Inside the main chapel at Santo Domingo Church, one of many highly decorated colonial and post colonial buildings in Oaxaca in which music is presented. The Teatro Macedonio Alcala exists because of t... read more

Lila Downs Sanchez and her band will be appearing at the Alvaro Carillo Theater in Oaxaca on February 12. It's a benefit for the Casa de Mujer. If you're in town, don't miss it. Photography by Diana Ri... read more

Each year here in Guadalajara, we host an international mariachi meeting, with a musical festival and all of the rest included. Mariachis from all over the world come to celebrate the occasion every year. I've even had the opportunity to listen, believe it or not, to Japanese mariachis! read more

When reenacting Mary and Joseph's quest for shelter in Bethlehem, participants in the traditional Posada processions stop to sing a litany at several designated homes. The verses alternate one by one b... read more

When reenacting Mary and Joseph's quest for shelter in Bethlehem, participants in the traditional Posada processions stop to sing a litany at several designated homes. The verses alternate one by one between those seeking lodging outside and those responding from behind the door. read more

I’m puzzled as to why Xalapa hasn’t become more of a permanent residence for Americans and Canadians. Of the six cities my wife and I visited – Morelia, Cholula, Puebla, Xalapa, Vera Cruz and Queretero – Xalapa is for us the hands-down winner. read more

The only thing more Mexican than tequila is the mariachi and it seems a shame to have one without the other. Mariachi goes beyond music, it is the sum of a cultural revolution expressed through a group of musicians, dressed in popular clothing (most recently charro suits) which encompasses the essence of Mexico and its people. It is something cultural, spiritual and traditional that is unique to this country, an experience not to be missed. read more

A riotous image of a storm of people bolting down a wide Mexico City avenue, in the midst of a live Maldita Vecindad rock performance from the back of a moving truck, comprises one of many memorable vi... read more

"I'm playing yesterday's music and nobody pays any attention to it any more," lamented Juan Reynoso, the virtuoso violinist from Guerrero's Tierra Caliente, just a few days before President Zedillo han... read more

Every Friday night around six in the evening at Cielito Lindo in South El Monte, California, a large crowd begins to gather. The same thing occurs 1,400 miles away, at El Jalisco Bar in Austin, Texas. What brings crowds to these and hundreds of other restaurants like them across the country? Some say it's the latest margarita happy hour or the growing popularity of Mexican food that packs them in. But a survey of customers reveals that it's the appearance of local Mexican music sensations and an appreciation of the sounds of four or more violins, at least two guitars, a deep-voiced guitarron, a vihuela, and, yes, trumpets. Mariachi music is the sound that speaks to your emotions. read more