Mexican Food Recipes
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Festive and Lively Cinco de Mayo Music
Cinco de Mayo is a very popular holiday in the US and becoming more so with every passing year. Even cities, which have a statistically insignificant Mexican-American population, now hold annual Cinco de Mayo parades and other celebrations; and the holiday is of course marked by private parties held in homes, at parks and elsewhere all across the nation. You do not have to be Mexican to celebrate Cinco de Mayo; and in fact, the holiday is much more widely celebrated here than it is south of the border, where it is a mostly regional holiday.
Music is an important part of any party of course, whether it is a cocktail party, a dinner party, or any other sort of social gathering - but what sort of Cinco de Mayo music should you play at your party? Like selecting the music for any other party, it largely comes down to your own personal taste, but there is a lot of great Mexican music to choose from to entertain your guests with and dance to.
Mariachi music is the first thing, which comes to most people’s minds when they think of Cinco de Mayo music, and this is of course an excellent choice. If you have it in the budget, you could even think of hiring a Mariachi band to play at your Cinco de Mayo party. It is a little pricier than popping in a CD of course, but it definitely adds to the festive air of the holiday. If a live band is not an option, then recordings of popular Mariachi classics will also fit the bill perfectly.
Marching bands are not what everyone thinks of as Cinco de Mayo music, but brass band music is quite popular in Mexico. Known as banda music, this style is a great addition to your Cinco de Mayo playlist - Julio Preciado and Joan Sebastian are especially popular banda artists.
While not strictly Mexican in origin, Tejano music is another good choice. This Tex-Mex hybrid features the accordion and has a beat, which is reminiscent of a lively polka. It is music, which definitely lends itself to dancing; be sure to include some popular Tejano songs in the rotation as well.
One thing to keep in mind is that Mexico is very much a modern country with a thriving music scene. You can find literally any genre of music, which you would like to play at your Cinco de Mayo party recorded by Mexican artists. Whether it's jazz, chamber music or even heavy metal, it is out there and easy to find. Your Cinco de Mayo music playlist could be really anything at all - as long as you and your guests will enjoy the music, you have chosen for your party, go with what sounds good to you.
