A screening of “Ugly Little Monkeys” will be held at the University of Wisconsin-Madison as the documentary’s directors look to bring the film to schools with mariachi groups and highlight the group’s origins.
Released in early 2026, “Ugly Little Monkeys” tells the story of “Los Changuitos de Tucson,” the first youth mariachi group in the United States, its original members and the legacy they left behind. The documentary was directed by David Valdez, whose father, Joel, was one of the founders of Los Changuitos, and actor Enrique Castillo. The Madison screening was brought to the city by Oscar Mireles’ Latinos Organizing for Understanding and Development (LOUD).
“There’s multiple layers within the film, and this is kind of a story, or secret, that has been swept under the rug for a number of years,” Valdez said. “My father helped start the organization back in ’64, and I really do think that it was because of the respect and love and support that they had for my dad and my dad had for them that they entrusted us with their stories.”
“Ugly Little Monkeys” follows the surface history of Los Changuitos de Tucson — much of which is already known — while delving into secrets that had largely remained rumors for decades.
The group consisted mostly of Latino children from Tucson who formed a mariachi band in the 1960s under the guidance of Father Charles Rourke, a priest at All Saints Catholic Church in Tucson. The children quickly gained recognition and fame at a young age.
Los Changuitos toured around the country, and their early fame came with stories of some members becoming involved with alcohol. The film documents that journey while also exploring a darker secret that had been closely guarded for decades. Given his connection to Los Changuitos, Valdez had some knowledge of the allegations, but much of what he knew had remained rumor until the making of the documentary.
The documentary quickly switches gears around halfway through to unveil that Father Rourke has been sexually abusing members of the group.
“I went into this project knowing of two incidents. The one in Guadalajara that was always a rumor. No one ever really talked about it,” Valdez said. “My dad knowing about what took place, and me being around just to have an open ear during conversations, I knew something bad had happened. But to the extent I didn’t, I never knew about it.”
The second came from one of Los Changuitos’s members, Wilfred Arizu, who wrote a book in 2014 called “Bless Me, Father, For You Have Sinned: The Behind the Curtain Story of Los Changuitos Feos & Their Founding Father.”
Valdez first approached the group’s manager David Reese when he wanted to delve into those rumors for the film. Reese often shared a room with Father Rourke, so Valdez knew that if he could get him on board, more members may be willing to talk.
“It took David about two weeks to decide that he wanted to participate, and it really was he was really convinced him to participate by his wife. Believe it or not, she’s the one who said, ‘Okay, you know everything’s out. Bishop’s accountability report. The movie “Spotlight” came out,’” Valdez said.
A shift in culture meant that Reese could speak out against a priest of the Catholic Church. More accountability and broad knowledge of the sexual abuse by priests and the Catholic Church’s cover-ups are not as discounted anymore.
While the film does focus on the dark side of Los Changuitos, Valdez’s goal was to highlight its triumphs and impact across the world.
“I had a writing team, and they really wanted to go into the dark side more, and I kept telling them that’s not the story, guys,” Valdez said. “I do not want to exploit the members any more than we have to. Number one, it’s not the story. The story is the resilience, the humility, the courage of what they went through as a group in order to keep music alive, in order to keep the music going, and they’ve never received due credit.”
Los Changuitos’ forgotten contributions can be seen in schools across the country, where their success helped inspire the creation of mariachi programs.
Because of that legacy, the documentary’s directors have been looking to bring the film to schools with mariachi programs. They are currently in talks with the Riverside, California, school district about a screening there, as well as with several universities.
“That’s our big plan in the coming weeks is to approach the mariachi programs around the United States,” Valdez said. “We’re coming into Madison, and that Saturday and Sunday was kind of open because Oscar was trying to get us some additional screenings, and I think this is where the idea popped up.”
Madison is its first stop on its university tour. Valdez and Castillo will both be coming for the screening on Thursday, Sept. 10 at 6 p.m.
The screening will be held at UW-Madison’s Marquee Cinema, 1308 W. Dayton St. It is free to attend; Tickets can be grabbed online. A Q&A with Valdez and Castillo will be held after the screening.
“Ugly Little Monkeys” is also available to purchase online, as the documentary is not expected to be released on streaming platforms anytime soon.
