The Music Center's Study Guide to the Performing Arts

MUSIC TRADITIONAL ARTISTIC PERCEPTION (AP) ® CLASSICAL CREATIVE EXPRESSION (CE) Artsource CONTEMPORARY HISTORICAL & CULTURAL CONTEXT (H/C) The Music Center’s Study Guide to the Performing Arts EXPERIMENTAL AESTHETIC VALUING (AV) MULTI-MEDIA CONNECT, RELATE & APPLY (CRA) ENDURING FREEDOM & THE POWER THE HUMAN TRANSFORMATION VALUES OPPRESSION OF NATURE FAMILY Title of Work: About the Artwork: Malagueña Salerosa Malagueña Salerosa is a standard selection in the mariachi repertoire and is an example of the Creators: Producer: Mariachi Los Camperos de Nati Cano Mexican ‘singing style’ which was influenced by Musical Director: Natividad Cano b. 1933 19th century Italian opera, and grew in popularity in Mexico during the same period. The vocal soloist Background Information: in Malagueña is expected to demonstrate the ability It is no surprise that Natividad (Nati) Cano chose music to sustain a beautiful high pitch in segments of the as a career. Born in Ahuisculco, Jalisco, Mexico, he grew verse and refrain. Audiences reward the successful up in a family of jornaleros (day workers) who considered soloist with applause and ‘gritos.’ The song also music a necessity, a means for earning additional money, illustrates two distinctive characteristics often found as well as a joyous outlet from working the soil. His in mariachi music, changing and simultaneous grandfather played the guitarron, the bass instrument of meters. Sometimes the meter alternates between 6/8 mariachi ensembles. His father, a versatile musician, and 3/4 (sesquialtera), at other times the two meters played all of the instruments of the mariachi, except the occur simultaneously (ritmo colonial). trumpet. Cano began to play the vihuela at the age of six, Creative Process of the Artist or Culture: and at age eight he began six years of violin lessons at the Traditionally, musicians of the mariachi memorize Academia de Musica in Guadalajara. Gradually, Cano’s their repertoire, often strolling among patrons as musical experiences, technical skills and knowledge broad- they play. They respond to requests which range ened as he played locally with his father, with the from the traditional sones to caciones rancheras Academia Chamber Orchestra, and later with two (country), musica Tejana (Texas-Mexican), musica professional mariachi groups. As the youngest member huasteca (north-eastern regional) and musica jarocha of Mariachi Chapala in Mexicali, Cano was selected to (Veracruz). Los Camperos performs compositions be the group’s arranger. He later joined the Tijuana- from different regions, however, Cano’s arrangements based Mariachi Aguila, and after becoming its musical adhere to the mariachi director, changed the name to Los Camperos. In 1969 instrumentation (violins, guitars, the group became permanently based in Los Angeles vihuelas, trumpets, harp and where it established a reputation for offering the best in guitarron), while retaining the mariachi music. In recognition of his outstanding musicianship, spirit of its various origins. Cano received a National Heritage fellowship from the Los Angeles National Endowment for the Arts in 1990. Notable “Lose yourself in music U.S.A. and you will find beauty.” among their recordings are two which were made with MEXICO Gulf Natividad Cano of Linda Ronstadt, Canciones de Me Padre and Mas Canciones. Mexico Jalisco.

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