- 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.
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. |
| Graciela Grejalva, age 13 |