Vicente Fernández in the context of Ranchera

Ángel Agustín María Carlos Fausto Mariano Alfonso del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús Lara y Aguirre del Pino (Spanish pronunciation: [aɣusˈtin ˈlaɾa]; ['aŋxel aɣus'tin ma'ɾi.a 'kaɾlos 'fawsto ma'ɾjano al'fonso ð̞el sa'ɣɾað̞o koɾa'son de xe'sus 'laɾa i a'ɣire ð̞el 'pino]; October 30, 1897 – November 6, 1970), known as Agustín Lara, was a Mexican composer and performer of songs and boleros. He is recognized as one of the most popular songwriters of his era. His work was widely appreciated not only in Mexico but also in Central and South America, the Caribbean and Spain. After his death, he has also been recognized in the United States, Italy, and Japan. His 1958 bolero album Rosa has been rated as one of the top 25 albums in the history of Latin American music.

Notable performers of his work include Pedro Vargas who was a friend, Juan Arvizu, Nestor Mesta Chayres, Pedro Infante, Toña la Negra, Elvira Ríos, Javier Solís, Julio Iglesias, Vicente Fernández, Pérez Prado, Chavela Vargas, Manuel Mijares, Luis Miguel, and Natalia Lafourcade among others.

Regional Mexican music, also known as Música Mexicana, is an umbrella term encompassing the regional subgenres of Mexico's folk music and its derivatives from the Southwestern United States. It is characterized by its stylistic diversity, with each subgenre representing and originating from a specific region of Mexico. Its roots date back to the 16th–19th centuries, emerging from a fusion of Indigenous, Spanish, African and other European instruments and musical traditions.

Major subgenres include mariachi, banda, norteño, corridos, Tejano, duranguense, and sierreño. Mariachi, which originated in 18th-century Jalisco, achieved international recognition during the Golden Age of Mexican cinema through figures such as Pedro Infante and Vicente Fernández. The 1990s saw the rise of grupero and the so-called "Golden Age of Tejano", led by Selena. In the 2000s, duranguense gained prominence, while the 2020s were defined by the presence of corridos tumbados, a contemporary fusion incorporating elements of trap and hip-hop, and unprecedented global growth driven by recording artists such as Peso Pluma, Natanael Cano, Grupo Frontera, and Carín León.