by Isabelle Arroyo
The room fills with the sound of trumpets, violins, and the guitarron when all of a sudden you hear “Pumped Up Kicks” by Foster the People. This unexpected combination of music occurred during their most recent tour across Mexico where they were joined by mariachi to create a unique blend of some of their most known songs. Mariachi originated in 19th century Jalisco, Mexico and has continued to be incorporated into a series of genres anywhere from folk to pop music. Mariachi’s integration into popular music demonstrates how cultural heritage continues to adapt to modern entertainment, creating sounds that preserve tradition while expanding to global appeal.
Mariachi found its way to mainstream culture as it was featured in Hollywood and global media to shape perceptions of Mexican culture and create inclusivity. This led to the crossovers of infusing other genres with elements of mariachi music including vocal styles, trumpets, and overall instrumentation. The early years of crossovers began in the 1930’s by adding trumpets with the rhythm of those in a mariachi to a variety of genres leading to growth of Banda music because of the arrival of piston metal instruments consisting of typical brass instruments. This transition laid the blueprint for the incorporation of a variety of mariachi elements into larger groups of people and establishing newer styles over time.
Artists over the past few decades have integrated mariachi into mainstream popular music and other genres while preserving culture and adapting to a global audience. An artist most famous for her works encouraging the embracing of mariachi in other genres of music was Selena Quintanilla. Selena specialized in Tejano and pop music, two very distinct styles that represent Northern Mexican and Southern United States styles, embracing her bi-cultural identity in her music with mariachi.
In recent years, many artists have jumped the band wagon and have embraced their Mexican heritage within their own genres of music. Some well-known contemporary Latin pop artists like Ángelica Aguilar and Natalia Lafourcade have begun to blend mariachi with pop ballads. It’s specifically grown in popularity among rock bands such as Maná, Los Lobos, and Reik, and as they continue to use their music to embrace their culture through mariachi like ballads, performances, collaboration with other artists, and expanding the genres palate. By adding dramatic trumpet solos and harmonizing violins to electric guitars and drums, mariachi becomes more versatile and creates a space for it to exist outside its traditional context.
The feedback from the incorporation of mariachi into other genres has been positive as it has reaffirmed Mexican identity on a global scale. Not only has mariachi music grown in popularity as it continues to be used by all Latin artists, but it’s led to the exploration of adding other styles of music into genres such as salsa, cumbia, merengue and more. One of the latest songs by Latin Mafia featuring Omar Apollo, “Hecho Para Ti,” uses the classic cumbia from the early 1990’s to create a rhythmic, melancholy, retro pop cumbia.
This is only the beginning; every year more Latin artists begin to incorporate traditional music styles of their background into their works, promoting creativity and preserving tradition.
