Lea Jade García, Honoring Her Roots, Raising Her Voice

The mariachi singer, biology student, and youth ambassador believes music can preserve culture, open doors, and help create a better future for children around the world.

“I've been playing music since I was a baby,” says Mariachi singer Lea Jade García. "My dad pushed me into the spotlight, and ever since then, I've just absorbed every minute of it.” 

Lea Jade Garcia performing mariachi at the annual University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Mariachi Festival, known as Festiba.

There is a recording somewhere of García at four years old, singing songs by Laura Garza and Rocío Dúrcal in a voice far too small for the powerful songs she was attempting to sing. Today, that early love of music has grown into something bigger. She is a full-time biology student at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV), and one of two lead voices on the newly released "We All Stand Together." More than a song, the anthem is part of The Stand Together 4 Children project, a global humanitarian campaign using music to raise awareness and inspire action on behalf of the more than 70 million forcibly displaced children around the world. The initiative also raises funds to support children affected by displacement, giving García’s voice a purpose that reaches far beyond the stage. 

Lea Jade Garcia takes a solo in the NYC studio.

García’s influences are jazz and mariachi, and she has not chosen which one to pursue.  

“Mariachi is just the most beautiful music in the entire world,” she shares. “It embodies our Mexican culture perfectly, and I feel so honored to be able to play it.” 

Jazz, she says, connects her "to more like American roots; it just brings me closer to both of my cultures.” 

And honor is the word she keeps returning to. “It feels amazing to be Mexican, and especially right now that it's kind of hard to know your own culture,” she shares. “I get to play mariachi; I get to speak Spanish. It just feels like a great honor.” 

She learned to carry herself from her father, a working musician who has guided her throughout her journey. She learned to trust her voice from her high school director, Alex Treviño.  

“Like my second dad, he pushed me out onto the stage,” she adds. “He made me feel really comfortable with my voice, and now I can listen to a recording without cringing.”  

The obstacle in her story isn't talent. It's a sentence she can still quote from an orchestra room: "Don't be playing that stuff in my classroom. It's orchestra time, not mariachi time.” 

“The best piece of advice that I've ever received was to just keep playing and keep singing,” she explains. “I know it sounds simple, but there are times when you feel like you shouldn't be playing this, or you need to do something a little bit more serious.” 

It came to her twice, from two generations. Her father: “Keep on playing, keep using your voice.” Her grandmother, more insistent: “You need to keep on playing mariachi. You need to keep singing country, and that's so important. Just keep the arts alive.” 

García’s forecast for women in her field is not a hope. It's a schedule. “I see us taking over in mariachi,” she shares. “It's pretty male-dominated, but every female singer that you'll see is a winner, and I feel like we do get overlooked more than mariachis. Women in general, we're going to take over the world, and I feel amazing to be a woman.” 

García’s advice to Latinas looking to follow her path is to get involved, build connections, and take advantage of every opportunity to join professional and community organizations. She also encourages women to embrace confidence when they step into the spotlight and to carry themselves with the presence and self-assurance of someone who belongs there. 

Global Youth Ambassadors Bella Stine and Lea Jade Garcia visit the Statue of Liberty and do an improv performance with visiting musicians Stefano Covacci, trombone, and Akif, violin.

Music, in that frame, isn't the ambition. It’s the instrument.  She believes her cohort is built for the work.   

“My generation is a generation of change,” she explains. “I know other generations have more traditional ideas, and I feel our generation is ready to change the world. We're ready to speak on issues.” 

Garcia believes the campaign featuring her voice can move something real. “I hope to see change,” she shares. In fact, García shares the lead with her fellow youth ambassador, 20-year-old Bella Stine, alongside a 100-member choir from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. "I hope to see real change in the world, and I feel like with everybody standing together, we can change.” 

Music isn't even the endpoint, as she aspires to a career in the medical field. “I've always loved to help people,” she shares. “I want to be a motivator for other people to be better. That's what keeps me going.” 

Want to learn more about the movement behind “We All Stand Together”? Watch the videos below to hear the powerful voices behind the campaign and learn more about its mission to support forcibly displaced children around the world. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=102jFQDQHhc 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQOmPnZYEkA 

For more information on the project, visit https://stand4childrensong.com/