U.S. Postal Service debuts new stamps featuring mariachi musicians

For the first time in U.S. Postal Service history, a new collection of postage stamps boasts vibrant designs of mariachi musicians in traditional Charro outfits, a genre that the government entity says is an “integral element of Mexican American culture.”

Each of the five new stamps features a musician, playing one of five iconic mariachi instruments: guitar, guitarrón, vihuela, violin and trumpet. The geometric shapes in the background of each stamp are a nod to Mexican villages, where mariachi music originated — and stamp designer Rafael López spent his childhood.

“Growing up, I remember nostalgic weekends listening to the uniquely Mexican sound of mariachi music in Plaza Garibaldi in Mexico City,” López said in a release. “Mariachi music is an emblem of Mexican cultural heritage with roots in the United States and followers around the globe and I’m excited and honored to share the vibrant spirit of this music with these stamps.”

The stamps are available now at local post offices and on the U.S. Postal Service website.

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This article appears in Aug 10-23, 2022.