Here are some good examples of Mexican music, not necessarily mariachi.

While Mariachi El Bronx and Los Lobos might be considered Mexican music, they are not “mariachi” music per say. In a nutshell it works like this: there are artists that are accompanied by mariachis and generally have large fan bases, and then there are mariachi ensembles with no real front man but are not as popular in the greater scope of things. A mariachi musician like myself is expected to know and perform almost any song from either a soloist or a mariachi ensemble. Here are some of the more famous names to get you started:

Soloists:

• Vicente Fernandez
• Alejandro Fernandez
• Pepe Aguliar
• Pedro Infante
• Jorge Negrete
• Javier Solis

Mariachi Ensembles:

• Mariachi Vargas De Tecalitlan
• Mariachi Los Camperos de Nati Cano
• Mariachi Sol De Mexico
• Mariachi Nuevo Tecalitlan

Famous Pieces

• La Bamba
• El Rey
• Mariachi Loco
• La Malaguena
• La Charreada
• Cielito lindo