Music, like eating, is an integral part of Mexican life. You won't go far without hearing someone singing or music blaring from a boom box in a corner tienda (store). But for many North Americans, the blaring trumpets, mellow guitars, and soft violins of mariachi music symbolize Mexico. This type of music originated during the French occupation of Mexico during the nineteenth century, when weddings called for large musical ensembles. Originally performed by campesinos or field hands playing guitars, the 1920s brought fancier charro outfits and the addition of other stringed instruments and trumpets. And while mariachi music has become known all over the world, it is, in fact, only played at weddings, fiestas, and other special occasions. The word mariachi comes from the French word mariage, meaning marriage. The players, dressed in tight pants and dark jackets with silver buttons and wearing large sombreros decorated in a similar manner, perform in groups of eight to ten. Today, mariachi music is especially popular in the state of Jalisco. The annual Mariachi Festival, held in Guadalajara at the beginning of September, is known far and wide.

In the states of Chiapas, Tabasco, Oaxaca, and Veracruz, you'll also hear the lilting sounds of the marimba, a xylophone-type instrument with large wooden keys played by four people using rubber-tipped batons. One carries the melody, while the others play a secondary melody in counterpoint.