Sing Out Magazine calls them “…serious artists who have chosen to renew and embellish their heritage…”

“[They] move seamlessly between styles and instruments playing with rock’n’roll energy without sacrificing cultural authenticity” —Chicago Tribune.

Sones de México Ensemble made its first public appearance in 1994 at an art gallery in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood, commemorating the death of Mexican land-rights revolution hero Emiliano Zapata. Through the years, the ensemble has amassed a large collection of folk musical instruments representative of Mexico’s diverse local cultures and a talented team of multi-instrumentalist musicians who have a deep respect for tradition and also not afraid to innovate. Their diverse repertoire, rich in colors, textures and rhythms demonstrates that there is certainly more to Mexican music than mariachi.

Through their non-profit organization they have also reached thousands of school children and adults across the nation about the riches of Mexican music, dance and culture. Their Spanish-language radio show “La Hora del Son” (one hour of son), hosted by band member Juan Rivera, is an informative weekly exploration of some lesser-known styles of Mexican folk music featuring some rare recordings form the personal collections of the ensemble members.

Sones de Mexico Ensemble has released five studio albums. The CD entitled Esta Tierra Es Tuya (This Land Is Your Land) received many accolades, including a GRAMMY™ Nomination for Best Mexican-American Album, and a Latin GRAMMY™ Nomination for Best Folk Album. In 2010 the group released Fiesta Mexicana, a bilingual album for children that won a Parent's Choice™ silver award and ¡Viva la Revolución! a CD commemorating the Centennial of the 1910 Mexican Revolution, featuring music from the period and an original composition by music director Víctor Pichardo. Sones de Mexico Ensemble is preparing to release 13 B’ak’tun, a celebration of the breath and depth of Mexico’s folk music in observance of the turning of the Mayan long-count calendar on December 21, 2012.

Sones de Mexico has toured, coast-to-coast, performing at The Getty Villa Museum in Los Angeles, Carnegie Hall in New York City, The Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, and Ravinia, The Auditorium Theater, Millennium Park, and Orchestra Hall in Chicago. In 2008 the group played two concerts in Beijing, China.

The sextet is presently formed by multi-instrumentalists and singers Víctor Pichardo (music director, co-founder), Juan Díes (ethnomusicologist, co-founder), Lorena Iñiguez, Juan Rivera, Zacbé Pichardo, and Javier Saume-Mazzei.