Search for Mariachi Austin

1. Search for mariachi in Austin. The immediate association when you hear “mariachi” is likely a group of men with big stringed guitars, sombreros, and intricately decorated charro suits. If you’re slightly more familiar with mariachis, maybe they bring to mind tequila or the Mexican state of Jalisco. The truth behind the history of mariachi is more complex than you might expect, but there are actually a lot of uncertainties regarding everything from the time period it began to the region it’s from and even the origin of the name itself. Previously, the term “mariachi” was thought to be related to the French word “mariage,” or mar- riage, due to the France’s intervention in Mexico in the mid-19th century because mariachis fea- tured prominently at weddings. However, this theory has been disproven due to even earlier documents using the term “mariachi” that predate the French presence in Mexico. Other theories point to a Hispanicization of indigenous words that refer to either the platform they dance on or a type of tree, and other possible origin words. Interestingly, “mariachi” can refer to the style of music, a group of mariachi performers, or a single individual either dressed in the style of or performing mariachi music. The most typical instrumental make-up for a modern mariachi include at least one singer, brass horns (like trumpets), and multiple string instruments like the violin, the guitar, the harp, the gui- tarrón (a large bass guitar), and the Mexican vihuela (a 5-stringed guitar-like instrument with a convex back). Most of the mariachi instruments were introduced by Europeans to play music during Mass and later adapted. Indigenous peoples learned to play them for their own purposes and styles, modi- fying the instruments as needed. This, combined with the classical ensemble instrumentation brought over by Europeans gave rise to Mexican folk music. One of these early styles was son (meaning simply “sound”), and the variety known as son jali- sciense (“Jaliscan sound”) was what later came to be known as “mariachi.” Neighboring states to Jalisco (such as Michoacán, Nayarit, and Colima) have laid claimed to mariachi’s origins. Still, as name “Jaliscan sound” suggests, its roots were planted firmly in Jalisco, no matter where the seeds were grown. There were no horns in the mariachis of this era (in fact, the trumpet had only been invented a few decades earlier), and mariachis were largely a rural affair. The mariachis did not have specific suits they wore, instead opting typical clothing and sandals of the era. After the Mexican Revolution, the mariachis were let go by the private Haciendas that employed them and they became wandering musicians. Drawn to crowds in urban centers, mariachi finally left its rural birthplace. The Garibaldi Plaza (“la plaza Garibaldi”) in Mexico City is one of the most famous places for mariachis to perform, and the advent of radio and jazz in the 1920s and 1930s brought the now-iconic trumpets into the mix. Nowadays, anywhere there is a thriving Mexican American community - from California across the Southwest and into Texas - mariachis can be found. Guadalajara hosts the 10-day In- ternational Mariachi Festival each year, and mariachi festivals are even held locally in San An- tonio and Austin. Mariachi has come a long way from its humble Jaliscan roots and has become an iconic national symbol both in Mexico and for Mexican-Americans here in the United States.