Mariachi-a Contradiction in Form, Employment Versus Identity

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Mariachi. Just saying the word brings to mind the noisy commotion of street vendors lining dusty Mexican streets, cafe’s filled with the wafting scents of delicious fish tacos, and gorgeous white sand beaches full of sunbathers and tropical drinks. Or at least it does for me. As a white American not raised in the mariachi culture, it is a symbol of the joys of Mexican tourism. On the other hand, for many with backgrounds differing from my own, mariachi is a distinct symbol of nationalism. Through my experiences, studies, and interviews, I have discovered the possibility of their existing two distinct mariachis. Mariachi as Identity and mariachi as tourism. In this paper, I analyze mariachi as a cultural identity and mariachi as a way to keep food on the table through the use of interviews of individuals touched by both forms of mariachi, my own experiences with both forms of mariachi, and academic articles covering both sides of mariachi. These sources give me three different perspectives in order to examine my two overarching themes. The question is, is mariachi currently primarily a form of necessary employment, primarily an overarching representation of mexican identity, or are they equally important aspects of mariachi? Mariachi began neither as a form of employment or an identity. It began in the early nineteenth century in rural Jalisco as a form of dance music called son jalisciense. Musicians would wear plain peasant clothes, and play simply as entertainment in local community gatherings. (1) Mariachi was a form of employment before it became a form of identity. In the later stages of the nineteenth century son jalisciense evolved into mariachi, and mariachi became a form of employment. Until the Mexican Revolution, mariachi’s would be hired out to live and play at rich haciendas. After the hacienda’s collapsed mariachi remained a form of

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