Music of Mexico

Music of Mexico

Mexico has a musical history that is full of cultural contrasts, with many different musical styles and influences. Dating back more than a thousand years before any contact was made with Europeans in the 16th century, the area was dominated by the Aztec culture, a culture that maintained an important and complex musical tradition.

After Cortes’ invasion and conquest, Mexico became a Spanish colony and remained under Spanish dominion for the next two hundred years, incorporating their Pre-Columbian roots together with the lasting influence that came with the Spanish. Both folk and classical music have drawn from these, and regional styles reflect these traditions. The Spanish regime also imported African slaves, adding a third dimension to the areas music.

Mexican Son:

Mexican son first appeared in the 17th century and is a fusion of indigenous, Spanish and African traditions, much like Cuban son. But in Mexico, the music exhibited lots of variation from region to region, both in rhythm and instrumentation.Some of these regional sones include son jarocho from the area around Vera Cruz, son jaliscenses from Jalisco, son huasteco, son calentano, son michoacano, etc.

Mariachi:

We tend to think of Mariachi as a style of music, but it's actually a group of musicians. There is some disagreement about where the name 'Mariachi' comes from. Some music historians believe that it is derived from the french "mariage" (marriage) and indeed, such groups formed and still form an essential part of weddings in Mexico. An alternate theory posits that the word comes from a Coca Indian word that originally referred to the platform on which the orchestra performed.

The mariachi orchestra is composed of at least two violins, two trumpets, a Spanish guitar, and two other types of guitars - the vilhuela and guitarron. The ‘charro’ suits worn by the band members are attributed to General Portofino Diaz who, in 1907, ordered the poor peasant musicians to don these outfits in order to look good for a visit by the U.S. Secretary of State – and the tradition lived on.

Evolution of Mariachi:

There is no one type of music that mariachis play, although they are closely tied to ranchera music. Originally mariachi and ranchera were mostly about romantic themes, but as the Mexican economy worsened, the haciendas could no longer afford to have their own mariachi band on the premises and they let the musicians go. As a result of unemployment and harder times, the mariachi began to change themes, singing about revolutionary heroes or current events.

By the early 20th century, mariachi previously known only through their various regional styles began to coalesce into a uniform musical genre, one that became recognizable throughout all of Mexico. That was due, in large part, to musicians Silvestre Vargas and Ruben Fuentes of the mariachi group "Vargas de Tecalitlan" who made sure that the popular music was written down and standardized.In the 1950s, trumpets (and sometimes a harp) were introduced to the orchestra, and that instrumentation is what we currently find in mariachi bands.Mexico has a musical history that is full of cultural contrasts, with many different musical styles and influences. Dating back more than a thousand years before any contact was made with Europeans in the 16th century, the area was dominated by the Aztec culture, a culture that maintained an important and complex musical tradition.

Choro and Sertaneja Music from Brazil

Choro and Sertaneja music are only two of the most popular forms of Traditional Latin American music coming from Brazil. Choro developed in Rio de Janeiro during the 19th century. It became popular in the 1930s but it lost its appeal during the Bossa Nova boom. Choro is usually played with guitars, flute and cavaquinho, a combination that makes this style quite pleasant to the ear.

Sertaneja music is a traditional style equivalent to Country music in the US. It is, indeed, quite popular in Brazil but not outside the country. Sertaneja has its origins in the sertao and caipira music, two traditional Brazilian music styles. In addition to Choro and Sertaneja, Brazil has many more traditional rhythms that include Maracatu, Afoxe, Frevo and Forro, among others.

Cumbia from Colombia

Cumbia is Colombia's most well known contribution to Traditional Latin American music. This rhythm was born in the Atlantic coast of the country during the 19th century. Cumbia offers a heavy percussion which is nicely combined with large gaita flutes. Despite being a Colombian rhythm, Cumbia has been extensively adopted as a musical expression in modern Mexican popular music.

source:latinmusic.about.com