Mexico

Background

  • 4th largest country in Western Hemisphere

  • Population of 107 million

  • Mexico City – largest urban area in world – over 15 million people

  • Built on the ruins of Tenochtitlán – Aztec empire (Aztec era ca. 1427-1521)

  • Influence of Spanish culture

  • Hernán Cortés conquered the Aztecs – many soldiers intermarried with natives

  • Spanish colonialists also intermarried

  • 80% of present population is mestizo – mix of Spanish and native ethnic heritage

  • Spanish is national language

  • Church architecture – Spanish

  • Music reflects strong Spanish roots

 

Mariachi Music

  • Festive music – instrumental or vocal

  • Energetic and peppy

  • Entertainment music associated with festivals and celebratory events

 

Background

  • Mariachi first appeared in the southwestern state of Jalisco

  • Origin of term – unknown

  • One theory – from French term mariage because frequently found at weddings and other festive events – but the word and the music existed before French occupation of Mexico

  • Another theory – from an indigenous word referring to a type of social event featuring dancers stomping on wooden platform.

Instruments

  • Mostly European origins

  • Violin, harp, & guitar originally brought by Spanish missionaries for use in church services – soon used by natives in secular activities

  • Early mariachi were primarily chordophone bands – mostly violins and harps

Violin was the dominant melodic instrument

Harp was originally the principle instrument accompanying the violin

Many Types of Guitars Also Used

  • Guitarrón – a big fat guitar

  • A large guitar with convex back – no frets

  • Plays the bass part

Viheula – a little fat guitar

  • A small guitar with a convex back

  • Plays harmonies and rhythm

Modern classical guitar added in 1900s

  • The various guitars are constant rhythmic and harmonic accompaniment

  • Seldom use percussion instruments

  • Guitars add percussive sounds with handclapping and foot-stopping of dancers

Trumpets

  • Cornets and trumpets added in 1920s with trumpets preferred by 1930s,

  • By 1940s had become institutionalized as part of mariachi music

  • When trumpets added the different guitars replaced the harps – they could play louder

  • More violins used when trumpet added

Melody and Vocals

  • Often use clear memorable melodic lines – carried by violin or trumpet

  • Melodic passages exchanged between violins and trumpets

  • Frequent changes in instrumentation are frequent

  • Violins and trumpets fade during vocal sections (all instrumentalists may sing the vocal sections)

  • Vocalist use full, operatic voices, with shouts of other band members

  • Song texts – usually in Spanish and are about love, work, etc.

  • Strophic style – the music repeats with each new verse of the words

Meters/Tempos/Dynamics

  • Meters – clear cut duple or triple – often shift with changes in tempo

  • Shifts in tempo with shifts in instrumentation are common

  • Correspond to changes in movements of dancers – like in flamenco

  • Dynamic changes – trumpet sections louder than violin sections

  • Major harmony prevails

Context and Image

  • Performances – originally in festive events and in restaurants and taverns

  • Musicians serenaded patrons with expectation to be paid for each song

  • Band members used to wear ranch and peasant attire

  • Ornamented charro outfits – attire of wealthy hacienda owners

  • 1950’s – mariachi featured in many Hollywood films set in Mexico

  • Elaborate charro suits and sombreros used in these films became standard dress for Mariachi musicians

  • This “Hollywood” image is now associated with mariachi and Mexican national identity

  • Popularity of mariachi faded with rock and roll

  • Linda Ronstadt – a popular pop singer of the 70s and 80s helped revive mariachi with her album Canciones

  • Ranchera songs – a style of “country” mariachi emphasizing vocal performance

Voice and Melody
• Melody exchanged between violins,
trumpets, and voice
• Singers use full, operatic voices, with shouts
of other band members
• Violins and trumpets fade during vocal
sections
• Song texts – usually in Spanish and are about
love, work, etc.

Context and Image
Where did those suits come from?
• Originally in festive events and in restaurants and
taverns
• Musicians serenaded patrons with expectation to be
paid for each song
• 1950’s – mariachi featured in many Hollywood films
set in Mexico
• Elaborate charro suits and sombreros used in these
films became standard dress for Mariachi musicians
• Popularity faded with rock and roll
• Linda Ronstadt – helped revive mariachi with album
Cancione