The most important group in the history of mariachi music is Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán, founded in 1898 by Gaspar Vargas in Tecalitlán, Jalisco.

The style of music that would become Mariachi arose in the Jalisco region of Mexico, and was also called son jaliscience.

Most claims for its origin lie in the state of Jalisco but neighboring states of Colima, Nayarit, and Michoacán have also claimed it. However, by the late 19th century, the music was firmly centered in Jalisco. Most legends put the origin of the modern mariachi in the town of Cocula, Jalisco.

One of the main highlights: Robert Rodriguez's El Mariachi. Who can forget the unnamed traveling musician, who dreams to make his way in the world through his art. But, by an accidental trade of guitar cases, he gets wrongly marked as a ruthless criminal that the local drug lord had imprisoned and now wants dead.