I have tried very hard to find out more about the apparent arrangement of this song that is played in The Mask of Zorro. I have also tried to find out who the musicians are that appear in the movie. It is a shame this song was not part of the soundtrack because it is a rare and beautifuly executed piece. The instrumentation that appears in the movie is very uncommnon. It is not a mariachi band and it isn't a symphony, its a fusion of both. Some of the instruments that appear on the movie are also rare. If this song is indeed an arrangement of the old californian song "El Sombrero Blanco", then there is no doubt that whoever did this is a very talented person that deeply understands this music and that certainly has some knowlege of old Californian music. For those who know about Mexican folkoric music, the song in the movie is something you don't hear a lot. Instrumental huapangos that have feature somekind of soloist, in this case the trumpet. I think of this as a new genre of Mexican music where instruments in a huapango, not singers, take on the melody. I was absolutly thrilled when I heard this piece in the movie. Some say it was the best music in the movie. Maybe thats why James Horner decided not to include it in the Soundtrack, because people would buy it and remember it more for that song than for his compositions which I think are great but not as great as this song. It would be fantastic if someone found more info. I guess the only way is to talk to James Horner himself. I have transcribed this piece to music based on what I heard in the movie. My brother plays the trumpet and I back him up with the guitar playing huapango. When we play it to people they are thrilled because it is powerful passionate music that they have never heard.
--Marco-- p.s. You can contact me at mrc_figueroa@yahoo.com