did not originate in the church. Today, however, mariachi is an important part of Catholic services for life events and holidays from funerals to weddings, including celebrations of the Virgin of Guadalupe on December 12 of each year.

The distinction between son and modern mariachi comes from the modification of the music. By the end of the nineteenth century, the European art music tradition was firmly transplanted to Mexico, with opera, salon music, waltzes, and more written and performed both by Europeans and Mexicans in the country.