Mariachi

Bands from Jalisco, in western Mexico, have been providing a unique form of relaxed, romantic accompaniment to weddings since before the Mexican Revolution. Some say the French word for "marriage" may have given their ensembles and their music its name: Mariachi. Now popular at restaurants, bars, and receptions on both sides of the border, Mariachi bands include guitars, the low, thrumming guitarron, violins, a trumpet, and a high-pitched singer. They also come equipped with a repertoire of ballads, polkas, waltzes, and cumbias. Mariachi bands are known for their stylized, sombrero-and-bolero-coat uniforms, and for wandering from bar to street corner to bar, playing their traditional music.