Smithsonian Folkways Artist Nati Cano on what makes a good Mariachi

Natividad "Nati" Cano was born in 1933 to a family of day laborers and folk musicians in the small town of Ahuisculco, a rural outpost in the western state of Jalisco, Mexico. A self-taught musician, Nati rose to become the leader of Mariachi Los Camperos, a world-renowned group that has become an emblem of mariachi performance. He is active in the preservation of mariachi traditions and the education of young musicians. Here he discusses the elements of a good mariachi at his Los Angeles restaurant, La Fonda with performance footage from the annual Viva el Mariachi Festival in Fresno, CA.