Thanks to Michael Gonzalez and Cindy Cabrera’s shared love for mariachi music, the stage partners became life partners.
ARLINGTON, Texas — The instruments we choose often reflect who we are — and for Michael Gonzalez and Cindy Cabrera, those instruments brought them together in more ways than one.
Gonzalez, who plays the bass, and Cabrera, the violin, lead Mariachi De Los Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field. Their musical roles are as distinct as their personalities.
“The violin is very loud and out there,” Gonzalez says in a rehearsal.
“He’s very level-headed, he’s very grounding,” Cabrera adds — a perfect harmony of opposites.
Their story began seven years ago at a party.
“We were both mariachis and didn’t even know it,” they recall.
That night sparked a connection that’s been growing ever since.
“She was gorgeous, very gorgeous. Her smile, very gorgeous,” Gonzalez recalls with a smile.
Though their instruments don’t “really coincide with each other,” as they put it, their hearts do. Every Mariachi Monday, they play side by side, embodying both the heartbeat and melody of the band.
“Being the heartbeat of the mariachi and the melody of the mariachi — they’re two very important instruments for the band,” they explain.
Earlier this year, Michael made their duet official with a mariachi-style proposal.
“I loved it. It is what I would have wanted,” Cabrera said.
While the wedding date is still undecided, one detail is set in stone: A Mariachi-themed wedding.
As they continue to play together, these solos have turned into a lifelong serenade.
“Ultimately, it’s music, right?” Gonzalez said. “We were able to find a song to make it work.”
From stage partners to life partners, their love story proves that sometimes, opposites don’t just attract — they make the perfect duet.