La Murga de Austin is a brass & drum band steeped in the traditions of murga. Whenever you think of the pageantry of Carnival celebrations in South America, or the electric atmosphere and songs and chants at a fútbol match in Mexico or Argentina, chances are your mind is conjuring up the sights and sounds of murga.
What originally began in Uruguay as a form of musical theatre has grown since the 1960s to represent the ultimate expression of fan support throughout the soccer stadiums of North and South America.
At its core, a murga band is comprised of brass instruments — typically trumpet and trombone — and various Brazilian and other Latin American drums. The most recognizable percussion instrument is the bombo, or bombo murguero — a colossal bass drum with cymbals (“platillos”) affixed to the top.
The bombo is the star of the murga and leads the rhythm section, functioning as the backbone of every song and chant. Even by itself, the mighty bombo can inspire a crowd to chant, sing, clap and cheer with it’s tremendous resonance.
2025 Leadership Team
Band Representatives
Megan Mays
Ryan Tamblin
Jim Walters
Gary Cox
Jeshua Medrano Montoya
Rico Hernandez
Kirk Mangum
Section Leads
Capo Lead – Ray Castelo
Capo Lead – Katie Brim
Capo Lead – Stephanie Dempsey
Banderas Lead – Jeffrey Hogan
Bombo Lead – Luis Cordon
Surdo Lead – Jorge Castro
High Drum Lead – Chap Torian
Trumpet Lead – April Schupmann
Low brass – Cassie Villarreal
Squad Leads
Events Squad Lead – Ben Stahl
Membership Squad Lead – Carol Hearn
Merch Squad Lead – Jimbo
Social Media/AV Squad Lead – Duc Tran
Tech Squad Lead – Ben Hulan
