Mariachi the indigenous name of a tree called "pilla" or "cirimo"; yet another states that it came from an image locally called "María H" (pronounced "Mari-Ache"). In many Mexican cultures they are also called Marietti. Mariachi can refer to the music, the group, or just one musician. The term "Mariachi band" is also a redundant term for a Mariachi because the word 'Mariachi' itself in Spanish implies a group of musicians playing Mariachi music. The word "mariachi" was thought to have derived from the French word "marriage", dating from the French intervention in Mexico in the 1860s, related to the music's
Mariachi Gringo lead role. Mariachi Gringo Mariachi Gringo is a 2012 feature film directed by Tom Gustafson and written by Cory Krueckeberg. The film was produced by Speak Productions and Sin Sentido Films. The film stars Shawn Ashmore, Martha Higareda, Lila Downs, Fernando Becerril, Kate Burton, Tom Wopat and Adriana Barraza. Mariachi Gringo opened the 2012 Miami International Film Festival and won the Mayahuel Awards for Best Film & Best Actress for Martha Higareda at the 2012 Guadalajara International Film Festival. Edward (Shawn Ashmore), a small-town American slacker, meets Albert, an old Mexican man who was once a mariachi. Enchanted by traditional