Hear the sounds of Guadalajara at the Englert with Mariachi Herencia de Mexico

While growing up in Chicago during the '90s, Cesar Maldonado listened to blues, rock and hip-hop. However, the sounds of mariachis from Guadalajara and Mexico City touched the future investment banker more than any other style of music.

"I grew up in the hip-hop era with Jay-Z but when I was home, the soundtrack was the music my parents and grandparents loved," Maldondo said while calling from his Chicago office. "The mariachi tradition is passed down from generation to generation. I love the music, the culture and everything that comes with it."

Maldonado founded Mariachi Herencia de Mexico in 2016 as an outreach from Maldonado's Mariachi Heritage Foundation.

"I want people in this country and everywhere to experience this music," Maldonado said.

Mariachi Herencia de Mexico is a virtuosic Latin, Grammy-nominated group that reached the top of the Latin streaming charts with its debut album "Nuestra Herencia" in 2017. The following year, success followed with "Herencia de la Tierra Mia," produced by Javier Limon, when it topped the Latin charts. 2019's "Esencia" and 2020s "Esencia Vol. 2" followed suit on the charts.

Mariachi Herencia de Mexico is composed of 14 musicians from the ages of 18-32.

"Some of the members of the group are from Chicago and some are from Guadalajara," Maldonado said. "It's a great mix of musicians who love mariachi music just like I do. It's an exciting time for mariachi music."

Mariachi is a style of music that dates back to the 18th century and it has evolved over time in the countryside of western Mexico. The typical mariachi group is composed of eight violinists, two trumpeters, a guitarist, an acoustic bass dubbed a guitarron, and a high-pitched Mexican vihuela. Each musician takes turns singing lead and delivering backing vocals.

"What we're trying to do is expose people to mariachi music," Maldonado said. "We're shooting for the teenagers. We have the older generation. They know about mariachi music. But we believe the sound of mariachi music is appealing to a younger audience. They just have to experience it, and we think they'll enjoy what is the jazz of Mexico."

The group, which will perform Friday at the Englert Theatre, is working on the follow-up to its latest album, 2022's "Heredoros."

"The next album is born of the interest of other genres," Maldonado said. "We're all musicians first. Mariachi is a style we play, but we listen to jazz and study it. You'll see a musical journey to Mexico. There are jazz elements, jazz progressions and jazz harmonies in the music (for the next album). On our last album, we had jazz and the bossa nova. Our albums are a reflection of us being fans of the music. We find ways to fuse it into a new sound. With our music, you'll hear more bass, more modern harmonies in an effort to keep our sound fresh."

There's a connection between Mariachi Herencia de Mexico and Los Lobos, which mix Mexican folk music with rock, blues and country to great effect and success.

"We're huge fans of Los Lobos, and I personally think I'm a reflection of their story," Maldonado said. "I'm Mexican American and dedicated to the world of music and the culture of that music."

Maldonado is looking forward to returning to Iowa City.

"It's an easy drive to Iowa City," Maldonado said. "We love going there. It will be our second time there, and we're excited to showcase our music. I'll be in the back (stage) running production. I'll see the audience, and it's so great when the crowd sees the band for the first time and hears the mariachis. Their initial reaction is always so great. The experience is always amazing for the audience, and it's so gratifying for me. I just enjoy spreading mariachi music so much."