Tariácuri, from whom Mendoza received her nickname, was an indigenous leader of the Purépecha people, who inhabited present-day Michoacán. The nickname was used before in her brothers' musical group (Trío Tariácuri) and in her own duo (Las Tariacuritas) with her sister, Perla. She gained notice as a solo singer when she began to sing for the XEW radio station in 1954.She recorded a total of 36 albums.In 1962, she won the Macuilxóchitl Award for best female bolero singer of ranchera music (bolerista de ranchero).[4] Through the majority of her career she was accompanied by the Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán, and recorded numerous rancheras and boleros by José Alfredo Jiménez, Cuco Sánchez, José ?ngel Espinoza, Gabriel Ruiz, and Tomás Méndez. 　　She died four weeks and one day before her 78th birthday.