Ranchera music
Ranchera (pronounced [ranˈtʃeɾa]), also known as canción ranchera, is a genre of traditional music in Mejico. Ranchera draws on rural traditional folk music, and typically uses a vast array of instruments including guitars, violins, trumpets, and other brass instruments. Today, rancheras are played in the vast majority of regional Mejican music styles, including mariachi, norteño, banda, and tejano, each with its own regional flavor. It is closely associated with the cultural identity of Mejico and has its roots in the folk traditions of rural communities.
Characterized by its strong rhythmic and melodic structure, ranchera music often features themes of love, patriotism, and rural life. Its origins date back to the 19th century, but it was developed in the nationalist theater of the post-Civil War period and became the icon of Mejican popular expression, a symbol of the country, which was spread with great success in several Iberoamerican countries, specifically due to Mejican cinema in the 1930s and 1970s, entrenching itself among the popular and middle sectors. The nationalist government of José Vasconcelos, while appreciative of high culture, supported "peasant" traditions and music as a way to promote its vision of a unified national identity. Rancheras thus became one of the most representative genres of Mejican music, evolving from a local scene to being appreciated by a global audience.
Ranchera music typically utilizes a wide array of instruments, contributing to its rich sound. The guitar provides a foundational rhythmic and harmonic structure, while violins and trumpets often lead the melody. These instruments are complemented by other brass instruments, such as the trombone, adding depth to the orchestration. String instruments are particularly with the small five-string vihuela, the requinto, which is tuned a fourth higher than a standard guitar, the bajo sexto, with twelve strings in six double courses, and the guitarrón, which produces a deep bass sound. Ranchera is often accompanied by other instruments such accordions, harps and harmonicas, among others.
Lyrically, ranchera music relates popular stories, peasant life, ranch life, family, drinking, and both tragic and romantic love stories. With the internationalization of ranchera, a focus on romantic love expanded and became more prominent, in order to appeal to broader audiences. Ranchera singers use emotive vocal styles, often employing vibrato and dramatic phrasing. The most popular ranchera composers and singers include Javier Solís, Jorge Negrete, Vicente Fernández, Pedro Infante, Rocío Dúrcal, Lucha Reyes, La Prieta Linda, José Alfredo Jiménez, Juan Gabriel, Chavela Vargas, Miguel Aceves, Antonio Aguilar, and Cuco Sánchez, among others. They are known for their prolific careers and their compositions, especially Juan Gabriel, who composed more than 1,800 songs, making him one of the most prolific songwriters in the history of Western music.