STORY: Hundreds of mariachis paraded through Mexico City on Saturday (November 22) to honor Saint Cecilia, the patron saint of musicians, in a colorful annual celebration that blended faith and tradition – and this year, pleas for economic relief.

The festivities began at Plaza Garibaldi square, the capital’s iconic site where mariachi music fills the air year-round. Bands performed classic serenades before attending a mass and embarking on a pilgrimage to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, one of Mexico’s most revered religious sites.

Mariachi, a genre that originated in the western state of Jalisco, is recognized worldwide for its vibrant costumes – embroidered jackets and wide-brimmed sombreros – and its distinctive sound, created by guitars, violins, trumpets and occasionally harps.

By singing traditional songs from the national repertoire, mariachis have become a symbol of Mexican identity far beyond the country’s borders. Yet musicians at Saturday’s celebration said they were asking Saint Cecilia for more jobs and financial stability to sustain their families.

Saint Cecilia is honored by musicians across the globe. In Mexico City, her legacy is marked with two days of concerts and festivities at Plaza Garibaldi, reaffirming the deep cultural and spiritual ties between music and devotion.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

SHOWS: MEXICO CITY, MEXICO (NOVEMBER 22, 2025) (REUTERS – Access all)

1. MARIACHI SINGER FAUSTO VILLANUEVA SHOUTING (Spanish): “Long live Mexico, long live Plaza Garibaldi square and long live Saint Cecilia.”

2. VARIOUS OF MARIACHI BAND PERFORMING IN GARIBALDI SQUARE

3. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) MARIACHI SINGER, FAUSTO VILLAGRAN, SAYING:

“I bought 10 years ago this image of Saint Cecilia, it is a figure of our devotion. Every year we, the mariachi colleagues, come to give thanks to our patron saint for all the work of the year, for all the favors received, for the miracles.”

4. FIGURINE OF SAINT CECILIA PLAYING A HARP

5. MUSICIAN ARRANGING SCORES

6. MARIACHIS LISTENING TO MASS

7. PAPEL PICADO PAPER CUT DECORATIONS READING (Spanish): “Long live Saint Cecilia”

8. PRIEST SPEAKING

9. MARIACHI BOW WITH IMAGE OF SAINT CECILIA

10. CHILD LISTENING TO MASS AND SAINT CECILIA FIGURINE

11. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) MARIACHI, MARTHA DIAZ, SAYING:

“Well, unfortunately we often don’t have support from the government. Before we were 10 or 12 (in the band), now we are 5. The point is that our traditions don’t disappear, our genre, what represents us as Mexicans. We need that, that every year it doesn’t disappear and that she (REFERRING TO: Santa Cecilia) gives us a lot of work to sustain our livelihood.”

12. VARIOUS OF SAINT CECILIA PILGRIMAGE TO BASILICA

13. VARIOUS OF MARIACHIS PLAYING INSTRUMENTS DURING PILGRIMAGE

14. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) MUSICIAN, REGULO VILLANUEVA, SAYING:

“What we ask of the Virgin is that as much as possible, forgive the pleonasm, but as much as possible, the situation improves, obviously economically, because our families depend on it, on our work.”

15. VARIOUS OF CROSS AT THE BASILICA OF THE VIRGIN OF GUADALUPE

16. VARIOUS OF PILGRIMAGE ENTERING THE BASILICA