Mariachi musicians, with their big sombreros, silver-buttoned...
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Mariachi musicians, with their big sombreros, silver-buttoned suits, guitars and trumpets, have always been popular in Mexico, but as Mexicans feel the pinch from a struggling economy, paying for a tune has become a luxury.
This means that the economy is vying with music as the hot topic as mariachis from all over the world gather for a week in Guadalajara at the annual International Mariachi Festival.
Experts say that as Mexico’s economy battles to emerge from a recession, fewer people can afford to keep up the national tradition of hiring a 12-man band of mariachis at a cost of between $180 and $460 for a party.
The minimum wage in Mexico is less than $5 a day.
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