Pepsi Has Its Own Official Mariachi, and It's Not Half Bad!

By Gustavo Arellano Thu., Nov. 6 2014 at 7:33 AM

Photo courtesy of the Godfather

Dig the logo on their suits...

SO...a friend of mine was recently at the latest store opening for Northgate, the Anaheim-based Latino supermarket for which my dad works as a troquero. They opened their 40th store in Long Beach, off of Cherry Avenue, in an area that's not exactly Latino but which is nevertheless already getting mucho business from African-American and gabacho clientele.

But the most fascinating thing about Northgate's fiesta for the occasion? The appearance of a Pepsi-sponored mariachi, down to the soda gian't ying-yang logo on each musician's charro suit. CRAZY!

"Good mariachi," said my friend, who was present. "Real raza, and they go around representing Pepsi.

I couldn't find much information online, and I got a million stories to edit before placing a call to Pepsi. But it seems they've been around for a couple of years, serving as ambassadors in Southern California to get more Mexicans off their Coke and toward Pepsi. And they're definitely legit: here's one incarnation singing the Javier Solís standard "Gema"--and any mariachi busting out Solís is 100 percent raza;

CRAZY!

Email: garellano@ocweekly.com. Twitter: @gustavoarellano.

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Nuñez Hugo

It's not crazy, it's call "Marketing" They know Mexicans drink a lot of coke, so they want them to switch to Pepsi! Don't drink any of them! Or go ahead, be a diabetic!

Chris Long

Reminds me when some companies had symphony and jazz orchestras as well.

Byzantine Templar

It only makes sense!after all Mexico consumes more soda per capita than any other counrty in the world including the US,China,India and Russia

Leticia Callela-Austin

I know ALL of them :) #mariachilife

Maurice Campos

WTF!!!??? \U0001f602\U0001f602\U0001f602\U0001f602

Sean Coolidge

GODFATHER!!!

Zopilote Vengador

@@Shawna Kelly pepsi already have Shakira and Sofia Vergara on the payroll, so why not a mariachi band and maybe that Mamacita Sandra Echeveria will be next.

Zopilote Vengador

Oficial Pepsi Mariachi + Shakira

Pete Golczewski

IMO, Pepsi is better. They sponsor my fav Liga MX team BUT now that I am getting older...I drink unsweetened Iced Tea and Water only.

Shawna Kelly

Trying to convert Latinos from Coca? I don't know that'll work but I love that they are trying!

Chris Harrelson

CHECK OUT THE BAND, THEY SOUND LIKE DEPECHE MODE!!!

Alejandro Sanchez

Bien es una buena forma de atraer clientes,! La canción es composición de Huicho Cisneros, y los Dandys,!

Elizabeth Lake

Pepsi hosts a HUGE industry convention every year, and their keynote speakers have been Pitbull and Vicente Fox. (I don't know what Fox had to say, but he was always big on trade with the U.S., but Pitbull's contribution was that he was offended by the Taco Bell chihuahua.)