Many restaurants in Mexico permit musicians to enter and work the room, playing and singing for one table or another. They usually play for tips. You get your guitar and mandolin trio, your mariachis, your violinist. Some come to your table and ask if you'd like a canción; others just walk up and start playing. Some are very good.

Others aren't.

This man entertained us at Vicente's in Delores Hidalgo, where we'd gone for the excellent carnitas. His music was so execrable it was entertaining. He earned very good tips from us, for his music and for letting me film him.

We say there are two types of wandering minstrels: those you pay to serenade you, and those you pay to leave you alone.