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Mariachi
                                                                 I arrived in Guadalajara on a Saturday night
                                                              during the International Mariachi and Charrería
                                                              Festival, and immediately headed to the neoclassic
                                                              Teatro Degollado for the fancy Mariachi Gala. The
                                                              musicmadefamiliaratMexicanrestaurantsaround
                                                              the world began as working-class entertainment,
                                                              with humbly dressed, roving musicians playing for
                                                              money. As mariachi gained in popularity, however,
                                                              an elaborate style evolved. Based on the clothing
                                                              worn by Jalisco's charros, or horsemen, the mari-
                                                              achi uniform can run into many thousands of dol-
                                                              lars for the short bolero jackets, tight pants or long
                                                              skirtsadornedwithsilverorgoldbuttonsandenor-
                                                              mous sombreros covered with elaborate gilt em-
                                                              broidery.
                                                                 The music evolved as well as musicians gained
                                                              professionalstatusandestablishedcareers.It'snot
                                                              unusualtohearsymphonicarrangementsforsongs
                                                              from the mariachi playbook. Some of the finest
                                                              groups from Mexico and the U.S. performed with
                                                              theJaliscoPhilharmonicOrchestraduringthegala,
                                                              filling the ornate theater with beloved favorites
                                                              that kept the audience cheering. Outside the the-
                                                              ater musicians displayed their CDs and mingled
                                                              with their fans as they refueled with shots of
                                                              tequila from the theater's cafe.


                                                                            Ballet Folklórico
                                                                 Sunday morning began at Tortas Toños with a
                                                              typicaltapatio(thenicknameforGuadalajara'sres-
                                                              idents and style) breakfast—a torta ahogada, or
                                                              "drowned sandwich." The sandwich comes on a
                                                              birote, a crunchy baguette dense enough to absorb
                                                              the juices spooned over piles of shredded pork (I
                                                              prefer just a little sauce on the torta, which tastes
                                                              like a juicy carnitas sandwich). At Toños, ladies in
                                                              theirSundaybestperchedoncounterstoolsbeside
                                                              laborers all devouring their tortas with relish.
                                                                 Stomach satisfied, I moved on to Avenida Cha-
                                                              pultepec and the International Mariachi parade.
                                                              More than 40 bands from 25 countries were in
                                                              Guadalajara for the festival, and a lineup marched
                                                              along the avenue proudly waving flags from France
                                                              Australia,JapanandPeru.Femalemariachis,slowly
                                                              gaining prominence in the profession, marched
                                                              alongside their male peers, and ages ranged from


            136   WINE DINE & TRAVEL MAGAZINE 2020
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