U.S. #5703
2022 60¢ Mariachi – Guitarist & Moon
Issue Date: July 15, 2022
First Day City: Albuquerque, NM
Type of Stamp: Commemorative
Printed by: Banknote Corporation of America
Printing Method: Offset
Format: Pane of 20
Self-Adhesive
Quantity Printed: 18,000,000
Mariachi music originated in Mexico in the 18th century. It began in the countryside (son style) but eventually made it to the city, where it was given the name mariachi. Son (sound) style was known to be more simple than today's mariachi. It had fewer instruments, more casual outfits, and fewer outside influences than the later urban style.
Music historians have several theories on where the word mariachi came from. Some say it was based on the name of a specific type of wood used to build a dance platform or stage. Others cite references to a "Mariachi Ranch" on over 100 baptism, burial, and marriage certificates dating from 1832 to 1850. Still others suggest mariachi evolved from the French word mariage (marriage) due to the genre's association with weddings. Other historical documents also suggest mariachi was around before the 1860s and the Second Franco-Mexican War.
By the early 20th century, mariachi had gained national popularity. The music was often played on the radio, as well as at public and private events. This also marked the time period in which traveling groups of mariachi would wander through towns and cities playing requests for a fee. This tradition has continued to this day and may be the most well-known version of mariachi outside of Mexico.