El Mariachi El Mariachi El Mariachi is a 1992 American contemporary western action film and the first installment in the saga that came to be known as Robert Rodriguez's "Mexico Trilogy". It marked the feature length debut of Rodriguez as writer and director. The Spanish language film was shot with a mainly amateur cast in the northern Mexican bordertown of Ciudad Acuña, Coahuila, Mexico across from Del Rio, Texas, the home town of leading actor Carlos Gallardo. The US$7,225 production was originally intended for the Mexican home video market, but executives at Columbia Pictures liked the film and bought the American distribution
Mariachi problems recruiting mariachi instructors as many of these do not have required teaching credentials. For this reason, schools often hire trained musicians from outside the mariachi tradition. Many traditional mariachis are concerned that standardization will lead to fossilization and restrict improvisation. Other innovations in the United States have been the incorporation of styles of artists such as Elvis Presley, Freddy Fender and Glenn Miller, as well as the heavy-metal Mariachi band Metalachi. Another is the encouragement of female mariachis including all-female Mariachi groups such as Mariachi Mujer 2000 and Mariachi Divas de Cindy Shea. Mariachi Mujer has performed with Mexican