Traditional Music of the Mexican Mestizos Daniel E. Sheehy
Mexico is a land of many musical sphere of influence of the commercial traditions. Each of its many Indian media have encroached considerably groups has its own musical systems, on the native "breeding grounds" of occasions, and repertories. Among many traditions. As a result, some of large-city dwellers there are many the local traditions have been shouted "communities of taste," ranging from out of existence by media-imposed preferences for Western classical music. On the other hand, a few have music to international popular and not only survived in the wake of rapid protest music. The rural mestizos (a social change, but have even achieved mixture of Spanish and Amerindian a certain degree of international populations and cultures) also main popularity, resulting in the simulta tain a variety of musical traditions. neous existence of rural, urban, and Mestizo music, along with related trad international commercialized ver itions among Mexican-Americans, is sions of a single tradition. included in the 1978 Festival of Amer Many full-time professional musi ican Folklife. cians have left their former work as The music of Mexican mestizos has small-scale ranchers and farmers, many common roots. Language, po fishermen, carpenters, charcoal mak etic structures, most musical instru ers, rural milkmen, and the like. ments, and many musical forms Other musicians have continued in derive from Spanish prototypes im nonmusical professions and perform ported during colonial times. Most music for personal enjoyment or to other traditional song and dance augment their incomes. The most ur forms stem from early original mestizo ban, professional, and commercial developments (such as the music Mexican folk ensemble is the mariachi. dance forms called son and Jarabe, first Native to Jalisco in western Mexico, appearing in the late 18th century) or the mariachi has become popular from 19th-century musical importa throughout Mexico and the south tions from Europe (the waltz, polka, western U.S. Its contemporary form and schottische, for example). The crystallized in the 1930s, when trum music's base in rural Mexican life pets were added to the basic ensemble creates common musical themes, oc of violins, regional guitars, called vi casions, contexts, and attitudes. huela, guitarra de golpe, guitarr6n, and, In spite of these common roots and in some areas, a large harp. socioeconomic situations, longstand Closely related historically to the ing geographic, economic, and social mariachi is the conjunto arpa grande isolation has given rise to many ("big harp" ensemble) from the tierra Senor Pedro Ayala Sr. of Donna, Tex., is unique regional musical traditions. In caliente ("hot land") of neighboring known throughout the Rio Grande Valley many cases, each region is distin Michoadm. The conjunto's instrumen as the "Monarch of the Accordion." His guished by its own instrumentation, tation closely resembles that of the father played and composed tunes, as he musical style, and repertory of com mariachi, but without trumpets. Un does, and his sons also follow in the musi positions. Unfortunately, widespread like the mariachi, however, it has not cal tradition of the family. urbanization and the expanding been adopted by the commercial Photo by Alicia Gonzalez for the Smithsonian. media, and remains essentially a rural Daniel E. Sheehy is a doctoral candidate in tradition. ethnomusicology at the University of California, Los One step further south is the tierra Angeles, and is currently a staff member of the Na caliente of the state of Guerrero, home tional Endowment for the Arts in Washington, D. C: of the conjunto tamborita. Mainly com H e has carried out f ield research in M exico, Chile, and the Southwest United States, and has performed prised of string instruments-violins, jarocho and mariachi music professionally for ten guitars, and a guitarr6n-the group is years. distinguished by an additional in-
14 BIBLIOGRAPHY Geijerstam, Claes af Popular Music in Mexico. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 1976. DISCOGRAPHY Mexico. Instituto Nacional de Antropologia e His toria. Serie discos. An excellent series of over 20 recordings of Mexican traditional music, includ ing music from M ichoacan, j alisco, Guerrero, Chiapas, Veracruz, and the Huasteca. For infor mation, write to the Instituto Nacional de An tropologia e Historia, Cordoba 45, Mexico 7, D.F., Mexico. Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlan. Sones de Jalisco. New York: Arcana R ecords #DKLI-3023. Robb,]. D., recordings and notes. Spanish and Mexican Folk Music of New Mexico. New York: Ethnic Folkways Library #4426. Texas-Mexican Border Music,four volumes. Berkeley: Arhoolie Records #9003 through 9006.
A conjunto jarocho from Los Angeles in performance at the 1975 Festival. Photo by James Pickerell for the Smithsonian.
Musica Azteca, a chirimia and drum group, participated in the 1976 Bicen tennial Festival of American F olklife. strument, the tamborita, a small drum. the main traditional musical genre is The conjunto tamborita has not fared the son, although among the Huaste well in the com petition with commer cans it is more commonly referred to cial music and today may be included as the huapango. Finally, another among the many endangered species trademark of musica huasteca is the of folk traditions. frequent use of falsetto in vocal On the coastal plain of the eastern melodies. state of Veracruz, most traditional The Mexican presentation at the musical life centers around the con 1978 Festival will include dancers, junto jarocho, or "jarocho ensemble." musicians, and singers from the Mexi J arocho refers to the people native to can states of Puebla, Michoacin, the area. A harp and regional guitars Guerrero, and Veracruz. All the called jarana and requinto form the groups come from the central area of core of the group. The son jarocho, Mexico where the largest concentra practically the only traditional music tion of colonial population settled and from the area, is recognizable by its thus one can see a heavy, but not ex fast rhythm, witty texts, and a gen clusive, Spanish influence in their erous amount of improvisation. The music. Instruments derive from colo son may accompany the zapateado, a nial Spanish prototypes, although the type of dancing involving fast, com drum used by the Puebla group is a plex footwork. modern variant of the ancient Aztec The Huasteca region to the north huehuetl. Melodies derive from west is the home of the trio huasteco, Spanish and other European sources, comprised of one violin and two but show the distinct Mexicanization guitars, the guitarra quinta and the of these musical traditions. Like so jarana. The trio's music is similar to ~·uch of Mexico's traditional culture, that of the conjunto jarocho in that ~he music presented here is the there is a tendency to improvise both unique product of its rich historical instrumental melodies and texts. Also, and regional origins.
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