Chavez includes lots of Aztec and Mayan percussion instruments in the orchestra!
Now that we have talked about classical music, let's talk a little about Mexican folk music. One of the most common kinds of Mexican music is the famous mariachi! Mariachi is a band usually made up of several brass instruments (usually trumpets), guitars, accordions, violins, and singers. It is traditional for mariachi bands to play at weddings or to be hired to play a serenata (serenade) outside the window of someone they love. In Mexico City, you can go to Plaza Garibaldi any night of the week to hear lots of mariachi bands playing. You can pay a band to play a song and then join a group of friends dancing to the music.
