Nati Cano
Natividad “Nati” Cano, architect, visionary, and leader of Los Angeles-based Mariachi Los Camperos, considered one of the top mariachi ensembles in the country. Masters of traditional rhythms of mariachi music with modern harmonies of popular music, Cano revolutionized the mariachi sound and popularized a distinctive mariachi look by adding white jacket uniforms and choreographed movement. He toured with Linda Ronstadt and backed her on Canciones de mi Padre record as well as running La Fonda Restaurant on Wilshire Boulevard. In 1989, Cano received the National Heritage Fellowship of the National Endowment for the Arts, the U.S. government’s highest honor in traditional arts.