The word "mariachi" was thought to have derived from the French word mariage ('marriage'), dating from the 1860's related to the music’s appearance at weddings. This was a common explanation on record jackets and travel brochures. The origin of the word is still in dispute but most of the prominent theories attribute it to indigenous roots. One states that it comes from the name of the wood from which the dance platform is made. Another states that mariachi comes from the indigenous name of a tree called pilla or cirimo; yet another states that it came from an image locally called María H (pronounced Mari-Ache).
Mariachi can refer to the music, the group, or just one musician
Often we drive passed these sculptures and I wonder how long it took to weld all that metal together. The little kids call them the fake band. They pretend they are holding the instruments and start rocking out.