Mariachi Culture

Cesar Martinez
La Musica Mariachi
Music comes in many shapes and forms, and has been a magical element of inspiration and encouragement throughout time. The art of music derives from many different things, such as culture and traditions. One such type of music is mariachi music, deriving from Mexican culture and traditions. Mariachi music is often an upbeat rhythm, consisting of a band of up to six to eight violins, two trumpets and a guitar. Unlike modern music and other music bands alike, mariachi bands lack in numbers when it comes to band size. Though they are small, their music brings great significance and life to the places they perform and the people that they touch with their joyous music. In this paper, I will be comparing the culture and style of mariachi music to twentieth century modern music.

The roots of the Mariachi go back hundreds of years.

It was music of country people that celebrated the joys, the struggles, and the triumphs of the Mexican people. The Mariachi was a version of Spanish theatrical orchestra consisting of violins (usually two), guitars, also called “guitarron”, and a harp. The word “Mariachi” derives from the French word “wedding” or “marriage”. Music and dance were important elements of Spanish theatrical productions, enormously popular throughout the Spanish-speaking world during the colonial period. It was from this group that several of the most distinctive regional ensembles of Mexico developed, including the Mariachi. The musical form and ensemble of the Mariachi developed differently from region to region throughout time. The ensemble that is familiar today began to take shape in the nineteenth century in the state of Jalisco. In other areas such as Veracruz and Huasteca, the northeast region of the country, the ensemble evolved differently. By the end of the nineteenth century, the instrumentation consisted of the cocula or the vihuela, two violins, the guitarron, and two

trumpets.