Country music different genres and subgenres, depending on where they originated, and in what regions they are popular. One specific song style, the ranchera, found its origins in the Mexican countryside and was first popularized with mariachi, and has since also become popular with banda, norteño, Duranguense and other regional Mexican styles. The corrido, a different song style with a similar history, is also performed in many different regional styles. Other song styles performed in regional Mexican music include ballads, cumbias, boleros, among others. American country music is also popular in Mexico, but most prominently in the northern regions of the country,
Mariachi was held in 1979. Since then, a strong synergy between academic programs and mariachi festivals has developed, which feature students and give mariachi classes and workshops. Once school programs were limited to border areas such as San Antonio and Tucson but they have spread across the southwest and into other parts of the country, especially since the 1990s. There are at least 500 schools offering classes along with local and state competitions. In some US schools, mariachi ensembles have replaced school bands. Professional groups such as Mariachi Cobre, which regularly performs at Disney World, also spend time teaching in public