Mariachi music has been around for hundreds of years and traditionally, it's been a male-dominated genre, but one woman is breaking barriers and founded an all-woman mariachi group.

Mariachi Mariposas is an all-women mariachi group in Mission and is one of three all-women mariachi groups in the Valley that's breaking gender stereotypes.

Mayra Garcia is a mariachi director at La Joya Independent School District and founder and director of Mariachi Mariposas.

She says as a mariachi woman, there have been challenges in the historically male-dominated regional music genre and as an educator, she wanted to create an opportunity for young women to continue performing.

In 2012, Mariachi Mariposas, the all women 12-member group, was formed.

"We're just trying to create an opportunity. It's the females wanting to create opportunities for their own, because now, the males have their thing going, and the females have their thing going, and now there's more and more festivals...incorporating female mariachis into the lineups," Garcia said.

Garcia says they wanted a feminine touch, so the group wears purple, pink or gray instead of the traditional black traje de charro.

She says they have performed in festivals, out of state and with celebrities like Lupillo Rivera.

Garcia says it's important for women to follow their dreams and create their own opportunities if they are not given one.