Mariachi artists such as Pedro Fernández, Ana Gabriel, and American born mariachi singer Pepe Aguilar and more. The educational movement is controversial with some trained in the traditional manner, who are skeptical about these programs and their potential to change the tradition. The changes, especially standardization of publishing, are slowing impacting mariachi in Mexico. One difficulty of arranging mariachi pieces is that the son jaliscense is based on alternates between and time. Much of the published mariachi music is meant for people already familiar with the music to serve as guides, not to novices. On the other hand, many schools have
Mariachi of trumpets and the use of charro outfits by mariachi musicians. The musical style began to take on national prominence in the first half of the 20th century, with its promotion at presidential inaugurations and on the radio in the 1920s. In 2011 UNESCO recognized mariachi as an Intangible Cultural Heritage, joining six other entries on the Mexican list of that category. The origin of the word is disputed, but prominent theories attribute it to indigenous roots. One states that it comes from the name of the wood used to make the dance platform. Another states that "Mariachi" comes from