Mariachi bands are traditonally singers of songs for love, courtship and broken hearts, and get hired for weddings too. Always with vocals. Their music is richly sentimental -- a cross between Cielito Lindo and O, Mein Papa, or something like that. Real tearjerkers and a richly beautiful sound, a tapesrty of brass and big bass guitars and other strings. I could listen to them for an hour or two. They do regret, yearning, sorrow and lovesick better than any English variant I've ever heard, and they make Barb'ry Ellen sound like a Barbie Doll.



A