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 Edward moves to Guadalajara, where he plans to become a mariachi himself. He becomes friends with Lilia (Martha Higareda) and develops unrequited feelings for her. Lilia helps him to advance his dream and enlists the help of Sophia (Lila Downs), the lead singer of a small mariachi band, to teach him. Lilia herself has the dream to leave Guadalajara and study oceanography, but is constantly putting it off to help his mother run a traditional restaurant. Edward is then recruited by a prestigious mariachi band, which puts him at odds with Lilia, who feels he's betraying his dream to be