The annual Festival of the Mariachi

I dig several things about mariachi bands. They’re festive and bold, and the singers and musicians often impress with their skillful performances. It’s also fun how mobile they are! A mariachi band is effectively a guerrilla unit: able to show up to any location, do their thing, and then disappear again without a trace.

Of course sometimes they do more staged performances with sound systems etc:

One of Guadalajara’s huge annual events is the Festival of the Mariachi in late August/early September. This event draws bands from as far afield as Peru and Croatia, along with the top bands of Mexico and the U.S. It’s an event not to be missed – from the opening parade to open-air performances, and nightly performances at the historic Degollado Theater right at the city’s center.

Click through for another great video – featuring a voice that could launch a thousand ships – and more about the festival.

This next video features Mariachi Nuevo Jalisco (New Jalisco Mariachi, where Jalisco is the Mexican state known as the birthplace of mariachi music). The music isn’t as upbeat, but the woman’s voice is plenty uplifting all by itself. I could listen to her all day.

Sometimes I offer a trip to coincide with the festival. Among the activities you’ll enjoy are the kickoff parade, free open-air concerts at local plazas, and impromptu performances on street corners.  The festival also is linked with a national horsemanship and rodeo competition. It’s a pretty huge deal… and while Guadalajara’s amazing with or without the festival, this is a particularly fun time to be there!

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