Jalisco

Location: West Coast of México

Regions: la de los Altos, la del Abajeño, la de la Costa, y la de la Sierra.

Dance Genres: Bailables: Jarabes, Sones, Danzas.

The jarabes and sones from Jalisco have become representative of the Mexico. The word “Jarabe” is said to derive from the Arabic word “Xarab” which means sweet syrup. These dances are executed in couples and they narrate the lifestyle of the “Ranchero” (farmer). The songs may describe his love life as well as the relationship he maintains with his couple. There are sones and jarabes that imitate the courtship of farm animals, or describe other events related to life on the ranches and farms of that area. These dances emerged from the people of Jalisco found mainly on haciendas, where the Spanish introduced their music and dance. The harp, the violin and the tambora (type of drum) were the first instruments to be utilized by the first mariachis. Later, the guitar, the guitarron and the vihuela were incorporated into the mariachi instrumentation, and much later the trumpet became the final piece to complete the mariachi, which today accompanies these dances.

 Raices presented their Jalisco Suite at world famous San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival at the SF Palace of Fine Arts in 2005.