logan Barth, the competition is also an opportunity to reignite the spirit of tradition at the university. As the president of Trojan Pride – USC’s official spirit organization, which hosted Songfest – Barth said that Songfest allows Trojan Pride to bring intersectional students together in a united celebration of arts, culture and entertainment.
“I think when you’re applying to USC and learning about USC in general, the ‘Trojan family,’ is constantly brought up,” he said. “I think a lot of people wonder, is that a real thing? And then you come to USC, and you’re like, ‘Oh my god, it actually is a real thing.’”
“We say, ‘Fight on,’ all around the world. Trojan Pride just wants to keep that tradition going. Songfest definitely contributes to the spirit,” he added.
Dani Zand, a sophomore majoring in business administration, is Trojan Pride’s assistant director. He added that the event’s diversity is a reflection of the school’s diverse student body, where Songfest unifies students across all acts.
“Even though we all have our own niche here at USC, we have to remind ourselves that at the end of the day, we’re all Trojans. We’re all USC students,” he said. “Songfest is a great way to bring all these different niches that people have found here at USC, the different homes people have found at USC together.”
According to Zand and Barth, Songfest has a rich history at USC, starting in 1954, when two USC sophomores wanted to create a university-wide singing competition that also raised money for Troy Camp. The first three Songfests were held at the Greek Theatre in Griffith Park, where student performers played to the outdoor theater’s nearly 6,000 person capacity. As the competition grew in popularity, it switched venues to the Hollywood Bowl, which drew crowds of nearly 20,000 people and celebrity judges. A plaque situated in front of the Norris Cinema Theatre states that by 1959, Songfest was billed the largest collegiate musicale in the United States.
The tradition, originally tied to Greek life on campus, was revived last year after a seven-year hiatus. Barth said that by having Trojan Pride host and organize the event, organizers hope to preserve Songfest’s longevity.
“When we took it back, we definitely wanted to rework it,” he said. “Hopefully next year, [we can] take it in a direction where it embraces the past, but also embraces a new vision.”