University of Iowa’s Hancher Auditoriu
m hosted a special Christmas celebration on Sunday, Dec. 10 called Fiesta Navidad which was highlighted by a colorful performance from Mariachi Los Camperos de Nati Cano. The Fiesta Navidad celebration brought families from all over the region, including the Quad Cities, for a unique way of getting into the Christmas spirit. The ensemble played many Christmas favorites from an album they released in 1997 also called Fiesta Navidad. The crowd sang along to some of the songs from that album that include mariachi renditions of Rudolph the Red Nose Raindeer to Silent Nigh, which part of the ensemble sang in English, while the others sang it in Spanish. The “gritos” or yells from the crowd made the performance truly inviting for everyone in attendance. The group has been around for 45 years and has recorded 10 albums, of which the album Llegaron los Camperos was nominated for a Grammy Award this past year.