Silvestre Vargas (31 December, 1901 – October 7, 1985,

Guadalajara Guadalajara ( ; ) is the capital and the most populous city in the western Mexican List of states of Mexico, state of Jalisco, as well as the most densely populated municipality in Jalisco. According to the 2020 census, the city has a population ...

) was a Mexican

mariachi Mariachi (, , ) is a genre of regional Mexican music dating back to at least the 18th century, evolving over time in the countryside of various regions of western Mexico. The usual mariachi group today consists of as many as eight violins, two ...

musician. In 1928, he became the leader of

Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán Mariachi (, , ) is a genre of regional Mexican music dating back to at least the 18th century, evolving over time in the countryside of various regions of western Mexico. The usual mariachi group today consists of as many as eight violins, two ...

, an ensemble from

Jalisco Jalisco, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Jalisco, is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. It is located in western Mexico and is bordered by s ...

begun by his father in 1898. In the 1930s the group moved to

Mexico City Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...

, and Vargas, along with

Rubén Fuentes Rubén Fuentes (15 February 1926 – 5 February 2022) was a Mexican classical violinist and composer who was best known for his contributions to mariachi music. Biography In 1944, Fuentes joined Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán as a violinist a ...

, became pivotal composers in the evolution of the genre. Silvestre and the Mariachi Vargas made dozens of recordings and starred in many films through the 1960s. He died in 1985, and his gravesite became a popular site for

pilgrimage A pilgrimage is a travel, journey to a holy place, which can lead to a personal transformation, after which the pilgrim returns to their daily life. A pilgrim (from the Latin ''peregrinus'') is a traveler (literally one who has come from afar) w ...

s on the date of his death. In 1997, a museum dedicated to Silvestre was established in

.The Silvestre Vargas Museum
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References

1901 births 1985 deaths Mariachi musicians Mexican fiddlers Mexican musicians Orfeón Records artists Peerless Records artists 20th-century violinists {{Mexico-musician-stub