Mariachi Mecca: Mexico's national heritage threatened by Covid-19

The Mariachi musician is one of the most recognizable symbols of Mexico and Plaza Garibaldi is his home in the historic center of Mexico City, known as Meca Mariachi. Typically, the plaza will have hundreds of tourists and locals in attendance to see them perform. With new government restrictions in place due to Covid-19, there are hundreds of unemployed musicians vying for work that can allow them to feed themselves and their families that day. Dozens of men wait on the main avenue, stopping in front of traffic looking for customers.

Ignacio Marcial has been singing at Plaza Garibaldi for 46 years. He recorded a few albums during his heyday in the 1970s and 80s. Today, he spends most of his time in his hometown, about three hours from Mexico City, and arrives on weekends in hopes of finding a client. payer to sing.

Monica Rivera Zuñiga, 36, is a mother of two and a third-generation mariachi musician. Her mother, with whom she lives, is a nurse and warned her to stay home. “I was home for two weeks, but I saw all my colleagues still going out and we decided the income was worth the risk,” she said.

With the pandemic gripping the city, one of the biggest fears is the federal police physically removing them from Plaza Garibaldi. Every day rumors circulate about when and how this will happen. The plaza represents the only place Mariachis have any hope of earning an income, and staying home is simply not an option.

The Mariachi are part of approximately 60% of the Mexican population considered informal workers. In the current crisis, the informal sector represents the most vulnerable to economic repercussions, with little or no access to government assistance. Local grassroots organizations, made up of low-income community members themselves, mobilized the collection of food donations to create rations. The food lines in Garibaldi are now a mix of Mariachi and street people.

The pandemic is challenging all societies across the world, but not more so than in developing countries. The people of Mexico are humble and hardworking, generous and optimistic. These core values are what will guide people through the tough times ahead, and through the eyes of the Mariachi, we watch history unfold.

Brenda García, 23, is a mariachi singer who has been playing in a band with her father since she was 16. She has two daughters who live in their village, an hour and a half each from Plaza Garibaldi, where she works most days.

Gabriel Jimarez, known as “El Topo”, traveled the world playing the violin alongside famous musicians such as Rocío Dúrcal. He lived in Europe in the 1980s and decided to return to Mexico to play at home. He now struggles to make ends meet, but luckily bought a house for his family in better times.