Mariachi associated with the group died in 1985. That the group still considers itself the original group comes from the notion of passing on the music by generations of musicians, how the original son jaliscense was learned. The promotion of mariachi as representative of Mexico has led to the formation of mariachi groups in many countries such as Argentina, Aruba, Egypt, Chile, Cuba, Spain, Croatia, Guatemala, Uruguay, Sweden, Peru, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela, with groups from these and more countries participating in Guadalajara’s International Mariachi and Charreria Conference. The music has a strong following in the US, with top groups
Mariachi Divas de Cindy Shea and Downtown Disney's "Tortilla Joe" restaurant. They went on to headline Disney festivals such as the holiday-themed "Viva Navidad". Of his choice to spotlight an all-female mariachi band, Freese said, "I try to give our guests something they won’t see anywhere else. The Mariachi Divas are great performers." In the meantime, the Mariachi Divas were experiencing success as recording artists as well. In 2009, with their album "Canciones De Amor", they made history as the first all-female mariachi band ever to be nominated for a Grammy award; they went on to win the award that year for Best Regional Mexican