# 5703 - 2022 First-Class Forever Stamp - Mariachi: Guitarist and Moon, Purple Background
US #5703
2022 Guitarist and Moon – Mariachi
- One of five stamps in the Mariachi set which celebrates the rich tradition of mariachi music
Stamp Category: Commemorative
Set: Mariachi
Value: 60¢ First Class Mail Rate (Forever)
First Day of Issue: July 15, 2022
First Day City: Albuquerque, New Mexico
Quantity Issued: 18,000,000
Printed by: Banknote Corporation of America
Printing Method: Offset
Format: Panes of 20
Tagging: Phosphor, block tag
Why the stamp was issued: To honor mariachi music, its cultural value to Mexico, and its rise in popularity in the United States.
About the stamp design: Pictures a mariachi musician with his guitar. The background represents a night sky over a Mexican village, the places where mariachi music first came to be. The artwork and design was done by Rafael López.
First Day City: The First Day of Issue Ceremony was held in Albuquerque, New Mexico, during the Mariachi Spectacular de Albuquerque Showcase Competition Concert.
About the Mariachi set: The stamps picture five different mariachi musicians and their instruments. The geometric shapes in the background represent Mexican villages, the places where mariachi music first came to be. The artwork and designs were done by Rafael. The stamps symbolize the way different parts of Mexican culture have made their way into American culture, too.
History the stamp represents: Mariachi music originated in Mexico in the 18th century. It began in the countryside (son style) but eventually made it to the city, where it was given the name mariachi. Son (sound) style was known to be more simple than today’s mariachi. It had fewer instruments, more casual outfits, and fewer outside influences than the later urban style.
Music historians have several theories on where the word mariachi came from. Some say it was based on the name of a specific type of wood used to build a dance platform or stage. Others cite references to a “Mariachi Ranch” on over 100 baptism, burial, and marriage certificates dating from 1832 to 1850. Still others suggest mariachi evolved from the French word mariage (marriage) due to the genre’s association with weddings. Other historical documents also suggest mariachi was around before the 1860s and the Second Franco-Mexican War.
By the early 20th century, mariachi had gained national popularity. The music was often played on the radio, as well as at public and private events. This also marked the time period in which traveling groups of mariachi would wander through towns and cities playing requests for a fee. This tradition has continued to this day and may be the most well-known version of mariachi outside of Mexico.
US #5703
2022 Guitarist and Moon – Mariachi
- One of five stamps in the Mariachi set which celebrates the rich tradition of mariachi music
Stamp Category: Commemorative
Set: Mariachi
Value: 60¢ First Class Mail Rate (Forever)
First Day of Issue: July 15, 2022
First Day City: Albuquerque, New Mexico
Quantity Issued: 18,000,000
Printed by: Banknote Corporation of America
Printing Method: Offset
Format: Panes of 20
Tagging: Phosphor, block tag
Why the stamp was issued: To honor mariachi music, its cultural value to Mexico, and its rise in popularity in the United States.
About the stamp design: Pictures a mariachi musician with his guitar. The background represents a night sky over a Mexican village, the places where mariachi music first came to be. The artwork and design was done by Rafael López.
First Day City: The First Day of Issue Ceremony was held in Albuquerque, New Mexico, during the Mariachi Spectacular de Albuquerque Showcase Competition Concert.
About the Mariachi set: The stamps picture five different mariachi musicians and their instruments. The geometric shapes in the background represent Mexican villages, the places where mariachi music first came to be. The artwork and designs were done by Rafael. The stamps symbolize the way different parts of Mexican culture have made their way into American culture, too.
History the stamp represents: Mariachi music originated in Mexico in the 18th century. It began in the countryside (son style) but eventually made it to the city, where it was given the name mariachi. Son (sound) style was known to be more simple than today’s mariachi. It had fewer instruments, more casual outfits, and fewer outside influences than the later urban style.
Music historians have several theories on where the word mariachi came from. Some say it was based on the name of a specific type of wood used to build a dance platform or stage. Others cite references to a “Mariachi Ranch” on over 100 baptism, burial, and marriage certificates dating from 1832 to 1850. Still others suggest mariachi evolved from the French word mariage (marriage) due to the genre’s association with weddings. Other historical documents also suggest mariachi was around before the 1860s and the Second Franco-Mexican War.
By the early 20th century, mariachi had gained national popularity. The music was often played on the radio, as well as at public and private events. This also marked the time period in which traveling groups of mariachi would wander through towns and cities playing requests for a fee. This tradition has continued to this day and may be the most well-known version of mariachi outside of Mexico.