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
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.