This is the part of Mexico City that does not sleep. The music is the pulse for Plaza Garibaldi.
You won't have trouble finding a mariachi here. They're scattered everywhere on this two block main square. Dressed in coordinated colors. In fact...they're waiting for you.
Hundreds of people fill this square every night. A tradition that started in the 1920s. People here are hoping to get a taste of traditional Mexican folk music.
In this part of town if you're not drinking or listening to music, you're not part of the party.
So we decided to hire our own mariachi. We met Ruben Aguilar who's been doing this for 20 years. For 100 pesos or $8... he sang to us.
Every mariachi has a violin, horns, guitars, and who can forget the singer. For Aguilar this is beyond tradition.
"Pues primero por que este lla son las raises mas de atras. Mis papas eran musicos y de alli biene todo. Lo tengo en la sangre. (Well, first of all, because this is my roots, my parents were musicians. It's in my blood.)"
It's sort of a controlled chaos here in Garibaldi. There are like ten songs going on at the same time.
"Muy honorable por que le sirves ha Mexico y ha todo el tourismo que viene. (it's with much honor because we are serving Mexico and all the tourists who come.)"
Most of these songs are well known.
As you can tell, this group isn't skipping a beat or lyric. This song "el rey" is about manhood.
A lot of the songs we heard this night were about patriotism, culture, and of course... love!
TXT 24
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