Essay on Mariachi Music

Thesis: Jenni Rivera was a prominent female Regional Mexican singer who was able to empower many women in the Latino community through her music.

Moreno asserts that ““Too many times, we have read our history books that have been written by Europeans, and it has had a tremendous impact in the way we view our culture and listen to our music. I do think that our identity is lost with it and at some point, we try to find it again later in life” (7). Students are able to see a different point of view rather than only the perspectives of textbook writers who at times deprive students from the full truth and the media who exaggerates or embellishes the truth. Many artists and musicians express their anger and oppression through music and students are able to listen to this and get the complete synopsis of problems happening in the world. For instance, in “The Embodiment of Salsa: Musicians, Instrument and the Performance of a Latina Style and Identity,” Patria Roman-Velasquez argued that the embodiment of salsa develops through specific practices whereby instruments, performance techniques, vocal sounds, bodily movements and ways of dressing are encoded and experienced as part of a particular Latin identity. Therefore, this expressing that music has much of an influence in Latin identity and the construction of identity and

Born in Lake Jackson, Texas on April 16, 1971, Selena Quintanilla-Perez would come to be known as the “Queen of Tejano music.” With the help of different sources to provide evidence and support to my argument, the aim of this paper is to examine how Tejana singer, Selena was able to impact those around her with her career as a musician and through the medium of music. Selena rose to success by continuously crossing over to different markets. She not only impacted her fans one by one, but also brought about social and cultural changes by fleshing out tensions between Anglo and Latino communities by bringing people together through music.

Hispanic’s music had a great impact in USA. Nowadays, Americans listen to Hispanics’ music. Hispanics’ music now is part of American’s culture. These changes in USA began around of 19th century, when Hispanics immigration increases in the USA. One of the big changes in music occurred around 1940s, when Americans began to recognize the efforts of Cuban-American musicians. One of the Cuban bands was Cugat. It was known better Orchestra ‘based in New York’s Waldorf Astoria’ which had a great visual and musical style. Another Cuban band was Machito who were dominated as one of the best New York’s scenes at that time. Thanks, to those bans Americans adopted some of Cubans’ dances and performances such as rumba, mambo and cumbia. Americans used and still using the Cuban instruments like bongos and maracas to create their rhythms. Later on, Americans created Jazz by African Americans with the influenced of Cuban’s music.

Throughout the Mexican revolution, songs from northern Mexico emerged telling stories of heroism and defeat. Moreover, these corridos, translated into English meaning ballads, were influenced by 14th-century romantic Spanish notes. Further, these ballads, commonly performed by individuals who lack formal musical training and embrace the use of the accordion and tuba in the melody (Madrid 2013, 92). The result of these factors is a musical genre considered unrefined and unsophisticated by most of Mexico until the music’s growth in popularity in the 1970s.

Mariachis are also traditionally present during Hispanic-American celebrations. These bands of talented instrumentalists play well into the night, using violins, trumpets, and guitars as they serenade the crowd

Whenever I spend time with my family, music permeates the place. Producing a relaxing, peaceful environment, the slow, Salvadoran cumbia differs from the upbeat, Puerto Rican salsa and reggaeton which create a convivial, dancing atmosphere. Soaking in the mumbling music as they casually converse and dine, my Salvadoran family contrasts with my Puerto Rican family. Initiated by yelling “WEPA” and demanding dancing, the music couldn’t even restrain my ailing, wheelchair-bounded great-grandmother from

One of Hungry For Music’s most notable contributions involves a woman named Nora, who grew up in an orphanage in Magdalena, Mexico. Nora received a violin from the organization through a program called Bridges Across Borders, more than a decade ago. Because of the donation from Hungry For Music, Nora is now a violin instructor at the Casa De La Cultura, a cultural arts center in Mexico. “I found a family in all those whose passion is music. I now have the possibility to give the opportunity to other small ones to learn as I did. To give a chance to those without opportunities,” stated

Mexican cuisine is a style of food that originates in Mexico. It is known for its varied flavors, colorful decoration, and variety of spices and ingredients, many of which are native to the country. What makes a meal distinctly Mexican, of course, are the lively seasonings. Not all Mexican recipes are fiery, though; while renowned for their heat, many subtle and intriguing spice combinations are also found in Mexican fare.

According to one of the friars from Mission Soledad, Native Americans had “a fondness for every kind of music” (Geiger and Meighan 1976:135). This was not exclusive to this mission as many of the padres from the Geiger and Meighan reading said that the natives had an inclination toward music. This enthusiasm for music gave the padres an opportunity to use this to their advantage as the natives would be more willing to learn and adopt European music compared to other European ways. But even with this seemingly perfect opportunity, the padres faced many difficulties in simply teaching the natives even though all of them had studied music and sung in choirs prior to coming to the New World. They were simply “not professional musicians,” according to the padre from mission San Antonio (Geiger and Meighan 1976:135). Because of this lack of experience or proper training, many padres were less skilled at teaching and found

The mambo quickly spread throughout the United States during the 1940s and 50s, selling out venues and forcing “the largest booking agency for Latin music, Mercury Artists, [to add] agents just for mambo orchestras and dance acts, finding them gigs in cities as diverse as Albuquerque, Las Vegas, and Indiana Harbor, Indiana” (Firmat 107). Yet, as the dance and the music spread throughout the states, it received coverage that associated its Cuban origin with an unrestrained, devilish, erotic practice. It was referred to as “’primitive’” and “’barbaric’” and Prado himself was called ‘”a modern pleasure god’ and ‘a little demon’” (108).

9. Rozsa gave El Cid its Spanish flavor by being exposed to dance music of Spain as well as Spanish folk songs, which provided the basis for El Cid’s Spanish

At the beginning of the twenty-first century, popular music and culture became significant influences on the lives of many individuals within the city of Los Angeles. East Los Angeles (“East L.A.” or “the Eastside”), in particular, was a center of flourishing musical, cultural, and social scenes with strong connections to the changing Chicano/a identity. Under this environment in which the Chicano movement (moviemiento) continued to prevail, a large number of socially aware and politically active, Latin-fusion “Chicano” bands were developed. One of such was the Ozomatli band, who strived to express their activist viewpoints through popular music. The spatial context of the band’s emergence, their links to past musical movements, and their implementation of a wide array of musical styles and genres all define their impact on Chicano identity in Los Angeles. Through their music, the Ozomatli band has showed much about the importance of the changing Chicano culture and served as the framework for cultural and social dynamics of present-day Los Angeles.

Flamenco is a form of Spanish folk music which originated in Andalusia in the south of the country. This type of music as we know it today is a spectacle which is made up for four different elements Cante-Voice, Baile-Dance, Toque-Guitar, and the Jaleo, which roughly translated means “hell raising” and involves hand clapping, foot stomping, and encouraging shouts of the audience ("Flamenco - History."). However it was not always like this. Flamenco was first recorded in the late 18th century and consisted of what the Spanish refer to as Palo Secos, or dry styles.("Flamenco - History."). This was basicly singing or chanting accompanied only by a rhythm beaten out on the floor by a wooden staff or cane. However the genre underwent a dramatic development in the late 19th century and had become the spectacle that we know today. In the past flamenco music was not very widespread outside the region of its origin. However in

The history of American music begins with a fundamental process of exchange through all different social lines, where diverse cultures meet, and mix. Music has and always will be defined as sounds that are arranged in a particular pattern that are played to be meaningful and pleasurable. The chronology of music began in the Medieval period, when chanting was introduced into the Church. Music has then moved its way through many stages: renaissance, baroque, classical, romantic and leading up to 20th century American music. American 20th century music is made up of a diverse number of styles that are reflected by cultural traditions and the era’s of the past. Immigrants from Spain, France, England, Germany and Ireland all contributed and brought their own unique styles to the forefront, hence creating American music. African Americans created influential musical traditions that include rhythm and improvisation that were later combined with European traditions and other indigenous music.