Jalisco is the Mexican state that best characterizes some of the most deep-rooted traditions of the country. Located in the western part of the mexican territory, the cities that have exit to the sea have the Pacific Ocean as one of the main protagonists of their landscapes.
One of these is Puerto Vallarta, where a visit involves a trip to enjoy the sea and the charms of nature, but also the opportunity to get closer and discover two of the traditions most emblematic of Mexico and Jalisco in particular: the rodeo and mariachi.
The rodeo is a show starring horses and the jockeys that ride. Considered as a ?national sport?, has its origins in the times of the conquest, a very particular moment of the country where only the creoles and spaniards could ride a horse. With the time, and faced with the need of having people to do jobs of finance, it is also allowed indigenous and mestizo use horses as means of transport and work; but with a condition, they would have dresses made of suede or leather. That finally ended up being the typical clothing of the charro.
The rodeo was consolidated with the time and the different events that were happening. After the Mexican Revolution, ceased to be only an art and skill of those who work on the farms, but also began to be formalized as a sport. In this way, they were born Associations of Charros and with these the organization of different competitions, events and celebrations around this tradition.
The main event that is made for demonstrations of horsemanship is the International Meeting of Mariachi and Rodeo, where you join both traditions in a celebration unique. Although there are also other festivals of this type in different destinations in Jalisco. In Puerto Vallarta, for example, is conducting the May festival and the National Tournament Charro, which this year was held in the stadium Arena Vallarta, which included a special gala mariachi. In this opportunity, there were 24 teams from around the country who demonstrated their skills in the art of horsemanship by providing a show of tradition and skill to all present. It also developed some parallel activities such as displays of pictures, exhibits, presentations of musical performances and other ceremonies.
The mariachis and festive music make up another of the traditions of importance in Jalisco; a part of the culture of this region and of the country that is very much tied to the rodeo since these are the musicians who accompany the performances that provide the charros.
It is interesting to know that in the early days of this tradition, the mariachis did not use the same instruments with the that you can see today, did not use a trumpet, but only guitar, guitarrón and vihuela. The interpretations and the songs of the mariachis are related to different feelings like love, heartbreak, pain and joy.
A visit to Puerto Vallarta is not complete if you do not live in these two traditions, the rodeo and mariachi, which represent a very important part of the culture of jalisco.
This post is also available in: Español (Spanish)
