A traditional Mexican musical genre that dates back to the 18th century, most commonly associated with the city of Guadalajara, which is the state capital of Jalisco and the second largest city of Mexico, best known for its very close association with the charro outfit. Its rise to fame has been attributed to the local mariachi ensemble of Tecalitlán, a town 100 miles (160 km) away from Guadalajara, which was chosen for the inauguration of the influential president Lázaro Cárdenas in 1934. Together with other local cultural elements such as tequila and charrería, mariachi is one of the cultural symbols of the city of Guadalajara, which also represents the best known cultural symbols of Mexico.
