Fiesta Navidad: Mariachi Los Camperos de Nati Cano at McCallum Theatre Dec. 13

Mariachi Los Camperos de Nati Cano, billed as the most accomplished and influential mariachi ensemble in the United States, are scheduled to perform their "Fiesta Navidad" at McCallum Theatre in December.

The performance begins at 8 p.m. Dec. 13 and is presented by R.D. Hubbard, according to theatre representatives.

Tickets are $75, $45, $35 and $25 and available online at www.mccallumtheatre.com or by calling the McCallum Theatre Box Office at (760) 340-2787.

Here's more from a Wednesday announcement:

Mariachi Los Camperos was founded by Natividad "Nati" Cano. A traditionalist and a visionary, Cano has both mirrored and shaped the history of mariachi music. He was born in 1933 into a family of mariachi musicians in Jalisco, Mexico, one of the many west Mexican communities that gave life to the mariachi tradition. His career took him first to nearby Guadalajara, Mexico’s second largest city, and then further away to Los Angeles. In Los Angeles, he and Los Camperos emerged as a major driving force of the mariachi music tradition in the United States.

Los Camperos de Nati Cano has now existed for more than 50 years and is noted for demanding musical arrangements that highlight the individual skills and voices of the players. The ensemble employs the finest musicians from Mexico and the United States and has performed for audiences worldwide.

In December 2006, Cano’s contributions to the American music landscape were recognized when he became one of the first artists nationwide to win a USA Fellowship from United States Artists. In its inaugural year, United States Artists awarded 50 USA Fellowships to a total of 54 artists. Mr. Cano was one of only five musicians to be named a USA Fellow in the inaugural year.

Mariachi Los Camperos was one of four mariachis that collaborated on Linda Ronstadt’s album, Canciones de Mi Padre (Songs of my Father). In 1988-89, the group worked on the promotion of the album, including national television appearances on programs including “The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson” and the Grammy Awards telecast. They also appear on Linda Ronstadt’s Mas Canciones (More Songs).

The ensemble has recorded nine albums including: Puro Mariachi (1961); North of the Border (1965); El Super Mariachi, Los Camperos (1968); Valses de Amor (1973); Canciones de Siempre (PolyGram Latino, 1993); Sounds of Mariachi (Delfin Records, 1996); Fiesta Navidad (1997); Viva el Mariachi (2003); and Llegaron Los Camperos, (2005). Los Camperos shared a 2005 Best Musical Album for Children Grammy for cELLAbration!, A Tribute to Ella Jenkins. In 2006, the album Llegaron Los Camperos was nominated for a Grammy in the category of Best Mexican/Mexican-American Album. In 2008, the group released their third CD with Smithsonian Folkways, entitled Amor, Dolor y Lágrima that won the 2009 Grammy for Best Regional Mexican Album.

The McCallum Theatre is at 73000 Fred Waring Drive, Palm Desert.