Graciela Grejalva, lead singer of the Latina musical sensation known as Cholita!, is not your average thirteen and a half year old. She's over six feet tall and has brilliant orange hair ( "I tried to bleach it," she confesses). But then Cholita! is not exactly a group made up of typical girls. Cholita!, which describes itself as "the female Menudo"(members are unceremoniously kicked out of the band upon turning sixteen) is an all female, teenage punk-pop band. Current members of the group include the thirteen and a half year old Graciela, fifteen year old Sad Girl, and twelve year old Lupita. The group features a constantly changing coterie of musicians, dancers, and singers who are collectively known as "Vanidades" or just "Cholitas." Cholita!'s music combines the innocence of bubble gum with the aggression of punk, with a nod to Mexican pop star Gloria Trevi thrown in for good measure. Their stage show is flashy, sometimes vulgar, yet somehow manages to be warm and cuddly at the same time. The group members wear elaborate costumes designed by Lupita and the internationally famous designer La Bambi, and have been featured on the covers of Vanidades, Sassy, Jet, and Italian Vogue. Cholita!'s shows are not just concerts, they are events.
Sad Girl, age 15 & 11 months
Guadalupe, aka Lupita Age 12
Cholita drawings by Meesh Mills. Color photos by Ann Summa. Black & white photos by Rick Castro.
A Windows Media clip from a Cholita! promotional video compiled and edited by Meesh Mills.
