Regional Mexican Music Research

Like Mariachi, Ranchera is another traditional genre of music admired by the Mexican people but different in its own ways. Ranchera music is a well-known type of music from Mexico, with the name deriving from ranch lands on which the style was initially performed. Ranchera songs are categorized by intense sentiment and subjects of love dominate poetic lyrics. Sentimental ranchera singers, their voices charged with a contagious emotion, are often capable of moving to tears even their most hardened listeners. Waltz, polka and bolero inspired rhythms accompany the singer along with sudden cries of emotion that highlight the singer’s sorrowful mood. Ranchera is in fact a general label for different types of music. The genre has absorbed many specific

The origins of the word "mariachi" are not very clear. One theory, that the word came from the French word for marriage has been totally discounted. Many historians believed that the word originated when a Frenchman named Maximillian was the emperor of Mexico. Evidence of the usage of the word dates back much earlier than the arrival of Europeans, so the word had to come from somewhere else. Another theory states that the origin came from the name of the wood used to make the guitars or platforms on which the musicians performed. The most recent theory, however, dates the word back to the early 1500’s to the Coca Indian word for a musician (Ruiz, 2002). Today, the term mariachi refers to the musicians who play

It is a known fact that every human being communicates through language, but perhaps a little known fact that we communicate even through the food we eat. We communicate through food all the meanings that we assign and attribute to our culture, and consequently to our identity as well. Food is not only nourishment for our bodies, but a symbol of where we come from. In order to understand the basic function of food as a necessity not only for our survival, we must look to politics, power, identity, and culture.

Latino students are able to stay connected to the stories that their parents know and their grandparents know. In addition, music is significant because it helps to have the feeling of home and aware of one’s feelings and thoughts. Moreno also explains, "Everything that happens in our society is reflected in music and people don't really stop to think about that. For example, in the last five years, there has been a rise in Narco Corridos coming out of México and that can be attributed to the record levels of violence we so often hear about on television” (6). Thus, through Spanish-language music students in universities are informed of issues currently going on in the world, particularly of places they know very well. They are informed of the hardships that are going around and music has much of a tremendous impact in creating the way people view their culture. Much of Spanish-language music tell of current events or of romanticism. These are crucial in constructing identity. It influences whether students will act upon the current events based on the music or they will be influenced to gather romantic

Many people used to think that their heritage means nothing to them, but for me it means a lot. Growing up my family would always talk in Spanish or they would talk about how they love being Mexican, but I never fully understood why being Mexican was so important to my family. One day I decided to sit down with my parents, and ask them why is our Mexican heritage so important? They would tell me all sorts of stories such as: how they were apart of a dance group called Ballet Folklorico De Topeka, my mom would always tell me how she likes listening/singing to music. Me personally Mexican music is so much better than songs in English. Why I say that is because Mexican music is so much more poetic.

To help me understand and analyze a different culture, I watched the film Selena. The film tells the life story of the famous singer Selena Quintanilla-Pérez. Not only does it just tell personal stories from her life, it also gives insight to the Mexican-American culture. Her whole life she lived in the United States, specifically in Texas, but was Hispanic and because of that both her and her family faced more struggles than white singers on the climb to her success. Even though the film is a story about a specific person, it brought understanding into the culture in which she lived. Keeping in mind that these ideas that I drew about the Mexican-American culture is very broad and do not apply to every single person in the culture, there

The culture of Mexico reflects the country’s complex history and is the result of the gradual blending of native culture with Spanish culture and other immigrant cultures. Mexico’s culture revolves around and is most prominent in music, food, and celebrations. The combination of beliefs and customs creates the unique Mexican culture.

As for the way of life for Chicanos, they have created their own standards, customs, music, and even language. As for their standards and customs, they are a mix of American culture and the Mexican culture. An example of this fusion can be the famous game “London Bridge” which is also played by Chicanos called “Víbora de la Mar” but in a completely different language and name. Chicano musicians like Lalo Guerrero composed music that attracted all ages and likes. He wrote songs like “Pancho Claus”, “There’s No Tortillas”, “Tacos for Two” and “Ardillitas” songs that talked about the Chicano culture and incorporated the Chicano language, Spanglish. Spanglish is basically attempts to add the Spanish language to an English word or vice-versa. Words like “Troka” which means truck, “Parkear” which means park, “Mopear” which means mop, “Puchale” which means push or press. As we can see, the Chicano subculture has their own style and can’t be either Mexican or American.

Mexico’s drugs wars as well as bloody drug cartels are echoed in a controversial folk music genre commonly known as narco corridos or simply as drug ballads. They tell the stories allied to shootouts, drug lords, betrayals including daring criminal operations. Narco corridos are not a new style in Mexican music, in fact, they have been around for years, and they are popular among the old and the young. This genre has evolved to be modern fugitive music that fuses the emotional responses of antique ballads with the tense gravel of mobster rap. From global idols to rural artists documenting their neighborhood current events in the regions subjugated by guerilla war, narco corridos provides the songwriters in their homes with unique but

As most people will agree on, music is essential to life. Music is heard while working, driving, sleeping, and even studying. Music can be a form of expression and also a form of entertainment. Songs can describe the life of a person, or they can describe their hopes and dreams. These songs can be heard everywhere from the supermarket to the bookstore. Just like emotions, music is the world’s universal language. Therefore, Chicano Music represents the lives of Mexican Americans who went through hardships as well as accomplishments.

In my personal experience, Mexican music has revolved around my life for as long as I can remember. Growing up in a bordertown has its Hispanic heritage. Whether I was at home, school, or even in public places, I would hear Spanish related music playing in the background. I believe Spanish music holds many values when it comes to different occasions. The music can manipulate the minds of its listeners using love, passion, and outstanding rhythms. After reading an article online, I can explain how three different genres of traditional Mexican music influence people’s culture.

After the Mexican Revolution of 1910, a nationalistic sentiment spread throughout Mexico as they sought to form a unified identity under its new constitution. Under the new organization of the country, Mexico underwent many political and social changes, many of them violent. At the turn of the 20th century, Mexican nationalism was of the utmost importance. Finally, the masses of Mexican poor began to have a voice in their own destiny and began to seek out a national identity. In order to be fully immersed in an identity that seemed ambiguous due to centuries of colonization, Mexico looked to the arts to help mold Mexico’s new character as a country. Muralists like Rivera, Siqueiros, Orozco and Khalo portrayed the struggle for freedom and democracy against the oligarchs that had exploited the poor for decades. Music also played a pivotal role in expressing nationalistic views and ideas through movements such as the traditional and the “indigenismo”. One of the composers who was at the forefront of the “indigenismo” movement was Carlos Chávez. Chávez strived to distance himself from romantic influences and practices, and searched for new methods to create pieces that were for everyone, not just the elite. Chavez’s investigation of indigenous Indian cultures, native folk elements, and dance forms brought an unprecedented vigor and visibility to 20th century Mexican Music. Chávez traveled to Europe and the United States to gain recognition beyond Mexico’s border, thus catapulting his influence on Mexico’s musical style and cultures.

Additionally, there are other countries who had their influences in music in the USA, for example Mexicans. Mexicans helped to develop the Tex-Mex

Each type or sub-genre of music has a quite distinct sound and can be related to the racial groups of these areas and to the history of Chile.

Almost everyone listens to music and people tend to have their own taste or style of music. My taste of music has changed throughout middle school to highschool, however it is not too drastic. The style of music went from ultimate fangirl of boy bands such as One Direction or Five Seconds of Summer, to listening to Frank Ocean and The Weeknd. Not only that, but I’ve also started to dig in with my ethnicity and started listening to spanish music on my own time. My experiences at parties and being around my family with them blasting banda sparked my interest to listen to spanish music. Listening to spanish music also helped with my spanish since unfortunately, I am taking french instead of spanish for my language course. These changes have made me love and appreciate both spanish and english music, which is an important part of my life.