Cultural Spotlight

La Bamba dance

La Bamba is an 18th-century folk song and dance that comes from the Veracruz region in the Gulf of Mexico. It is mainly performed at weddings where the bride and groom tie a ribbon together with their toes as a symbol of their love. An adaptation of this song was popularized by Richie Valens in 1958, and became a Top 40 hit.

Catrina represents the beauty of life that is celebrated during the Day of the Dead Festival. Catrina wears an elegant dress, a feather boa, a fancy hat full of bright flowers, and is always smiling, reminding us that there is comfort in commemorating, not fearing, death. You might see Catrina grace a family ofrenda, in a shop window, or appear in a painted face of people who attend Day of the Dead parades.

It’s hard to miss the distinctive joyful sounds of a Mariachi band! Mariachi is a genre of regional Mexican music that dates back to at least the 18th century, evolving over time in the countryside of various regions of western Mexico. The usual mariachi group today consists of as many as eight violins, two trumpets and at least one guitar, including a high-pitched vihuela and an acoustic bass guitar called a guitarrón, and all players taking turns singing lead and doing backup vocals.