New York Latin Culture Magazine®

World-class Indigenous, European & African Culture since 2012

New York Mariachi

Mariachi in NYC is Mexican ranchera performed in festive charro Mexican cowboy outfits. The style is popular in Colombia too. It’s considered traditional for weddings and birthdays. “Las Mañanitas” is a birthday song often sung Mariachi style.

Regional Mexican music has many styles, but Mariachi is the most famous. When radio became popular in the 1920s-30s, the government promoted Mariachi as a unifying cultural icon.

One of the best places in NYC for Mariachi and Ranchera is on Sunday nights, Mexican night, at La Boom in Woodside, Queens. The club is owned by one of the biggest Mexican event promoters in the Northeast.

Mariachi and Ranchera in NYC

Mariachi NYC Archive

February 2023

Edna Vázquez blends Mexican mariachi and American folk, pop and rock into something fabulous for Carnegie Hall Citywide; at the LGBT Community Center in Manhattan’s West Village; on Monday, February 13, 2023 at 7:30pm. FREE! 🏳️‍🌈🇲🇽

March 2023

Two Latin Grammy winners: Flor de Toloache and Nella play Mexican mariachi and Venezuelan pop at Carnegie Hall’s Zankel Hall in Midtown, Manhattan on Friday, March 24, 2023 at 7:30pm. From $64. 🇲🇽🇻🇪

November 2022

NYC’s Latin Grammy winning, all-woman Mariachi band, Flor de Toloache, plays Sony Hall in the Times Square Theater District on November 3, 2022. From $32. 🇲🇽

October 2022

NYC’s Latin Grammy winning, all-woman, Mariachi band, Flor de Toloache, stars with Los Lobos and Ozomatli in the new PBS musical special, “Día de los Muertos” which premieres on WNET Thirteen, on Friday, October 28,2022 at 9pm. Free. 🇲🇽

April 2022

Daniel Calderon y Los Gigantes play Colombian Vallenato, and Arelys Henao sings Colombian Rancheras for dancing at La Boom in Woodside, Queens on Fri, Apr 8 at 10pm. From $48. 🇨🇴

February 2022

Celebrate Valentines Day with Amor & Amistad live Mariachis at Sabor Latino in Elmhurst, Queens on Mon, Feb 14, 2022 after midnight (9pm doors). Standing free with pre-registration. Tables from $261. 🇲🇽

Ranchera Blues

Ranchera has the “Grito Mexicano” (mexican cry) in it. It’s the sound of someone weeping, or if you ever lived in the desert, you may recognize the howl of coyotes at a kill.

The music is Mexican but has similarities with the blues. Ranchera has the Grito Mexicano in it and the blues has its own wailing cry which derives from ululation (trilling) and the Islamic call to prayer through West Africa. One of the early mariachi songs is “La Negra” (The Black Person). We are just sensing, but wouldn’t be at all surprised if there is an African root. Mexico does have Afro-Mexican communities and Veracruz, the gateway to Mexico City, is a Caribbean city. Come to think of it, the founding families of Los Angeles, California were Mexican, but most were not Indigenous or Spanish, they were Black.

Ranchera and mariachi used to be the music of poor country folk. Modern mariachi developed in Jalisco and is now associated with Guadalajara the capital. After the Mexican Revolution (1910-1924), the Mexican government promoted mariachi as a national music. It was the beginning of radio broadcasting in Mexico, so mariachi became very popular.

Mariachi Los Camperos is the mariachi orchestra that professionalized, popularized and standardized mariachi in the United States. They founded the first mariachi dinner theater, La Fonda on Wilshire Blvd in Westlake, Los Angeles. [Editor Keith: My parents used to take me there when I was little. I loved it.]

Ranchera and mariachi is the sound of parks on Sundays across the United States. In New York City, street musicians play it on the subways for tips. Latin Grammy winners Flor de Toloache are New York City’s all-woman mariachi. They are really something.

Mariachi

Mariachi and ranchera are related. Rancheras are Mexican folk songs. They are usually sung solo with a simple guitar accompaniment. Mariachis are bands or orchestras. They play wearing fancy charro gentleman cowboy outfits.

From simple roots in the cantina (small town Mexican bar), mariachi has grown into a festive party music popular across the Latin world. It’s traditional to have mariachi for big birthdays and weddings. Mariachi songs are also popular in karaoke which is often the only entertainment in small towns.

Mariachi Group

The typical mariachi group has guitars, violins and trumpets. The guitars include the iconic guitarrón bass guitar and a vihuela for leads.

Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán is one of Mexico’s oldest and most famous mariachis. The band was founded in the late 1890s by Gaspar Vargas. It backed many famous singers like Lola Beltrán and appeared in many movies. The son Silvestre Vargas and music director Ruben Fuentes standardized many mariachi arrangements.

Mariachi Los Camperos is one of the most famous mariachis in the United States. They founded the first mariachi dinner theater, La Fonda, in Los Angeles. There they trained two generations of mariachis in the United States. Los Camperos were one of the orchestra’s behind Linda Ronstadt’s iconic album “Canciones de mi Padre” (1987). They were also the orchestra for New York City Opera’s first mariachi opera “Cruzar la cara de la luna” (Crossing the face of the moon) in 2018.

Flor de Toloache is one of New York City’s most famous mariachis. The all-woman band has won a Latin Grammy.

Mariachi Songs

“La Cucaracha” (The Cockroach) is one of the most famous mariachi songs. “Las Mañanitas” is played for birthdays and patron saint festivals.

Mariachi Origins

Mariachi’s origins are lost in the haze of time, but rancheras are country music. The rural form developed an urban form in Guadalajara, Jalisco. In the 1920s, radio was just coming of age. After the Mexican Revolution (1910-1920) the new Mexican government promoted mariachi in an effort to forge a Mexican identity.

Flor de Toloache

Flor de Toloache is New York City’s own Latin Grammy nominated, all-woman mariachi band. They rock both tradition and their own music. mariachinyc.com

Regional Mexican