Before the Spanish arrived, music in Mexico was played with rattles, drums, flutes and conch-shell horns in religious ceremonies. The Spanish introduced violins, guitars, harps and brass, along with the idea of ensembles, and mestizo musicians adapted them. A folk style called son emerged, and in the 19th century the son jalisciense of Jalisco evolved into modern mariachi, most sources agreeing it took shape in the town of Cocula. Early groups played only string instruments and wore peasant clothing. Trumpets and the charro outfit, inspired by horsemen, were added during the Golden Age in the 1920s.

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.