Mariachi Music in America

Mariachi Music in America: Experiencing Music, Expressing Culture, is one of the case study volumes in the Global Music Series, edited by Bonnie Wade and Patricia Shehan Campbell. This volume describes the social, cultural, and economic circumstances surrounding mariachi music in the United States. Massive immigrations of Mexicans to the U.S., the power of the international recording industry, and the fluid travel of mariachi musicians back and forth between the two countries have maintained a strong base of musical continuity across the political border. This book explains how mariachi music is at once a folk music rooted in over 150 years of tradition, a commodity governed by market considerations, and a dynamic, evolving musical stream of activity, shaped and expanded by musical innovation and social meaning. This book offers an understanding of Mariachi music's historical roots, its evolving role and nature, and its place in contemporary American society. Woven through the text are eyewitness accounts of local performances, interviews with key performers, and vivid illustrations.