OLLU is mourning the passing of Isabelle “Belle” San Miguel Ortiz (BA 1971), a beloved pioneer of the Mariachi education movement. She passed away on Wednesday at the age of 90.

An accomplished pianist and teacher, Ortiz started San Antonio’s first high school mariachi class at Lanier in 1970. In 1974, she launched the first college-level mariachi program at San Antonio College. Her advocacy for mariachi spread across Texas and the nation, earning her the name, “Godmother of Mariachi.” Today, mariachi is taught in more than 500 public schools in the U.S. and Ortiz’s efforts have touched thousands of students.

In 1978, Ortiz and her husband, Juan Ortiz, formed an innovative, 12-piece mariachi ensemble that became known as “Campanas de America.” The group has performed at the Hollywood Bowl in California, at venues all over the world, and they perform a Valentine’s concert at OLLU each year. Campanas de America has entertained President Bill Clinton at the Presidential Hispanic Inaugural Gala and President George W. Bush at the White House. 

In 2016, the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce gave Ortiz a Lifetime Achievement Award for her advocacy for mariachi and her contributions to San Antonio as a teacher, musician, choir director and cultural arts director in San Antonio ISD. She also founded the Texas Association of Mariachi Educators.   

In Ortiz’s final days, mariachis from all across San Antonio serenaded her at her bedside. Other mariachis from across the country sent video messages.