It's Cinco de Mayo, meaning it's mariachi's moment in the sun tonight. Numerous restaurants and bars are featuring mariachi bands–which traditionally consist of of violins, trumpets, an acoustic guitar, and a vihuela and guitarrón  (a high-pitched, five-string guitar and a large acoustic bass, respectively)–leading one to wonder if there's demand for these ensembles at [...]

Over the years at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, I have seen and heard lots of great music—zydeco, DC sounds from Rare Essence and Fugazi, weird Bhutan horns, the Cambodian Ray Charles, amazing Malian music, country blues, rockabilly, and numerous Latin styles.  I have also seen many fascinating craftspeople and eaten a fair amount of exciting [...]