LOS ANGELES — It’s regional Mexican music that combines both the sounds of Filarmónica Oaxaqueña and Banda Sinaloense. It’s what makes up the unique sound of Banda Los Alebrijes and now it can be heard billowing through the halls of Hamilton High School in West Los Angeles.

For Jesus Santiago it’s a dream come true, that’s because he never imagined it would get this big. He’s now the group’s director and president.

“We started from a small group to a big group, which was really exciting,” he said.

The group plays both Banda Sinaloense, which is a polka-style dance music and Banda Filarmónica Oaxaqueña, a more wind and brass oriented sound.

Santiago, who’s family is from Oaxaca, can remember falling in love with music as young as 5 years old hearing his father, who is a musician. He started listening to Banda Sinaloense on the radio, then in middle school started a banda with a few friends.

“Since we were already a banda in middle school, we wanted to start one here and grow from there,” Santiago said.

Now there are 30-members in the group from all backgrounds. For Santiago, it’s more than just music, it’s being able to share his culture.

“It’s like my happy place. I just love expressing my culture and having other people learn about it too, even if they’re not where I’m from,” he said. 

Jennifer Baxter is the Hamilton High School principal. Her goal is to help students feel empowered to do exactly what Santiago did, take initiative to start a campus organization.

Baxter said “54% of our population are latino students and our students saw a need and they started this group themselves and it really allows them to be seen and as the principal it’s really important for me to honor student voices and to make sure that students can advocate for themselves.”

Andres Gonzalez is a freshman who just joined the group and plays tuba.

For Gonzalez, who is Japanese and Mexican, the music helps him connect with his grandmother. He said his grandmother is from Sinaloa.

“It makes me happy that that’s where some of my family is from,” he said.

Santiago graduates from Hamilton High School this year but hopes his banda will continue. He’s hoping in the future the group could open the door to a class.