The San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce honored Morningside Ministries at The Meadows resident Belle San Miguel Ortiz during their annual Business Awards Dinner on June 14. Belle received the 2016 Lifetime Achievement Award for her contributions to the San Antonio community including her lifetime advocacy in mariachi music education.

Born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, Belle began her career in music as a pianist and graduated from Our Lady of the Lake University with a music degree. She taught in various area schools as a choir director and administrator where she influenced hundreds of students to pursue careers in the fine arts.

Also known as “The Mother of Mariachi,” Belle played an important role in creating the mariachi and cultural arts curriculum that to this day is found in many public schools across the country. Together with her husband Juan Ortiz, she co-founded the Grammy award-winning Mariachi Campanas de America in 1978. The mariachi group has played at the Presidential Hispanic Inaugural Gala in honor of the re-election of President Bill Clinton, the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts in Washington D.C., and at the White House for President and Mrs. Laura Bush. Belle also founded the Texas Association of Mariachi Educators, whose mission is to assure the continued statewide growth and development of mariachi and mariachi education.

As a resident of The Meadows, Belle is active within the community and participates in the annual Fiesta Fashion Show.

On behalf Morningside Ministries Senior Living Communities, we congratulate Belle for receiving this great honor!