Cinco de Mayo ("The Fifth of May") is a national holiday in Mexico, (separate from Mexican Independence Day which is celebrated on September 16) that commemorates the victory of Mexican forces led by General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguin over the French occupational forces in the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862.
In the United States Cinco de Mayo is observed by many people regardless of ethnic origins. Many cities with large Hispanic populations honor the day as a symbolic representation of Hispanic pride. The reference to the Battle of Puebla is seen as a symbolic cultural link to those who had to overcome insurmountable odds while facing adversity.
It is in this spirit that we bring you this compilation of 9 songs, which should liven up your own Cinco de Mayo celebration.
Just writing to point out an issue with the 'Cinco de Mayo playlist' e-mail you've sent out. In the e-mail, you mention that Cinco de Mayo is 'the national independence day for Mexico.' In fact, Mexico's independence day is celebrated on September 16th. Though Cinco de Mayo is a very big deal in Mexico, it doesn't commemorate their independence, just the victory over French forces. The wikipedia article is here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinco_de_Mayo
Also, the 'contact' form on the website doesn't seem to be working, so I'm employing alternative methods!
Posted by: Joel Shaver | May 05, 2007 at 05:42 AM