SAN ANTONIO — Musician and performer Rita Vidaurri and scholar Yolanda Broyles-González will visit Trinity University as part of the music department's Legends of Texas Border Music Series. Dr. Broyles-González, from the University of Arizona, will present a lecture titled "Ranchera Song Across the Continent: In Honor of Rita Vidaurri." at 4 p.m. Thursday, March 19, in Ruth Taylor Recital Hall. That evening Ms. Vidaurri with special guests Beatriz Llamas, Blanca Rosa, and Perla Tapatia, accompanied by the all-woman Mariachi Las Alteñas will perform in concert at 7:30 p.m. in Laurie Auditorium. Both events are free and open to the public; tickets or reservations are not required.

Ms. Vidaurri was popular from the mid-1940s to late 1950s throughout Mexico, Central, and South America. She toured Cuba with Celia Cruz and Olga Guillot and also performed with Tin Tán, Pedro Vargas, Trio Taiacuri, Lalo González (El Piporro), and Cantinflas among others. Mexican singer Lorenzo Barcelata gave her his personal, autographed guitar and called her La Calandria. Throughout México, she was also known as La Ranchera and was the official Jax Beer poster girl in 1957. 

Copies of Rita Vidaurri's CD "La Calandria" will be available for purchase after the concert.

The events are also co-sponsored by the Esperanza Peace and Justice Center. For more information on the Legends of Texas Border Music Series, contact Trinity's Office of University Communications at 210-999-8441.