# Mariachi bands following people around (1950s, if that matters) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Tags:** movies\ **Created:** [December 5, 2023, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mariachi-bands-following-people-around-1950s-if-that-matters/994141 "2023-12-05T17:03:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2023, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mariachi-bands-following-people-around-1950s-if-that-matters/994141/1 "2023-12-05T17:03:13Z")
I just saw the great movie Victims of Sin (Victimas del Pecado), which was made in 1951 in Mexico. In a few scenes, one of the main characters, a kind of bigshot hustler, is wandering around town at night followed by a mariachi band. He’s in semi-deserted areas of the city including train tracks, etc. Is this supposed to be a touch of surrealism or did people actually do this? Would the hustler have paid the band to follow him around, and if so, why? Or would a band just choose someone who they thought had money and then follow them around town, hoping for a tip? In other words, is this something that would really happen in that time period? And if so, does it still happen today? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2023, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mariachi-bands-following-people-around-1950s-if-that-matters/994141/2 "2023-12-05T17:05:22Z")
The bastards still did it in the 80s at _Six Flags Magic Mountain_. They’re worse than Mimes. ---
**Author:** ![Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/marvin_the_martian/32/2898_2.png) [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marvin_the_Martian)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2023, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mariachi-bands-following-people-around-1950s-if-that-matters/994141/3 "2023-12-05T17:32:49Z")
> [@ratatoskK](#): > > Or would a band just choose someone who they thought had money and then follow them around town, hoping for a tip? Sounds like a touch of humor or surrealism, despite Tom Lehrer’s observation: > The mariachis > Would serenade > And they would not shut up until they were paid ---
**Author:** ![Crane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crane/32/3495_2.png) [@Crane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crane)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2023, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mariachi-bands-following-people-around-1950s-if-that-matters/994141/4 "2023-12-05T17:52:41Z")
At Xochimilco Floating Gardens this was a pleasant event in the 1970s. I assume they still do it. ---
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2023, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mariachi-bands-following-people-around-1950s-if-that-matters/994141/5 "2023-12-05T18:16:39Z")
Thanks, but not asking about tourist destinations. Asking about real places where real people live. Or lived in the 1950s. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2023, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mariachi-bands-following-people-around-1950s-if-that-matters/994141/6 "2023-12-06T12:30:11Z")
I read a story about some high school kids that hired one to follow their principal around. Now THAT’s a good prank.