Mexico's Nashville, Its Country- Mexican Country Kitchen
till * 2 2 (i ii i I f a 1 I 25 I m MCXICO'S NASHVILLE B Y S E R G I O M A R T T N E Z Ano uY to Indepundencia (1910, Alfred Giles). MY MOTHER Ttus me that my grandfather In the 'NOs, radio programmers began Ezequiel liked parties and sharing good offering Mexicans music in their own times with his friends. We're talking language. Suddenly, norteno commanded about the If >0s, the young adulthood ot the eyes and ears ol all Mexico — and my grandparents, the childhood of my also of fans in the United States. Dances mother, a Monterrey of possibly 100,000 ireally concerts) drew up to 150,000 inhabitants. Almost every weekend, my people. To accommodate the crowds, grandparents converted their house into a norteno events were held in parks and kind of party hall. They butchered a even soccer stadiums. sheep or kid goat, or maybe a call if the Bronco's lead singer, Lupe Esparza, party was very big, and they arranged a opened his own recording studio in big pit barbecue. Or it they had a pig, Monterrey, and l.os Jemararios and other there was a little festival of chicharrones, I groups soon followed sun. Monterrey carnitas, and other delicacies of the became Mexico's Nashville, its country- Mexican country kitchen. music capital. Music wasn't lacking. It was norteno, Norteno's popularity favored an inter- the regional music of northeastern Mexico change between Mexico and the United — a rural, working-class music, the coun- States — not just a commercial inter- try music of Mexico.
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