Nydia Rojas
Encyclopedia
Nydia Rojas daughter of Arturo and Olivia Rojas, is an American singer of Mexican/Cuban/Yaqui Indian heritage and active on the mariachi circuit. She performs in a wide range of musical styles such as jazz, soul, and R&B, but makes a particular specialty of mariachi
.
Nydia spent several years of her early childhood in Guadalajara
, Mexico
, where she was exposed to local musical styles which greatly influenced her later career.
At age 9, she sang in the East Los Angeles
restaurant El Mercadito, which marked the albeit small beginning of her public performing career. That same year, she performed at a retirement home in Guadalajara, Jalisco, and the following year, at age 10, she embarked on a semi-regular gig at another restaurant, El Taco Loco in Hawaiian Gardens. Initially she sang with a mariachi group which already performed at the restaurant, but soon she was in demand in her own right. In this context she accepted requests for songs from restaurant patrons, arranging to learn them for the following week if songs were requested with which she was unfamiliar.
Nydia attended Los Altos High School in Hacienda Heights, CA as well as Orange County High School of the Arts
in Los Alamitos, CA. She was also involved with the Mariachi Heritage Society Program based in East Los Angeles, CA. Her first violin and guitar instructor was Laura Sobrino, a pioneer female mariachi musician. One of her mentors was José Hernàndez
, founder of Mariachi Sol de Mexico, who also produced her debut album. She also studied voice with Heriberto Molina ("El Cura"), one of the original members of the great Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlan.
At age 13, Nydia became a vocalist/guitarist with the all-female Mariachi Reyna de Los Angeles, which provided a spring-board for her to gain a solo contract with the Arista Latin recording label. Her debut solo album, self-titled, was recorded when she was 15 years of age then released after her 16th birthday. In the next five years another three solo albums followed. During this time her performances played to packed audiences of up to 18,000 fans.
Nydia Rojas released her debut album at 16 years of age and started setting the pace for mariachi music in the U.S. Nydia gained plenty of praise as she performed all throughout the country and her music was heard in many different lands, helping her gain fans from Mexico to Germany to Japan. She was invited to perform for President Clinton during his inauguration, and later that year, she was declared a mariachi sensation by USA Today.
Nydia's third album, Si Me Conocieras, was nominated for a Latin Grammy award alongside such established artists as Vicente Fernández
and Alejandro Fernández
, and Antonio
and Pepe Aguilar
. Although she did not win the award, it further established her as an outstanding performer in her field, and soon after this she went on two national tours with the great Juan Gabriel
. The first tour gave her the opportunity to work closely with Gabriel who expressed much admiration for her talent, and led to her recording her fourth solo album, Nydia, which for the first time took more of a mainstream Latin pop direction while still displaying all of Nydia's musical skills. Juan Gabriel sang two duets with Nydia on this album and named her one of the best interpreters of his music from her generation.
In Nov. 2008, Nydia reunited with Juan Gabriel for a performance at the Auditorio Nacional de Mexico. She is currently working on her 5th CD.
Mariachi
Mariachi is a genre of music that originated in the State of Jalisco, in Mexico. It is an integration of stringed instruments highly influenced by the cultural impacts of the historical development of Western Mexico. Throughout the history of mariachi, musicians have experimented with brass, wind,...
.
Nydia spent several years of her early childhood in Guadalajara
Guadalajara, Jalisco
Guadalajara is the capital of the Mexican state of Jalisco, and the seat of the municipality of Guadalajara. The city is located in the central region of Jalisco in the western-pacific area of Mexico. With a population of 1,564,514 it is Mexico's second most populous municipality...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, where she was exposed to local musical styles which greatly influenced her later career.
At age 9, she sang in the East Los Angeles
East Los Angeles, California
East Los Angeles is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in Los Angeles County, California, United States...
restaurant El Mercadito, which marked the albeit small beginning of her public performing career. That same year, she performed at a retirement home in Guadalajara, Jalisco, and the following year, at age 10, she embarked on a semi-regular gig at another restaurant, El Taco Loco in Hawaiian Gardens. Initially she sang with a mariachi group which already performed at the restaurant, but soon she was in demand in her own right. In this context she accepted requests for songs from restaurant patrons, arranging to learn them for the following week if songs were requested with which she was unfamiliar.
Nydia attended Los Altos High School in Hacienda Heights, CA as well as Orange County High School of the Arts
Orange County High School of the Arts
Orange County High School of the Arts , colloquially called "OH-sha", is a 7th–12th grade public charter school located in downtown Santa Ana, Orange County, California. The school caters to middle and high school students with talents in the performing, visual and literary arts...
in Los Alamitos, CA. She was also involved with the Mariachi Heritage Society Program based in East Los Angeles, CA. Her first violin and guitar instructor was Laura Sobrino, a pioneer female mariachi musician. One of her mentors was José Hernàndez
José Hernàndez
José L. Hernàndez is an American musician and music producer. He is the founder and director of the Mariachi Heritage Society which aims to help young people develop their skills in Latin music. He also directs the Mariachi Sol de Mexico. He has worked with many famous musicians in Latin music,...
, founder of Mariachi Sol de Mexico, who also produced her debut album. She also studied voice with Heriberto Molina ("El Cura"), one of the original members of the great Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlan.
At age 13, Nydia became a vocalist/guitarist with the all-female Mariachi Reyna de Los Angeles, which provided a spring-board for her to gain a solo contract with the Arista Latin recording label. Her debut solo album, self-titled, was recorded when she was 15 years of age then released after her 16th birthday. In the next five years another three solo albums followed. During this time her performances played to packed audiences of up to 18,000 fans.
Nydia Rojas released her debut album at 16 years of age and started setting the pace for mariachi music in the U.S. Nydia gained plenty of praise as she performed all throughout the country and her music was heard in many different lands, helping her gain fans from Mexico to Germany to Japan. She was invited to perform for President Clinton during his inauguration, and later that year, she was declared a mariachi sensation by USA Today.
Nydia's third album, Si Me Conocieras, was nominated for a Latin Grammy award alongside such established artists as Vicente Fernández
Vicente Fernández
Vicente Fernández Gómez is a Mexican singer, producer and actor. Known as Chente or El rey de la canción ranchera throughout the Latin world, Vicente Fernández, who started his career singing for tips on the street, has become a cultural icon, recording more than 50 albums and contributing to...
and Alejandro Fernández
Alejandro Fernández
Alejandro Fernández is a Mexican singer. Nicknamed as "El Potrillo" by the media and his fans, he has sold over 20 million albums worldwide. Alejandro is the son of the ranchera singer Vicente Fernández. He originally specialized in traditional, earthy forms of Mexican folk music, such as...
, and Antonio
Antonio Aguilar
José Pascual Antonio Aguilar Barraza most commonly known as Antonio Aguilar, nicknamed "El Charro de México", was a Mexican film actor, singer, producer and screenwriter. During his career, he made over 150 albums, which sold 25 million copies, and made 167 movies...
and Pepe Aguilar
Pepe Aguilar
José "Pepe" Aguilar Jiménez is a popular singer-songwriter of ranchera, mariachi and pop music. Pepe is the son of Mexican icon Antonio Aguilar and folkloric actress Flor Silvestre.-Career:...
. Although she did not win the award, it further established her as an outstanding performer in her field, and soon after this she went on two national tours with the great Juan Gabriel
Juan Gabriel
Alberto Aguilera Valadez , better known by his stage name Juan Gabriel , is a Mexican singer and songwriter who is one of the most famous living representatives of the Mexican ranchera, ballad, mariachi, and pop music....
. The first tour gave her the opportunity to work closely with Gabriel who expressed much admiration for her talent, and led to her recording her fourth solo album, Nydia, which for the first time took more of a mainstream Latin pop direction while still displaying all of Nydia's musical skills. Juan Gabriel sang two duets with Nydia on this album and named her one of the best interpreters of his music from her generation.
In Nov. 2008, Nydia reunited with Juan Gabriel for a performance at the Auditorio Nacional de Mexico. She is currently working on her 5th CD.
Personal life
In 2008, Nydia married Cuban Drummer, Raul Pineda. They currently live in Los Angeles, CA.Albums
| Year | Album | Label | Tracklist | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Nydia Rojas | Arista Latin |
|
US Top Latin Albums | 50 |
| 1997 | Florecer | Arista Latin |
|
||
| 1999 | Si Me Conocieras | Hollywood Records Hollywood Records Hollywood Records is an American record label owned by Disney Music Group, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Company.-History:Hollywood Records was founded in 1989 by then-Disney CEO Michael Eisner with the idea of expanding the music operations of the company and to develop and promote... |
|
||
| 2001 | Nydia | Hollywood Records |
Juan Gabriel Alberto Aguilera Valadez , better known by his stage name Juan Gabriel , is a Mexican singer and songwriter who is one of the most famous living representatives of the Mexican ranchera, ballad, mariachi, and pop music.... ) |
||
Singles
- Incomplete single discography.
- La Número Uno.
- No Vale la Pena (2001) — #9 (US Hot Latin Tracks), #15 (Latin Pop Airplay), #23 (Latin Tropical/Salsa Airplay), #28 (Latin Regional Mexican Airplay).