50 weeks out of the year Tlacotalpan sits in its torpid tropical slumber, but starting late January and running for two weeks it celebrates the Fiesta de la Candelaria. For most of these two weeks the Feria (fair) is made up of a carnival, bailes tropicales (salsa dances), and a very large tianguis (temporary market). Then – in stark contrast to its normal tranquility — on January 31st through February 2nd the town explodes into a religious and secular frenzy, its streets stuffed with true believers and joyful revelers. read more

The mariachi is believed to have originated in Jalisco, in the area of Cocula and Tecolitlan.

So it is fitting that the capital of Jalisco celebrate this quintessential musical tradition, and the annual International Mariachi Festival — begun in 1994 — brings together groups from all over the world.

The National Charro Championship runs concurrently.

¡Viva México en Guadalajara! read more

Beginning on December 16, Mexican children have their nine days of posadas before Christmas. Two are chosen to dress up like Joseph and Mary and lead the other neighborhood children from house to house singing a request for a place to rest. There are singers inside the houses they pass who are programmed to sing a refusal of lodging. Finally, they arrive at a house where they are received and refreshments are served. read more

Emilio Rolando Villazón Mauleón is the world's next great tenor, at least equal to Placido Domingo, but easier on the eyes and with far more dramatic gifts. You don't have to know anything about opera to appreciate Villazón's voice. When you hear him sing, your jaw drops, your eyes glaze over, and the hairs on your arm stand to attention. This, I thought, is a voice for the ages. I felt like Al Capone must have felt the first time he heard the voice of Enrico Caruso. Villazón was born in 1972 in the Mexico City suburb of Fuentes de Satellite. read more

When the honorable and distinguished city leaders of Cocula, Jalisco select me as communications consultant for their mariachi museum, I shall recommend minor enhancements. The host who greets visitor... read more

Caminos de Michoacan (an old ranchera song) by composer: Bulmaro Bermude is a musical tour of this Mexican state. read more

This June one of Mexico's most venerated composers comes to Washington, DC. The life and loves (and there were many) of Agustin Lara will be brought to the stage in a work commissioned by the Gala Hisp... read more

The song "Bésame mucho" (Kiss me a lot) was written by a young Mexican woman who had never been kissed. This article is a tribute to Consuelo Velázquez, who died January 22, 2005, at the age o... read more

La Cucaracha (The Cockroach), one of Mexico's best known corridos, is a comic, satirical song, with infinite possibilities for creative verses. Versions of La Cucaracha have been performed by countless bands and musicians, including Louis Armstrong, Bill Haley & His Comets, Doug Sahm read more

The Pyramid of Kukulkan, Chichen Itza Photo by Tony Burton Modern sound recordings usually involve tiny disks which can hold dozens of tracks, specially designed to be easily portable an... read more

A Mexican who tried to revolutionize the world of classical music was once nominated for the Nobel Prize in Physics. In 1950, Julián Carrillo was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Physics. The nominat... read more

November 7, 2007, marks the centenary of the death of Jesús García, the "Hero of Nacozari." The small town of Nacozari occupies a valley nestled in the foothills of the Western Sierra Madre (Sierra ... read more

. . . LAS MAÑANITAS. Estas son las mañanitas que cantaba el rey David; a las muchachas bonitas se las cantamos aquí. Si el sereno de la esquina me quisiera hace... read more

Olvera has been teaching a choir in Santa Ana Tepetitlan, for boys aged six to 13 years old, five days a week for the last 23 years. The first time I hear the choir Ninos Cantores d... read more

Letra Oficial del Himno Nacional Mexicano   CORO Mexicanos, al grito de guerra El acero aprestad y el bridon; ... read more

This past February I had the pleasure of attending the first concert of the 2005 season given by the Xalapa Symphony Orchestra. It was the first time I had heard the orchestra, and I was impressed by t... read more

Can you hear Ritchie Valens belting that one out? One of Rock and Roll’s most copied songs (from garage bands, movies, and college marching bands, to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir). La Bamba is an ode to an era, the anthem of the American Boom generation. Many of us over the years continue to sing that catchy song without thinking much about it. But in truth, there is a whole lot more here than meets most peoples ears. read more

MUSIC The music of Mexico provides a rich tapestry of rhythm, tone, and variety. Its roots are based on a compelling history of disparate influences. From the music of the Mariachi, the Corri... read more

Mexican music has its roots in the Indian flute, huehuetl (drum) and conch shell. The Spaniards brought their musicians with them as the Indian music proved inadequate for bullfights. Bul... read more

Nothing better exemplifies the lively spirit of Mexico than a fiery shot of tequila, dashing charro horsemen and the stirring strains of a mariachi band. Jalisco is the heartland of these emblematic fi... read more

Music is the universal language that crosses all barriers and penetrates the heart. There was no composer who understood the emotional draw of music better than Agustín Lara, and no song writer who ha... read more

Even though the story starts out calmly enough, by the time you reach chapter two, you're in the middle of the wildest kind of fantasy, part new age and part sci-fi, complete with time travel, space travel, reincarnation, astrology and almost anything else you can imagine. The time span of the book stretches from the fall of Moctezuma to the 23rd century read more

Guanajuato is, and has been for a long time, a centre of culture and education. In one way or another, it has always been prosperous, either through the richness of its farmland or its mines. There was... read more