Los Cenzontles (the Mockingbirds) explore the wide range of vernacular Mexican music. The acclaimed group presents an irresistible introduction to the country's rich musical traditions.

Tonight's show begins with a celebration of the endless variety and imagination of Mexican music, weaving together traditional with contemporary sounds, from tropical sones jarochos of Veracruz to the lilting pirecuas of indigenous Michoacan, from traditional mariachi with foot-stomping zapateado dancing to heart-wrenching rancheras from the Mexican countryside.

In a separate set, Los Cenzontles is joined by Julian Gonzalez of Jalisco, to lead the audience on an excursion into the traditional rural music and dance forms that lie at the roots of mariachi. One of the few groups currently exploring this unique branch of music, their performance features violins, guitarron (large bass guitar), vihuela (small guitar), and male and female vocal duets accompanying dancers, as heard on the recent album, Pasajero, A Journey of Time and Memory.

The group's parent organization, Los Cenzontles Mexican Arts Center (San Pablo), has a two decades old history of teaching traditional arts as a means of strengthening youth, their families, and the local community.