A stage will be set up in the plaza early next week in preparation for a plethora of performances by leading mariachi bands, singers and musicians, as well as guests from this year’s invited country, Spain.
The action starts on Wednesday, August 28, with the opening of an open-air photo exhibit titled “The Origin and Evolution of Mariachi.” The show will stay mounted through to the festival’s conclusion on September 8.
Activities in the plaza begin at 4 p.m. on the 28th, when musicians of various genres from Mexico and Spain entertain free of charge for the ensuing four hours.
This Mexico-Spanish cultural jamboree will continue at the same time (4-8 p.m.) daily through Tuesday, September 3, helping to create a unique atmosphere in the downtown area during this much anticipated 20th edition of the festival.
A break will be taken on Sunday, September 1, when the plaza hosts a free, open-air gala featuring the nation’s top group and the Jalisco Philharmonic Orchestra from 7 -10 p.m.
On September 4, the Liberacion stage will be handed over to traditional mariachi groups, who are always an essential ingredient of the festival. These musicians represent a style closer to son music, the form that gave birth to mariachi in the 19th century. They wear much less ostentatious loose-fitting white peasant shirts, usually with black or white pants and huarache sandals. The big difference is that they do not employ brass instruments, sticking with guitars and violins, guitars and harps, or some other mix of string instruments.
The traditional mariachi groups will perform daily from Wednesday, September 4 through Friday, September 6, from 4-8 p.m.
On Saturday, September 7, again from 4-8 p.m, Mexican and Spanish musicians will return to the plaza to give a rousing finale to locals and visitors.