Mariachi Music Research Paper

Mariachi music is the epitome of Mexico. It embodies what Mexico is and its culture. What started as something so simple, and only to be enjoyed by the wealthy, became the voice of the working class. The genre of music was meant to unify the country during a time of war and political turmoil. There were many artists who made huge contributions to mariachi music and essentially made it the pride of Mexico. What started as so humble became something so spectacular. Mariachi music is the most broadly known music of Mexico. It was first developed in Jalisco, Mexico around the mid-19th century (Moore, p.93). The first mariachis were primarily string band ensembles and were for local parties and events. Mariachis quickly gained popularity throughout the rest of the country. They started to incorporate musical forms from other parts of Mexico and became the national representation of …show more content…
Compas, for example describe recurrent rhythms that are the structural basis (Moore, p.94). Most sones are written in triple meter and are meant for dancing, like the zapateado. Zapateado is a traditional folklorico dance that strikes shoes down on a wooden platform, similar to that of tap dance. There is also a lot of syncopation happening throughout the music, where there are alternating groupings of two and three notes in triple-meter, also known as sesquialtera (Moore p.95). There are two major sones when it comes to mariachi music, the first being son jalisciense coming from the Cocula region in Jalisco, said to be the birthplace of mariachi music. The strumming is emphasized on beats 1, 3, and 5, however the third beat is “dressed up” and known as a redouble (Moore, p.96). The second son is known as the son huasteco and originates from San Luis Potosi. It is usually played as a trio and in a syncopated triple meter. Each respective genre brings its own regional