Mariachi was heavily involved in cultural promotion as a way to create a unified Mexican identity after the end of the Mexican Revolution. One of these efforts was the promotion of mariachi as an international symbol of Mexican identity, first with radio and sound recordings and later with films. Mexico built a nationwide radio broadcasting network in the 1920s such as XEB and XEW, which began broadcasting mariachi music as a media production, rather than as a music for social events. This music was already being modified in part due to the advent of sound recording. For example, most son jaliscense
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