Cinco de Mayo!

Cinco de Mayo…5th of May…what does this mean? To me, when I was a child, I just saw my family drinking margaritas and cervezas and having a good time on this date every year. I also thought this was Mexico’s Independence Day for many years, but it’s not. This date is actually important to the United States as well; and no, I’m not drinking right now. You see, Cinco de Mayo is the date when Mexican troops stormed and defeated Napoleon’s French invading army in the battle of Puebla on May 5th, 1862.  Napoleon III and France wanted to invade and defeat Mexico so they could get to the vulnerable United States who was already weak from its own Civil War.

So now you say “Where does the music come into play?” Here is the best part. After Mexico defeated the French, many Mexican rancheros that fought in the war brought out their acoustic guitars and started singing and playing festive songs in a style that would later be known as Mariachi. For our clients on this holiday we’ve developed a Cinco de Mayo program that has a bit of everything that is festive from Mariachi, Rancheras, Cumbias, Salsa, Tejano, Banda and more with the likes of Mariachi Sol de Mexico, Gloria Estefan, Flaco Jimenez, Juan Gabriel, Vicente Fernandez and a few other surprises that’ll have them dancing on the tables. We hope that they and you will be taken to a place this Cinco de Mayo where you can let you hair down, pop open a cold one and say “Salud!” or drink one of your favorite tequilas and yell “Viva Mexico!”

[youtube http://youtu.be/q-Rqdgna3Yw]

Alex Espinosa – Associate Music Supervisor
PlayNetwork