¡Ay, Ay, Ay, Ay, Ay! Guitars, violins, colorful spangled costumes and big mariachi hats have become an indelible symbol of Mexico throughout the world (believe it or not, I once even spotted mariachi hats on sale at souvenir stands right outside Italy’s Leaning Tower of Pisa).
There are conflicting stories about the origin of this distinctive form of music and performance – one pegs it to the brief 1860s reign of Emperor Maximiliano (yes, Mexico had exactly one post-Aztec emperor, kept on the th
