Quick Take
Santana’s lead singer, Andy Vargas, will return to his hometown of Watsonville to perform at the Santa Cruz County Fair on Friday night. His father, celebrated mariachi musician Javier Vargas, will join him onstage.
➤ Para leer el artículo en español, haga clic aquí.
When Watsonville native Andy Vargas first performed at the Santa Cruz County Fair at 7 years old, he never could have imagined returning to that same exact stage decades later for a homecoming show.
Now, the lead singer of Santana will perform Friday at the fairgrounds, joined by his father, Javier Vargas, who leads Mariachi California de Javier Vargas. While Javier’s band has become a county fair staple over the past 30 years, this will be Andy’s first time returning to the fair’s stage.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I want to hold on forever,” Andy told Lookout from Las Vegas, where Santana is currently playing a House of Blues Las Vegas residency. “I knew when we started putting this together, to really cherish every second. This is where I started personally, very humbly, and coming back to do this with my dad is very important to me.”
Seeing Andy return to Watsonville to perform at the county fair — a venue that was a launching pad for his musical career — is a full-circle moment for Javier, who had a front-row seat to those formative moments in his son’s journey.
“You can only imagine how I feel,” Javier said.
On Friday night, Mariachi California will be opening for Andy, and Javier will join his son and his band, La Verdad, for a few songs during his set. The father-son duo plan to perform a mix of mariachi and Andy’s songs, Javier said. It’s the first time in years that the two will take the stage together.
Andy grew up performing with Javier’s band at family gatherings and local celebrations, and he recalls attending the county fair every year. When Andy first performed at the fair at age 7, Javier presented him to the crowd.
“Music in my blood,” said Andy. “I’m very grateful to have music be the driving force of my life and what provides for me and the family and inspires me daily.”
Andy was first introduced to Santana in Watsonville, when the band came to Watsonville High for a benefit concert in the aftermath of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. While Andy never could’ve predicted his future with Santana, the music “remained in my heart,” he said.
Andy said he’s able to bring his roots in mariachi and Spanish traditional music to Santana, thanking his dad for giving him a “worldly view of music.”
“A piece of advice that I gave my son was that if he was going to become a singer or a musician, he needed to be able to sing well in both languages, English and Spanish,” Javier said.
Andy said his time as a student at Watsonville High School was also filled with music: He starred as Tony in the school’s production of “West Side Story” and recalls singing with friends at lunch and in the annual talent show. He also worked as a DJ throughout high school, performing at events around Watsonville.
Andy’s performance on Friday night is long-awaited among the community. Javier told Lookout that county fair attendees and organizers would ask him the same question year after year: When is Andy coming to perform at the fair?
“It was all about timing,” Javier said. “Almost always, Andy was out of the country on tour with Santana, and this year, he’s touring in Las Vegas, which gives him the flexibility to come.”
The demand for Andy among the community is not new to Javier. When Andy was growing up in Watsonville, many of Javier’s clients would ask him to make sure to bring Andy along to the many quinceañeras and weddings he would perform at.
“I would tell them that my son joined me when he could because he was still in school at the time,” Javier said.
Andy emphasized his gratitude for the support his family and the entire Watsonville community has shown him over the years. His mother, uncles and aunts also plan to attend Friday’s show. “It’s a family affair for sure,” he said.
Above all, he sees this weekend’s performance as a way to give back to his father.
“He’s been performing at the fairgrounds as long as I can remember, going around with his magic and making everyone happy,” Andy said. “I’m really happy to be able to shine light on his career in our community, and be able to join him in that.”
Have something to say? Lookout welcomes letters to the editor, within our policies, from readers. Guidelines here.
