Rigoberto Gómez Covarrubias was born on December 7, 1954 in Tequila, Jalisco —the enchanting town famous for the alcoholic beverage it produces. He began his musical career as a child, playing in the municipal band and singing in the church choir, while learning mariachi music from his father, Gaudencio Gómez.
At age 16, Rigoberto emigrated to Mexico City to pursue formal musical studies. Invitations to make recordings, radio and television programs, and perform in concert with Mexico’s greatest ranchera singers soon followed.
During his six-decade musical career, Gómez has been a member of renowned groups such as Mariachis América de Jesús Rodríguez de Híjar, Oro y Plata de Pepe Chávez, México de Pepe Villa, México ’70 de Pepe López, and Arriba Juárez de Juan Gabriel. He was co-founder of both Mariachi Águilas de América and Mariachi de Mi Tierra de Juan Gabriel.
He also led his own ensemble, Mariachi Tequilense de Rigo Gómez. Singer María de Lourdes appointed Rigoberto musical director of her Grupo Impulsor de la Música Representativa de México, an organization devoted to championing Mexico’s folkloric traditions. In the U.S., he is an active voting member of the Latin Recording Academy (Latin Grammy awards).
Gómez has written and recorded musical arrangements for singers Miguel Aceves Mejía, Antonio Aguilar, Lola Beltrán, Aída Cuevas, María de Lourdes, Rocío Dúrcal, Vicente Fernández, José José, Amalia Mendoza, Ángeles Ochoa, Isabel Pantoja, Gerardo Reyes, Lucha Villa, and many more. He has also composed for musical theater and for symphony orchestra.
For three decades up until the singer-songwriter’s untimely demise, Rigoberto worked alongside Juan Gabriel, where he was responsible for arranging and directing the superstar’s concerts around the world, as well as participating in his recordings.
In 2012, Rigoberto received the Keys to the City from the town his home town of Tequila. In 2018 he was again honored with a street named after him. In April of this year, the Tequila International Film Festival (FICTEQ) instituted the Rigoberto Gómez Cova medal as an award for its best video clip winner.
Given his important trajectory and extensive contributions to mariachi music, it is with great pride that Mariachi Spectacular de Albuquerque inducts Rigoberto Gómez Covarrubias into its illustrious Hall of Fame.
