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Canadian Mariachi Festival

Vancouver will have its very own again this summer. This is the third year for the three day event. The…

By Ursula Diaz , in Cultura Vancouver: Latin living , on March 23, 2010 Tags: , ,

Vancouver will have its very own again this summer. This is the third year for the three day event.

The of mariachi go back hundreds of years, but the “modern” mariachi began in Jalisco, back in the nineteenth century. A traditional mariachi group has at least two violins, one trumpet, a guitar, a (a guitar with a convex back) and a

, a dancing technique that consists in performers driving their shoes into the floor.

Mariachis traditionally wear traje de charro, consisting in a high waist jacket and tight pants ornamented with embroidery and silver ornaments.

Mariachis wearing their traditional outfit. Photo credits: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jlmaral/

From May 4th to May 9th you will have the chance to see five international mariachis performing. It´s funny that actually just one of them is Mexican, two from the United States and two from Canada. Los Dorados and Los Castorcitos are based in Vancouver. The main event of the festival is the Gala, it will take place at the  at UBC.

This music is one of the most important elements in Mexican folklore and culture. Even if you don´t speak Spanish you will get the intense feeling that comes with a good mariachi song.