Mariachi music is unique in its ability to incorporate different musical traditions while remaining closely associated with mestizo Mexican identities. It has become one of the most salient symbols that people associate with Mexican culture.

One states that it comes from the name of the wood used to make the dance platform. Another states that mariachi comes from the indigenous name of a tree called pilla or cirimo; yet another states that it came from an image locally called María H (pronounced Mari-Ache).