Mariachi Mariachi Mariachi (; ) is a style of music and musical group performance that dates back to at least the 18th century, evolving over time in the countryside of various regions of western Mexico. It has a distinctive instrumentation, musical genre, performance and singing styles, and clothing. From the 19th to 20th century, migrations from rural areas into Guadalajara, along with the Mexican government's cultural promotion gradually re-labeled it as "Son" style, with its alternative name of “mariachi” becoming used for the “urban” form. Modifications of the music include influences from other music such as polkas and waltzes, the addition
Corps style band music. In modern times the show band style still is still fairly popular around the country. Although, one may observe a patterns in motion movement during the course of a show, it is generally not utilized for an entire performance. Even within the show band style, there are significant variations. There tends to be a style more geared towards African American traditions, and can be observed in bands from schools such as Grambling State University, Texas Southern University, or the fictitious college from the film "Drumline". This variation features more standing time, while band members dance and entertain the spectators.