Did you know? 

The word “mariachi” was thought to have derived from the French word mariage (‘marriage’), related to the music’s appearance at weddings during the French Intervention in Mexico in the 1860s.  This was a common explanation on record jackets and travel brochures. This theory was dis-proven with the appearance of documents that showed that the word existed before this invasion.

The origin of the word is still in dispute but most of the prominent theories attribute it to indigenous roots. One states that it comes from the name of the wood from which the dance platform is made. Another states that mariachi comes from the indigenous name of a tree called pilla or cirimo; yet another states that it came from an image locally called María H (pronounced Mari-Ache).

Mariachi can refer to the music, the group, or just one musician.

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