Xalapa

With a population of half a million inhabitants, the city of Xalapa is a dynamic and student city, with 900 students annually who are drawn to the city to study music at a higher level. The city is distinguished by having a strong creative vocation focused on musical culture, which is illustrated by the training and promotion opportunities and facilities provided by the Veracruzana University, private universities and the musical initiation centres of State and Municipal governments. Each year, more than 10,000 musical shows are performed in the city, with an average annual audience of more than 300,000 people, equivalent to 70.6% of the local population. Xalapa has a formal musical structure composed of groups and quality facilities for different genres including classical music, jazz, jarocho and huasteco, salsa, rock, danzón and bolero. The city is also home to 50 public and private stages. However, the most symbolic and valuable music capital rests on its 2,500 musicians who, with their practice and exchange of knowledge on a daily basis, continuously display the soundtrack of the city.