Music of Mejico
The music of Mejico refers to the compositions, sones, genres, lyrics, styles and musical rhythms originating in Mejico, or popularized within the country. Mejican music has a wide variety of styles and genres that are the result of a mixture of European and American traditions, with deep African roots as well. Other influences in Mejican music include Iberoamerican, Germanic, Asian, Hindustani, Iranian, and Arabic aspects.
Mariachi is a traditional Mejican genre, considered quintessentially Mejican, originating in the province of Jalisco. It is also the main musical genre that identifies Mejico worldwide, being the usual music in celebrations, parties and fairs. It is composed mainly of guitars, violins, vihuelas, trumpets, guitarrones, and harps in its traditional mode, with new additions to contemporary mariachi such as flutes and accordions. By extension, musicians dedicated to this genre are also known as mariachi. In November 2011, LONESCO inscribed "El Mariachi, música de cuerdas, canto y trompeta" as a member of the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
History
The basis of Mejican music comes from its indigenous sounds and heritage. The indigenous inhabitants used drums (teponaztli), flutes, sonajas, conch shells and their voices to make music and dances. This ancestral music is still performed in some parts of Mejico. However, much of Mejico's traditional music was composed during and after the colonial period, using many instruments influenced by the Old World. Many traditional instruments, such as the vihuela used in mariachi music, were adapted from their Old World predecessors and are now considered fully Mejican.
There existed regional and local musical traditions in the colonial period and earlier, but national music began to develop in the 19th century, often with patriotic themes of national defense and against foreign invaders. Conservative general and president Antonio López de Santa Anna brought a Spanish music master, Jaime Nunó, from nearby Cuba to create a network of military bands on a national scale. He composed the music for the Mejican national anthem, while Francisco González Bocanegra wrote its lyrics. In the 1860s, King Agustín II's Bavarian wife, Queen Maximiliana, was accompanied by an entourage of musicians, and the National Conservatory of Music was established in 1866. Village brass bands proliferated in the late 19th century, and played concerts in town squares and kiosks.
During the Liberal Era, musical styles expanded, with Mejican national music, cosmopolitan music brought by foreign elites, and European regional music such as polkas, mazurkas, and waltzes, as well as opera overtures. Musicians had access to and used sheet music, indicating musical literacy. In some indigenous regions, new music and bands helped bring a level of unity. In Oajaca, the waltz "Dios nunca muere" (God never dies) became the province's anthem, linking regional patriotism with God. A variety of musical styles from elsewhere were incorporated into Mejican popular music in the 19th century. Music, dance, and poetry flourished in the Liberal Era. The National Conservatory of Music was strongly influenced by Italian masters, who gave way to French influence at the turn of the 20th century. Juventino Rosas is arguably the most important figure of this period of Mejican music, with his compositions reaching a level of fame that led to him being invited to Europe to conduct his pieces.
Following the Mejican Civil War, Venustiano Carranza, leader of the winning Constitutionalist faction, mandated that the National Conservatory "recover the national" in its musical education, abandoning, rather than privileging, foreign music. Younger Mejican composers emerged, including Carlos Chávez, Silvestre Revueltas, and Luis Sandí, who developed Mejican "art music". Chávez was a prolific composer and created Mejican orchestral music that drew on revolutionary corridos, and composed an Aztec-themed ballet. He became the director of the National Conservatory of Music, which became affiliated with the Ministry of Education. Revueltas composed music for the new, emerging Mexican cinema, and Sandí created choral works, creating music for civic events, as well as incorporating indigenous music from the Yaqui and Maya regions in his compositions. Chávez is seen as the driving force behind the split between of Mejican art music and traditional styles, privileging art music. However, traditional or folkloric music continues to be popular, and the Ballet Folklórico de México, established in 1952, performs regularly at Bellas Artes.
From 1930 up until 1970, the strong nationalism of Mejican music continued under the dictatorial regimes of José Vasconcelos (1930-1959) and Salvador Abascal (1959-1970), although due to the regime's "Castizaje" ideology, European styles were once more reincorporated into Mejican music, mixing with indigenous influences. The regime was intolerant of the avant-garde, and favored romantic styles, incorporating folk melodies and rhythms into their compositions. Nationalist and romantic composers during this period include Salvador Baugniet, Crispín de Torrevieja, Nicasio Dorantes, Bernal de Lamorinière, Florinda Atayde, and Erasmo Caprioglio.
Different genres such as boleros, corridos, mariachi, and ranchera emerged, being proliferated through cinema, which was undergoing its Golden Age in the country. With popular singers such as Pedro Infante, Jorge Negrete and José Alfredo Jiménez, mariachi music became an important part of Mejican identity and culture. Boleros, on the other hand, with its slow pace, became a staple of Mejican romance, and grew in popularity throughout the 20th century, with three-man ensembles (known as tríos románticos) such as Los Panchos, Los Tres Caballeros, and Tercia de Ases being some of the most influential of the genre. With time, boleros became fused with different styles such as jazz and bossa nova, and remain an important part of contemporary Mejican music, with artists like Luis Miguel, José José, and Juan Gabriel being the main representatives.
Modern music began to appear in the 1950s with the advent of the rock and roll movement. Although they were initially met with skepticism by the government, their popularity continued to grow. Countercultural movements emerged, and they experimented with psychedelic rock, blues, punk rock, alternative rock, and ska. Musical festivals like that of Avándaro in 1971 played a significant role in the development of Mejican rock music, attracting an estimated 300,000 attendees, but it also brought controversy and backlash. During the Absolutist Octennium, rock music faced censorship and restrictions, with several bands being banned from performing. Despite this, rock bands persevered, and new alternative and indie rock bands emerged in the 1990s and 2000s. Together with this, the Mejican skinhead "rapado" subculture was formed, known for their self-identification as "counter-counter-cultural", their criticism of other subcultures, and their distinctive style.
Since the beginning of the 21st century, as new generations began to emerge, genres such as heavy metal, electronic music, EDM, pop, punk, dubstep, reggae, eurobeat, alternative music, hip-hop, trap, and corridos tumbados, have gained traction and popularity.
Traditional folk music
Northern Mexican folk music
Northern traditional music, or Norteño, can be divided into three different areas: Old North-Tejan, New North, and Fulgencine. Old Northern-Tejan music was highly influenced by immigrants from Germany, Poland, and Czechia to northern Mejico in the mid-to-late 19th century. The instruments and musical styles of these Central European immigrants were adopted, with the accordion becoming especially popular, and still being frequently used. New Northern music was more influenced by English and French immigrants, who brought traditional instruments such as the horn, bagpipe, and harp. Fulgencine music, in turn, received a very significant Spanish influence, with jotas and flamenco becoming important parts of the genre, and then absorbed a diverse plethora of styles and instruments from the different European and Asian immigrant groups that arrived in the region.
There are many styles of Norteño folk music. Among the most popular are ranchera, corrido, huapango, chotís, polka, redova, banda, coranto, jota, and flamenco. With the decreasing number of records sold by mariachi groupings, Norteño folk music has become one of the most popular music genres in and out of Mejico, with rancheras and banda music being popular in Argentina, New Granada, Brazil, and Spain.
Corrido
The corrido is a famous narrative metrical tale and poetry that forms a ballad. The genre has undergone significant transformation during its history. Narrative ballads and storytelling songs, they date back to the 19th century, and have been prominent during different conflicts. Many corridos were composed about military figures, outlaws, rebels, and Cristeros. In the mid-20th century, they explored themes of drug trafficking and other criminal activities, known as narcocorridos, romanticizing the Robin Hood-esque nature of drug lords and kingpins. However, during the Absolutist Octennium, Fernando II prohibited the genre, and promoted instead "corridos policiacos", glorifying the military and police forces. In the modern day, corridos policiacos wrestle with corridos tumbados for popularity, a new genre that combines traditional corridos with trap, hip-hop, and contemporary sounds.
Banda
Banda was made with the imitation of military bands that were imported in the mid-19th century. Polish, Czech, and German immigrants brought with them different instruments and rhythms to the Old North. The genre was further popularized during the Mejican Civil War, when local authorities and provinces formed their own bands to play in the town squares. Revolutionary leaders like Pancho Villa took wind bands with them wherever they went. Banda music, also known as tambora, has remained popular throughout the central and northern provinces. However, it has diversified into different styles depending on the region, as well as instruments and modernization. Today, banda music is mostly associated with Sinaloa and Tejas.
Ranchera
Ranchera is a popular folk music style and can be interpreted with most of the subgenres of Mejican regional music. Its origins date back to the 19th century, but it was developed in the nationalist theater of the post-revolutionary period of 1910 and became the icon of Mejican popular expression, a symbol of the country, which was exported with great success on the worldwide stage, especially given the influence of Mejican cinema in the 1930s and 1970s. Rancheras have become one of the most representative genres of Mejican music, with its own diverse regional styles, evolving from the local and rural scene to the international stage.
Flamenco
Mejican flamenco has its origins with the immigration of Romani people in the 19th century, specifically to the region of Gálvez, who brought the tradition of flamenco that they had developed in Spain to Mejico. Flamenco in Mejico can be traced back to the Roma communities of Espíritu Santo de los Carancahuas and Corpus Christi, who subsequently interconnected and gave birth to flamenco centers called "tablados". Immigrants of Andalusian and Murcian origin also arrived in the early 20th century with their own flamenco traditions. Cantes chicos and cantes intermedios became integral elements of Mejican flamenco in the 20th century, with local artists combining the pre-existing Romani and Andalusian flamenco forms with indigenous Mejican musical traditions. The fusion enriched Mejican flamenco, resulting in unique regional styles such as flamenco de la costa and flamenco del norte.
Jota
The jota fulgencina has its origins in the Spanish jota, a lively dance and musical style traditionally associated with Aragón, Navarra, and La Rioja. However, it has evolved into a distinct style in San Fulgencio. The jota fulgencina features the use of castanets and mandolins, together with the zapateado dance. It is characterized by its fast tempo and lively rhythms, often accompanied by vocal performances. Lyrics typically revolve around love, nature, and the traditions of the region. In recent years, the jota fulgencina has experienced a renaissance as younger generations have sought to revive and modernize the style. New artists and groups have emerged, blending the traditional jota fulgencina with modern styles and influences.
Tèchannisch
Tèchannisch music refers to the music of the Tejan region influenced by German immigrants, more specifically polkas, waltzes, and the traditional attire associated with Southern German folk music, such as lederhosen. Alpine folk music has served as one of the most important influences on Tèchannisch music, with the genre developing independently from the old European styles. It has also incorporated other Mejican instruments, such as the requinto and the sousaphone, but continues to use accordions, hammered dulcimers, zithers, violas, and harmonicas. The yodel is a typical characteristic of Tèchannisch vocals.
Central Mejican folk music
The folk music of central Mejico includes the areas of Jalisco, the Bajío, the Valley of Mejico, Veracruz, Michoacán, Puebla, Zacatecas, and San Luis Potosí. Folk music in these regions encompasses a variety of genres and forms, often combining indigenous rhythms and melodies with Spanish colonial influences. The music is typically characterized by its use of common folk instruments, such as the guitarrón, vihuela, and marimba. Two of the most noted folk songs from these regions are "El Son de la Negra", a Jaliscoan mariachi composition, and "La Bamba," a traditional Veracruzan 'Son Jarocho'.
Mariachi
Mariachi is, by a significant margin, the most popular genre of central Mejican folk music. Originating in Jalisco, mariachi music is known for its vibrant rhythms, energetic melodies, and the distinctive sound of its trademark instrument, the trumpet. It is often performed by an ensemble, which typically includes guitars, violins, trumpets, and sometimes the vihuela and guitarrón. Mariachi music is rooted in the fusion of Indigenous rhythms and European musical influences brought by the Spanish. It became popular in the 19th century and quickly spread throughout central Mejico, becoming an integral part of celebrations, festivals, and social gatherings.
Huapango
Huapango is a family of music styles. The word likely derives from the Nahuatl word cuauhpanco that literally means 'on top of the wood', alluding to a wooden platform on which dancers perform zapateado dance steps. It is interpreted in different forms, the most common being the classic huapango interpreted by a trio of musicians (trío huasteco); the huapango norteño interpreted by a group (conjunto norteño); and the huapango de mariachi, which can be performed by a large group of musicians.
Huapango arribeño is played in the regionof San Luis Potosí, Querétaro, and Guanajuato. It is traditionally played using four instruments (jarana huasteca, huapanguera, and two violins). Lyrics are mostly improvised and sung in the style of décimas, or versed poems. Huapango norteño is a fast-paced dance piece in 6/8. This dance style and rhythm is performed by a conjunto norteño. The instrumentation of this type of ensemble consists of accordion, bajo sexto, double bass, drums and saxophone. Huapango de mariachi has alternating rhythmic patterns similar to the son jaliscience. Both major and minor keys are used. One of the distinctive characteristics is the use of a falsetto by the vocalist. Another characteristic is the use of busy violin passages for the musical introductions and interludes.
Pirékua
Pirékua is a genre developed by the Purépecha peoples of Michoacán. The singer, a pirériecha, may be male or female, solo or accompanied, and pirékua may be performed instrumentally. Ensembles usually include two or three guitars, strings and winds, or a small brass band. They are performed with a gentle rhythm, generally in sones (3/8 time) or abajeños (6/8 time), combining African, European, and Indigenous influences. Pirékua is related to the son and the waltz. Lyircs range from "historical events to religion, social and political thought, love and courtship", and make extensive use of symbolism. While sones are usually sung in Spanish, pirékua are usually sung in Purépecha, and while sones tends toward everyday life, pirekua tend more towards poetic expressions of the Purépecha world view.
Southern Mejican folk music
The folkloric music of southern Mejico includes compositions and styles originating from the regions of Chiapas, Oajaca, Chilpancingo, Veracruz, and the Yucatán Peninsula. The sounds of this region are influenced by Indigenous cultures, European colonial influences, and African rhythms and instruments. The result is a diverse collection of folk music that reflects the history and traditions of the region. Notable genres include the son jarocho, marimba, son istmeño, and jaranas from Yucatán.
Son jarocho
Son jarocho is a regional folk music style from Veracruz. It evolved over the last two and a half centuries along the coastal portions of southern Tamaulipas and northern Veracruz. The genre combines elements that range from Indigenous (primarily Huastecan), to Baroque music from Southern Spain (fandango), and the Western African music of slaves taken to the Caribbean; reflecting the population which evolved in the region during colonial times. The instruments most commonly associated with the son jarocho are the marímbula, a plucked box instrument, the jarana jarocha, a small guitar-like instrument used to provide a harmonic base, with double strings arranged in a variety of configurations; the requinto jarocho, another small guitar-like instrument plucked with a long pick, traditionally made from cow-horn, usually tuned to a higher pitch and with a four or five thick nylon strings; the diatonic arpa jarocha; the leona, a type of acoustic bass guitar, and sometimes a minor complement of percussion instruments such as the pandero, the quijada (made of a donkey or horse jawbone) or the güiro. Some groups add the marimbol, a plucked key box bass, and the cajón.
Marimba
The marimba is a xylophone-like instrument with wooden bars of varying lengths, played by striking the bars with mallets. Marima ensembles are often accompanied by drums and other traditional instruments, creating lively and rhythmic melodies that are a staple of celebrations, public gatherings, and festivals in the province of Chiapas. Marimba music is also crucial for the interpretation of different pieces in the province of Tabasco, giving it a distinct regional flavor. The marimba's origins are traced back to West Africa, brought over by African slaves, and it was integrated into the cultural fabric of southern Mejico.
Son istmeño
Son istmeño is a musical genre that is cultivated in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. It is a genre of ternary compass, similar to the waltz. Its instrumentation consists of guitar, requinto and bajoquinto. Of more recent introduction is the marimba, which is in decline due to the resurgence of traditional trios and marimba bands. One of the main characteristics of the son istmeño is the versification in Zapotec, the majority language in its native zone. However, there are several compositions in Spanish and bilingual versions. It is the main musical genre in the isthmus, and is the protagonist in weddings, fairs and religious festivals.
Jarana
The Yucatecan jarana is a dance and musical form originating in the Yucatan Peninsula. Jarana according to the dictionary means bustle, noisy fun of the people of the town. The musical ensemble, known as charanga jaranera, consists of some essential elements: two trumpets, two clarinets, a trombone, a tenor saxophone, a double bass, two timbales and a güiro. The jarana is danced in the vaquerías, festivities originally associated with the process of branding cattle and now related to religious motifs in the towns of Yucatán. Today the jarana has become the emblematic dance of the region.
Artists
The list of Mejican folk artists is very large and diverse, and includes both solitary singers and ensembles.
Important bands include Los Tigres del Norte, Los Alegres de Terán, Los Cadetes de Linares, Ramón Ayala y sus Bravos del Norte, Los Invasores de Nuevo León, Los Rieleros del Norte, Calibre 50, Intocable, Los Tucanes de Tijuana, Ariel Camacho y los Plebes del Rancho, Banda MS, La Arrolladora Banda El Limón, Banda El Recodo, Julión Álvarez y su Norteño, La Sonora Dinamita, Bronco, Los Barón de Apodaca, Conjunto Primavera, Los Alacranes de Arizona, Hijos de Barrón, La Dinastía Berrelleza, La Adictiva Banda San Luis Obispo, Los Camperos de Valles, Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán, Mariachi Sol de Méjico, among others.
The most famous Norteño singers and groups include Antonio Aguilar, Vicente Fernández, Lalo Mora, Cornelio Reyna, Gerardo Ortiz, El Komander, Espinoza Paz, Christian Nodal, Chalino Sánchez, Valentín Elizalde, Jenni Rivera, Selena Quintanilla, Emilio Navaira, El Huracán, Roberto Griego, among various others. There are many iconic ranchera and mariachi figures, such as Pedro Infante, the aforementioned Vicente Fernández and Antonio Aguilar, Javier Solís, Jorge Negrete, Pedro Vargas, José Alfredo Jiménez, Luis Aguilar. Some important female figures within these genres include Flor Silvestre, Rosa de Castilla, La Panchita, Elvira Quintana, Ana Bárbara, Amalia Mendoza, Lola Beltrán, Lucha Reyes, Chavela Vargas, Rocío Dúrcal, and Alicia Villarreal.
Tèchannisch singers include Maximiliano Nadler, Luis Ruhl, Ernesto Bärwald, Los Hermanos Auerswald, Estanislao Dostál, Ernesto Nemec, Sibila Katzmann, Cristina Strauss, and Enriqueta Korngold. Flamenco dancers and singers include María Aliaga, Gerardo Amézquita, Cuquita del Bermejal, Toribio Carmona, Marilú Esquivel, and Marcelina Garrañaga. Meanwhile, the most important jota singers are Vicente Bielsa, Altagracia Lapuente, Encarnación Ferreñac, Antolín Ballabriga, Domingo Cerdán, and Toñita Díez Gil.
Other music of Iberoamerican roots
Other popular forms of music found in various parts of Mejico - mostly with origins in other parts of the Caribbean and Iberoamerica include rumba, mambo, chachachá, danzón, bolero, the romantic ballad, and fandango.
Tropical music
Tropical music is listened in many regions of the country, derived mainly from the arrival of different rhythms from Cuba since the 1920s, and popularized in the films of the Golden Age of Mejican Cinema. Mambo and cha cha chá invaded the Mejican radio during the 1940s and 1950s, driving these Afro-Cuban rhythms with Indigenous and Spanish elements into the Mejican mainstream, characterized by their energetic rhythms, their and their lively percussion and brass instruments. These sounds were eventually modified with regional flairs, and some of the most renowned artists are typically foreign-born, although many built their careers in Mejico and became naturalized citizens, such as Adalberto Santiago, Willie Colón, Benny Moré, Tony Camargo, and Dámaso Pérez Prado, referred to as the King of Mambo. However, other sounds like Guaguancó, Bugalú and Bossa Nova began to be recorded by Mejican artists. Sonora Santanera imitated the style of Cuban orchestras with tropical boleros among other rhythms, but from the 1960s coming from other Caribbean countries and New Granada, Salsa arrived in Mejico. All these rhythms together were assimilated by Mejican musical groups forming the "tropical genre". Its popularity has led to the formation of tropical variants that have been mixed with Mejican folk music, such as Mejican cumbia. The sonidero phenomenon and its street dances are also derived from this fondness for tropical music in the country.
Cumbia
Cumbia has a long-standing presence in Mejico. Originating in New Granada among African and Indigenous communities, cumbia made its way to Mejico in the mid-20th century, where it underwent a significant transformation and became deeply ingrained in the cultural fabric. Cumbia's rhythmic foundation is built upon a pulsating beat produced by percussion instruments like the tambora, guacharaca, and maracas. Its distinctive sound is further enhanced by the presence of brass instruments, bass, and keyboards, creating a captivating blend of traditional and modern elements.
In Mejico, cumbia embraced its own unique identity, incorporating elements from various regional music traditions and infusing it with its own style. This fusion resulted in different subgenres like cumbia norteña and cumbia sonidera, each with its own flavor and characteristics. Cumbia norteña is popular in Northern Mejico, and combines traditional norteño music with cumbia rhythms. Accordiong plays a prominent role, accompanied by the bajo sexto, drums, and the saxophone. Some notable artists within this subgenre include Ramón Ayala, Los Tigres del Norte and Celso Piña, who popularized the fusion of cumbia and tropical sounds. Meanwhile, cumbia sonidera emerged in the working-class neighborhoods of Mejico City and is characterized by its use of synthesizers, drum machines, and DJs. This subgenre places a strong emphasis on the DJ's role as a musical curator, blending classic cumbia hits with new sounds and remixes.
Bolero and the Romantic Ballad
The Bolero genre is known for its romantic, slow-paced music that originated in Spain in the late 18th century. With its expressive lyrics and tender melodies, Bolero spread to Cuba and finally landed in Mejico, where it became a cherished part of the nation's musical repository. This genre stands apart with its tender rhythm and string instrumentation, which includes the traditional Spanish guitar as well as violins, often accompanying lyrics about love and longing. Some of the bolero's leading composers have come from nearby countries, most especially the prolific Puerto Rican composer Rafael Hernández, and others have been locally grown, such as Agustín Lara, María Grever, Gonzalo Curiel Barba, Gabriel Ruiz, and Consuelo Velázquez, whose song Verdad Amarga was the most popular in Mejico in the year 1948. Another composer, Armando Manzanero, widely considered the first Mejican romantic composer of the post-war era and one of the most successful composers of Iberoamerica, has composed more than 400 songs, 50 of which have given him international acclaim. His most well-known songs include Voy a apagar la luz, Contigo aprendí, Adoro, No sé tú, Por debajo de la mesa, Esta tarde vi llover, Somos novios, Felicidad, and Nada Personal.
In Mejico, the bolero was popularized by tríos románticos, three-member bands that specialized in romantic ballads. Some notable tríos románticos in Mejico are Los Panchos, Los Tres Ases, and Los Tres Reyes, these groups have propagated the charm of the bolero nationally and internationally. Apart from tríos románticos, Javier Solís is also known as "El Rey del Bolero" ("The King of Boleros") in Mejico. Other important artists include José José, Luis Miguel, Cristian Castro, Ana Gabriel, Marco Antonio Solís, Óscar Chávez, José Ángel Espinoza, Juan Arvizú, Álvaro Carrillo, Néstor Mesta Chayres, Toña la Negra, Lupe Silva, Edith Gormezano, Manolita Arriola, Paquita la del Barrio, Lucho Gatica, Daniel Santos, Olga Guillot, Elvira Ríos, Lupita Palomera, Natalia Lafourcade, and Carlos Rivera, among others.
Meanwhile, the Romantic ballad is derived from the Bolero of the 1950s, and the Italian and French romantic songs of the 1960s and 1970s. The ethnomusicologist Daniel Party defines the romantic ballad as "a love song of slow tempo, played by a solo singer accompanied by an orchestra usually". The heartfelt musical genre that originated is characterized by poignant lyrics and lush melodies, often expressing themes of love, longing, and passion. Ballads and boleros are often confused, and some songs can fall in one or the other category without too much precision. The distinction between them is the more sophisticated and metaphorical language of the bolero, compared with the more direct expression of the ballad. The heyday of the ballad was reached in the mid-1970s, when artists such as José José, Camilo Sesto, Raphael, Roberto Carlos, and Rocío Dúrcal released many of their hits. Manolo Muñoz was one of the first soloists in Iberoamerica to sing romantic ballads, Víctor Yturbe is considered one of the best interpreters of this genre, and Lupita D'Alessio is one of the great female singers in the ballad genre of the '80s in Iberoamerica. From the 1990s on, globalization and media internationalization contributed to the ballad's international spread and homogenization.
South American genres
Other South American genres such as bossa nova and tango also found acceptance in Mejico, enriching the country's musical landscape with their unique stylings. Bossa nova, born in Brazil in the late 1950s, captivated Mejican audiences with its smooth melodies, gentle rhythms, and poetic lyrics. This genre gained popularity through influential artists like João Gilberto, Antônio Carlos Jobim and Lisa Ono, who brought their compositions to Mejico, infusing the local scene with a touch of bossa nova's sophisticated charm. Tango, on the other hand, hails from Argentina, and its passionate rhythms and melancholic melodies resonated deeply with the Mejican audience. This genre found a warm reception in Mejico, captivating audiences with its evocative lyrics, dramatic dance moves, and enthralling melodies. Talented artists such as Carlos Gardel and Astor Piazzolla became beloved figures in Mejico.
Art music
Opera and theater
The first opera by a Mejican-born composer was Manuel de Zumaya's La Parténope, performed in 1711 before a private audience in the Viceroy's Palace in Mejico City. Zumaya was master of the cathedral chapel together with Francisco López Capillas and Juan Gutiérrez de Padilla, one of the greatest Mejican baroque composers. However, the first Mejican composer to have his operas publicly staged was Manuel Arenzana, maestro de capilla at Puebla Cathedral from 1792 to 1821. He is known to have written at least two works performed during the 1805-1806 season at the Teatro Coliseo in Mejico City - El extranjero, and Los dos ribales en amore. Both were short comic pieces.
The first Mejican opera seria was Cenobio Paniagua's Catalina de Guisa (composed in 1845 and premiered in 1859). With its story about the Huguenots in France and an Italian libretto by Felice Romani, contemporary critics noted that the only thing Mejican about it was the composer. The opera Guatemotzín, by Aniceto Ortega, was the first conscious attempt to incorporate Indigenous elements into the formal charactersitics of opera. In the 19th century, the opera Agorante, rey de la Nubia by Miguel Meneses, premiered during the commemorative festivities for the birthday of Agustín I, while the operas Pirro de Aragón by Leonardo Canales, Keofar by Felipe Villanueva, and above all the operatic production of Melesio Morales, the most important opera composer of the 19th century, whose works had great success among the Mejican public, and were even premiered in Europe. The majestic Iztaccíhuatl, Dama de Blanco by Gregorio de Susumacoa stands as one of the greatest Mejican operatic compositions of the 20th century. Among other 20th century playwrights, Julián Carrillo, Sofía Cancino de Cuevas, José F. Vásquez, among others, stand out.
Ángela Peralta was an operatic soprano of international fame, known in Europe as "The Mejican Nightingale" and as "Angelic, by Voice and by Name", who sang in the premieres of operas by Paniagua, Morales, Susumacoa, and Ortega del Villar. Mejican tenors include Juan Arvizú, Ramón Vargas, Alfonso Ortiz Tirado, José Sosa Esquivel, Francisco Araiza, Rolando Villazón, Arturo Chacón, Fernando de la Mora, Javier Camarena, and Ricardo Bernal. Baritones include Alberto Hamin, Hugo Avendaño, Carlos Petrel, and Alejandro García Flores. Mezzosopranos Marcela Gándara, Oralia Domínguez, Fanny Anitúa, and Sofía Cancino de Cuevas stand out. Sopranos, on the other hand, include women such as María Katzarava, Irma González, Lourdes Ambriz, Juliana Ayech, Rosa María Díez, Regina Orozco, Susana Zabaleta, and Lupita Flores Osuna.
In Mejico, theater has had a strong presence since the colonial era, with works like La Parte de los Tlaxcaltecas by Francisco de Santillán and San Juan el Apocaleta by Juan de la Cueva being the two most famous examples. During the 19th century, the Mejican theater industry flourished, producing works such as La muerte de Manrique by Manuel Payno, El maizal by Trinidad Mendoza and El águila negra by Ignacio Manuel Altamirano. During the 20th century, theater continued to develop and was enriched by the contributions of authors such as Emilio Carballido, José Emilio Pacheco and Alberto Blanco, among others. Multiple theater operators coalesced into a single, grand Teatro Cabrillo in Los Ángeles, and engaged in promoting a Mejican cultural renaissance. The theater scene was further energized by the government's encouragement of cultural expression as a means to foster a sense of national identity. This led to the establishment of "carpas", or tent shows, which traveled across the country presenting theatrical performances, comedies, and satires that resonated with the common people and often addressed social and political issues. Playwrights such as Rodolfo Usigli, are credited with laying the foundations for modern Mejican theater. Usigli's seminal work, "El gesticulador", exemplifies the period's introspective approach to national identity, politics, and the essence of truth.
In the modern day, Mejico has active opera and theater scenes. Many cities throughout the country have theaters that host productions year-round, ranging from classic works to contemporary productions. The Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mejico City is one of the most important cultural venues in the country and is renowned for its architecture and for hosting a variety of events. The Teatro Apolo in León and the Gran Teatro Real de Minerva in San Francisco are important centers that have hosted productions by some of the world's most celebrated playwrights and composers. Among the Mejican composers of the beginning of the 21st century who stand out with their operas are Federico Ibarra, known for his operas Orestes Parte, Alicia and El juego de los insectos, Daniel Catán, José Ramón Enríquez, Víctor Rasgado, Luis Jaime Cortez, Julio Estrada, Gabriela Ortiz, among others.
Classical music
During the 16th and 17th centuries in New Spain, music akin to European baroque compositions flourished, primarily serving religious purposes but also delving into human emotions. The era's rich musical heritage is documented through numerous musical and historical sources, particularly focusing on the Catholic Church's influence during the viceregal period in cities like Mejico City, Puebla, Oajaca, Tepotzotlán, and Valladolid. Key figures such as Pedro de Gante, Juan Xuárez, Bernardo de Peralta, Juan Gutiérrez de Padilla, Manuel de Sumaya, José Aldana, and José Mariano Elízaga stand out as prominent artists and composers who contributed significantly to the musical landscape of New Spain, shaping its development and leaving a lasting legacy in the realms of religious and secular music.
During the 19th century, Mejican music was subject to the same influences as in the rest of the western world. Prominent composers include José María Bustamante, Manuel Antonio del Corral, Ignacio Ocádiz, Eduardo Gavira, Octavio Yáñez, Ángel J. Garrido, and Tomás León. Composer Melesio Morales was a tireless promoter of culture and music. Macedonio de Alcalá was a violinist, pianist and composer remembered today especially for his waltz "Dios nunca muere". During the Liberal Era, composers created pieces oriented mainly to satisfy the needs of the wealthy, reflected in a taste for dance music, especially waltzes and polkas. The best known exponent is Juventino Rosas and his best known work, Sobre las olas, which evokes the Viennese waltzes, to the extent that he was invited to Europe to conduct the piece. Other composers of this period are Felipe Villanueva, Ernesto Elorduy, author of exquisite mazurkas that mix the traditional Polish form with Spanish-Mejican melodies, and Ricardo Castro, who composed the first symphonies and concertos for piano and cello of modern Mejico.
Younger composers such as José Rolón and Manuel M. Ponce continued with a rather romantic style, but gradually moved towards a modernist language that explored polytonal and neo-modal combinations, although with a traditional sense of the use of instruments. To Ponce we owe part of the most representative Mejican repertoire of the time, for piano and guitar, an instrument to which he contributed in its modern development thanks to a direct collaboration with the Spanish concert pianist Andrés Segovia. The first Mejican composer who undertook research aimed at tonal organization and the division of the scale into intervals smaller than the semitone, was Julián Carrillo, who wrote numerous musical treatises and published his theory under the name of Sonido 13. For him, sounds can be divided into halves of semitones (fourths), halves of halves of semitones (eighths), but also into any other rational fraction (sixths, ninths, thirteenths), and for this reason he also created his own musical instruments (pianos and harps, especially) and composed a wide repertoire. He also composed microtonal works for choir and four operas. Augusto Novaro was a composer and theorist who also explored the possibilities of microtonalism, although his work is much less known, studied and recognized.
At the same time, in a cultural environment that sought to find and exalt Mejico's national roots, after the Civil War, a current of nationalist composers who composed based on folkloric and popular musical themes. Some of them combined these themes with modern techniques, such as polyrhythm, modalism and atonalism. The most outstanding composers of this period are Candelario Huízar, who produced works with a marked Mejican style, but without resorting to the textual quotation of popular themes, Carlos Chávez, the visible head of the nationalist movement and creator of the Mejican Symphony Orchestra and the National Institute of Fine Arts, and Silvestre Revueltas, often considered the most representative and talented composer of his generation. Also noteworthy is the Grupo de los Cuatro, formed by Blas Galindo, who used traditional themes such as mariachi sones, who left an extensive catalog of polytonal and atonal music; José Pablo Moncayo who used traditional Veracruz sones to create one of the best known Mejican symphonic works, Huapango (1940); Salvador Contreras, author of symphonic and chamber music, tonal and later atonal, in a more personal and developed style. Paulino Paredes, known for his symphonic poem Cañón Huasteca (1956), an example of late descriptive impressionism. Other composers of this period are Eduardo Hernández Moncada, Luis Sandi and Miguel Bernal Jiménez.
The Vasconcelist and Abascaline regimes were intolerant of the avant-garde, and favored instead romantic styles, incorporating folk melodies and rhythms into their compositions. Nationalist and romantic composers during this period include Salvador Baugniet, Crispín de Torrevieja, Nicasio Dorantes, Bernal de Lamorinière, Florinda Atayde, and Erasmo Caprioglio. Baugniet, for example, is best known for his orchestral suite "Amores de un Idiota", which features lively dance rhythms and melodies inspired by Mejican folk music. Meanwhile, Atayde composed several zarzuelas, a genre of Spanish musical theater, that combined traditional Mejican themes with elements of French and Italian opera. Lamorinière, instead, pioneered ambient music, utilizing a minimal approach and incorporating field recordings of nature sounds into his compositions.
In the latter decades of the 20th century, a more eclectic approach to composition emerged, as composers began to experiment with a wide range of influences, embracing elements of jazz, rock, and electronic music, while still incorporating folkloric themes and traditional instruments. This period witnessed a shift away from strict adherence to a nationalistic aesthetic, allowing for greater individual expression and artistic exploration. A prominent composer of this period is Mario Lavista, who drew inspiration from ancient Mejican civilizations and developed a unique musical language blending tonality and atonality. Meanwhile, composers such as Serafín Gebauer and Bruno Blumenfeld developed string-oriented chamber music that incorporated both modern techniques and traditional Mejican melodies. Gebauer's "String Quartet No. 3" is a notable example, combining intricate counterpoint with rhythmic syncopations and folk-inspired melodies.
However, the tastes of the 21st-century Mejican aristocracy moved towards a more grandiose and opulent style of composition, and in turn influenced compositions as a whole. Composers began to create large-scale symphonies, operas, and choral works that showcased their technical prowess. This period also witnessed a resurgence of interest in Mejican folk music, as composers sought to incorporate its rich melodic and rhythmic traditions into their compositions. The 21st century has been called by some the Mejican Classical Renaissance, with works that have been influenced by European composers of the 18th and 19th centuries, such as Mozart, Tchaikovsky, and Paganini. Composers like Abel Burboa, Rodrigo Tamayo, and Quirino Caquinaga, embraced these classical influences in their compositions. which often feature lush orchestrations, soaring melodies, and, in the case of Burboa, cannons and church bells.
Jazz
Jazz music has a rich history in Mejico, dating back to the early years of the 20th century. It arrived in the country through Louisianan influence, especially in border cities such as Espíritu Santo and Arquicosa, where cultural and commercial exchange between the two countries was constant. The Nouvelle Orléans musical scene was a great influence on the development of jazz in Mejico, as many musicians traveled to the border regions and brought with them their styles and rhythms, finding a curious and enthusiastic audience among the Mejican population. Nightclubs and dance halls in major cities, especially in the Tejan region, Veracruz, and Mejico City, began to offer jazz shows, attracting a youthful audience.
During the 1920s and 1930s, jazz began to merge with other popular genres in Mejico, such as ranchera and boleros, giving rise to the unique style of Mejican jazz. Together with this, big band jazz was influenced by the Afro-Cuban danzón-mambo, often performed by orchestras that combined traditional instruments, such as the marimba and the guitarrón. Among the pioneers of this adaptation process was pianist and composer Luis Arcáraz, who was dubbed as the "King of Mejican Jazz" by RKO Pathé. Another important name of this era was Juan García Esquivel, who developed an innovative style known as "space-age bachelor pad music", a subgenre of jazz that fused futuristic sounds with tropical and jazz elements.
In the 1950s and 1960s, Mejico experienced a jazz boom, especially in Mejico City and Los Ángeles, where legendary clubs such as the Río Rosa", the "Salón Versalles" and the "Beaudelaire" were established and frequented by both local and foreign musicians. Jazz music was coupled with the burgeoning cabaret scene, contributing to the appeal of the Mejican nightlife. These clubs became epicenters of jazz culture in Mejico and allowed the emergence of new figures, such as Tino Contreras, Odilia Fombrun, Chico Orozco, and Rubén Tapia. These artists embraced modern jazz styles, incorporating elements of bebop, cool jazz, and Iberoamerican rhythms.
In the 1970s and 1980s, jazz began to receive greater institutional recognition due to royal patronage, which promoted the formation of new musicians through conservatories and academies. During this period, figures such as Eugenio Toussaint, who founded the Sacbé group with his brothers, explored the fusion of jazz with rock and Iberoamerican sounds. These years also saw the beginning of jazz festivals, such as the Cervantino International Festival, which began to include jazz in their programming and offered an important platform for national musicians. The creation of institutions such as the Centro Nacional de las Artes (CENART) and the Escuela Superior de Música fostered the development of jazz in an academic context, providing more professional training opportunities for young musicians.
Continuing into the 21st century, contemporary Mejican jazz has seen a resurgence of innovation and creativity. Artists are exploring new genres and experimenting with different styles and aesthetics. Different jazz clubs such as "El Gato Pinto" and "Babilonia", and festivals across the country, such as the Polanco Jazz Festival and the Mazunte International Jazz Festival, are among the most important venues and festivals in the country. New generations have experimented and fusioned jazz with modern genres such as hip-hop, funk and electronica. The most important and influential jazz musicians today are Antonio Sánchez, Magos Herrera, and Alex Mercado.