Los Angeles-based Mariachi El Bronx started out as a punk band called The Bronx, but that was before its members discovered a collective love for Mexican folk music. The group fell hard for mariachi, and when faced with playing an acoustic punk rock set for a TV show, they decided to fully embrace that new direction and start a Mexican-flavored side project. Since that fateful day, there have been two eponymous Mariachi El Bronx albums, and a third LP is in the works.
On today's episode of World Cafe, host David Dye asks Mariachi El Bronx which genre of music is harder to play. The next big test for the boys will take place in Mexico, the birthplace of mariachi, where the group has never played. To learn more about mariachi music and its history, be sure to also check out this week's episode of Latin Roots, hosted by Catalina Maria Johnson, which further explores the genre.
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