Merced Sun-Star from Merced, California • 24

at the fair ly happy that her mother no longer must work long hours andthat she can support her Beltran built ahome in the California mountains where she lives with her mother and some of her siblings looks likea storybook she said All Merced SimStar Outdoor Theater entertainment at the Merced County Fair la free with general fair admission The fengrounds are located at 900 Martin Luther King Jr Wty For information call the fair office at 722-1507 email or visit wwwMercedCounty-Faircom GRAC1ELA BELTRAN to the dead artist The song was included on the movie soundtrack in 1997 The next year she released her landmark Gnqxro album "Robame Un which means Me Grupero is another regional style of music thatls popular in Mexico The album contained lore ballads and a tango-flarcred dance tuna It was so well received that Beltran made a sue-cessful crossover to the Gru-pero genre: although she is primarily recognized as a leading Banda artist Last year she released a collection of music that isa tribute to some of Mexico's finest singers and songwriters That same year she signeda recording contract with a new music groups Univi-sioa "It wont be long before Gra-dels is one of the great female figures in Mexican music" said Vicente Fernandez one of the premiere names in Ranchera music and one of Beltran's mentors "I have lived in California since I was bom and my Spanish isnt perfect but my mother always instilled in me a lore for our said Beltran "I feel very proud to represent Mexico and to beapromoter of Mexican muskf The ing ing On one of her latest albums: Rara Mi which means Tor My she wrote two songs and was executive producer While her Banda music style albums continue to break sales records Beltran also is interested in reachingalarger audience with pop ballads She credits her supportive mother and siblings for her success The youngest of six children her family scraped to-gether the $300 she needed to make her TV debut Bern in Sinaloa Mexico: her mother had already immigrated to the United States before she wasbom and returned to California shortly after her daughters birth When she was just 6 Beltran's father abandoned the family and left her mother to raise the children The singer has realized many of her dreams at sucha young age but she fe particularv Her growing legion of fans lovingly call Gra-ciela Beltran Reina del which means Gradela Beltran the Mexican-American artist with the binHikewice will perform at the 2003 Merced County Fair on Sunday She will give one concert at 9 pm in the Merced SureStar Outdoor Theater Her performance will follow a 7 pm show featuring Carioa Jimenez performing Rancherasong a regional Mexican genre of music: Behran released her 17th album this qxing tided Me Pena a single from the album is doing well on the charts She gets her nidmame from the title of the album she cut in 1995: Reinas del which translates to People's The recording included several songs by the late artist Selena and Beltran's fans crowned their People's The Mexican-American artist who has been called The Sweetest Vbice singing at parties and restaurants in Los Angeled Hispanic community when she was just four years old Beltran would sing songs for her neighbors and soon they were encouraging her to take 25 cents for each song she performed taught me to ahe said with a laugh At 11 ahe recorded her first album and a string of albums followed featuring some of the regional music of Ranchers Mariachi and Banda In 1995 her album which means treasure: was released and was so popular it was a double plati num seller That year she was invited to participate in a memorial to Selena in UjiiaaiuMi nouBui dCuibd pcnormefl several songs recorded by Selena including No Me Queda which means: Have Nothing Left" Behranb performance was lauded and asaresuh she was asked to record a special tribute Answer thsss 3 questions correctly and bring them by our booth at the 2003 Merced County Fair for a FREE GIFT! 3 What is the color of our phone? -dune ippcan Mon.