The Music Scene

This message goes out mostly to Oeste Hermoso. ( please forgive the length) My friend, no offence, but you should learn more about the Music Scene in Mexico. So let me give you a brief and accurate lesson on the history of some of the music in Mexico. I have be coming to this wonderful country since I was seven years old and now I’m now almost 75. I have lived here for close to 20 years - in Guadalajara, Mexico City, Monterrey, Morelia and now in Zihuatanejo. In the first place, Mexico has been playing rock since before Elvis came on the scene and country music since before Willie Nelson, and has continued to play and love rock and country music. Mexico has had a major influence on music, with really good bands and musicians that have given so much of their talent, such as Santana, Ritchie Valens, Alex Lora. Freddy Fender and so many more, plus Mexican rock music, often referred to in Mexico as rock nacional ("national rock", originated in the 1950’s.

Standards set by The Beatles, Elvis Presley, The Everly Brothers, Nancy Sinatra, and Chuck Berry were soon covered by bands such as Los Apson, Los Teen Tops, Los Twisters, Los Hitters, Los Nómadas, Los Rockets, Los Lobos, Los Rebeldes del Rock, Los Locos del Ritmo, Los Crazy Boys, and Javier Bátiz , which later led to original compositions, often in English. The group "Los Nómadas" was the first racially integrated band of the 1950’s.
In the 1920’s, early forms of country music were born out of honky tonks, which was adapted mostly from ragtime but also heavily influenced by Mexican ranchera music. At the height of its popularity, Western swing music was associated with acts like Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys, but that signature sound of the 1930’s was actually largely adapted from Mexican musical styles, incorporating sounds that are common in mariachi music: with stylized violin or fiddle elements, various string instruments, and lots of horns. This all makes up what’s known as the big-band sound (Banda, in Spanish).

The iconic Western-swing pianist Knocky Parker once described the Texas-swing genre as “a mixture of Mexican mariachi music from the south, with jazz and country strains coming in from the east.” To this day, the Mexican song “El Rancho Grande” is still a go-to for American swing bands, with its boisterous orchestral use of fiddles and trumpets.

I could go on and on, but you may ask who I am. I am a Spanish musician with over 60 years of experience. I studied music and music interpretation first from my family who many were great musicians, then I went to High School of Music and Art in New York City, and The Aaron Copland School of Music in Queens College. I was a recording and sound engineer for several years and have jammed with some of the best musicians from the U.S, Mexico, most of Latin America including Spain. Something else you may not have noticed… most of the people who request Classic Rock and Country music are Mexicans, who also love music from Credence, Elvis, Alan Jackson, Willie Nelson and so on. If you don’t believe me, next time you go to the riverfront, look at all the people listening, dancing, and even humming along to classic rock and country music. Most of them are Mexican. There’s a lot more I can tell you about the MUSIC SCENE in Mexico but I think I’ve made my point. Traditionally, Mexican music, like Mariachi, Norteño, and Banda are some of the most beautiful and poetic music you will ever hear. But in Mexico we also play Mambo from Cuba, Salsa from Puerto Rico, Flamenco from Spain, and yes Rock and Roll and Country Music from the U.S, Canada the U.K. and other countries. My goodness, we even play Polkas from Germany. And let’s not forget, Tejano Music or TexMex and guess what the Mex stands for. So next time you hear music, enjoy it and remember it is the Universal Language. Be well my friend.