Beto Lopez
Alberto "Beto" Lopez is from Oaxaca in Southern Mexico with many years of performing with his family mariachi in Southern Mexico and in Garibaldi Plaza in Mexico City.
Alberto "Beto" Lopez Mendez was born in a tiny rural village in the Mexican state of Oaxaca, one of 7 brothers and 5 sisters. his formal education started and ended with the 1st grade, and he spent most of his childhood caring for goats when his parents were unable to support more education for him or most of his siblings. Eventually Alberto and his brothers all became mariachi musicians and performed as a group in their village, San Juan Huaxtepec for weddings and fiestas that could last for several days.
Beto is a full blooded Mixtec Indian and Mixteco is his first language. His mother, who was also Mixtec, did speak Spanish so Beto was one of the few members of his generation in the village to also speak fluent Spanish in addition to their native dialect.
Eventually the brothers moved to Mexico City and began working in Plaza Garibaldi. Beto worked as a "guitarronero" in "Gari" from 1972 to 1989, when he moved to Phoenix to live when Margarita, the 1st of 3 children with his wife Kitty Lopez was born.
As a mariachi who learned on the job in the PLaza Garibaldi style, Beto has helped Kitty in teaching this style to the ASU mariachi students. Beto has been supportive of Kitty and the ASU Mariachi program, playing with the group and as a mentor for new students. He is also one of the founding members of Mariachi Corazón de Phoenix and continues to perform with the group today.
