Cedillo brings passion from Star Center to mariachi band

by Laura Cain, co-feature editor

As he strums his guitar in his traditional mariachi outfit, one could never guess that Manuel Cedillo is an academic advisor.

Manuel Cedillo is an academic coordinator for the Star Center on South Plains College’s Levelland campus. In his spare time, he is also a member of the band Mariachi Amistad.

Cedillo was originally born in Mexico and moved to Lubbock when he was very young. He started college at SPC and then moved on to Texas Tech University. He graduated in May 2001 with a bachelor’s degree in romance languages, with an emphasis in Spanish and a minor in higher education.

He was immediately hired in August 2001 by SPC to work for the Star Center. His job is to work with selective students who are the first generation in their family to attend college and help them be successful and reach their goals. He has had this job for six years and enjoys it. Cedillo says the greatest part of his job is “being able to speak to students, make relationships and helping them solve their problems.”

Outside of his job, Cedillo plays guitar for Mariachi Amistad, which means ‘Friendship’ in Spanish. He was introduced to Amistad when band member Oscar Castillo invited him to attend their Tuesday practices. He participated in the practices, learning the music and making friends. After a few months, he was formally asked to join the band and eagerly accepted the invitation.

Cedillo learned how to play guitar when he was in college. He never actually received lessons but was taught the basics by a friend. Then he taught himself. He also taught himself how to play the vihuela, which is a smaller version of the guitar. After three or four years of playing guitar, he began to volunteer to teach a Lubbock youth group mariachi band called Nueva Genracion, which means new generation. He volunteered for two years until he began playing for Mariachi Amistad. Between his job and playing with the band, there was not enough time to continue to volunteer.

Attending mariachi conferences is something Cedillo likes to do as well. They are workshops that teach helpful techniques to improve the music. He tries to find time to make it to at least two conferences a year. He attended a conference in August and plans on attending another in November in Las Cruces, N.M.

What Cedillo loves most about the band are the friendships that he has gained. He knew a few of the members before he joined and has since made many more good friends within the band. Although he sees group members at practices and performances, he also hangs out with them outside of the band.

The band keeps him pretty busy, with anywhere between one gig a week to five or more gigs a week. They have many in-town and out-of-town gigs, including some as far away as Abilene. He has been playing with the band for a little more than two years.

Marachi Amistad has produced two CDs since it was formed and plans on making more in the future. Band members include: Ricardo Martinez, trumpet; Carlos Merlot, trumpet; Paul Guzman, vinhuela; Oscar Castillo, guitar; Graviel Aguilar, guitar; Ester Salazar, violin; John Cain, violin; and Ruben Ortiz, violin.

Cedillo keeps busy with his job, the band and having a girlfriend. He hopes to continue making music and helping students for some time to come.

Photos by Laura Cain/Plainsman Press