Super Sonido

1. Los Tigres Del Norte: Cesar Chavez

There is probably nothing more Mexican than Los Tigres Del Norte playing a  norteño (northern) corrido. And there is probably nothing more Mexican American than farm worker, labor leader, and civil rights activist Cesar Chavez. This is a perfect 45 for a day that symbolizes Mexican pride and heritage.

Norteño music, corridos, and banda are probably the most popular regional styles in all of Mexico. Hailing from the Northern part of the country, thus the name, Norteño forms the sound-tract to the social problems and successes of the Mexican people.

Although the music tends to sound the same after a while, it is the ever changing lyrics that speak to the Mexican people in that down to earth manner. The ballads tell of anti-heroes, drug dealers, immigrants, activists, patriotism, love lost, and the modern ills of society. It was songs like this that catapulted Los Tigres Del North to enormous success. Their modernized and retailored version of the norteño sound resulted in a phenomenon that changed the face of Mexican music in the 1990’s.

Feliz Cindo De Mayo!!!

1. Edilio Paredes: La Mama Y La Hija

Bachata or Bolero Campesino (peasant love song) is a style of guitar music that is often overlooked when you think of other more popular Latin American musical genres. In fact, for a long period in the Dominican Republic (where it originated) it was marginalized, denigrated, and usually associated with the lower classes.

The music began in the rural areas as a romantic bolero style music. Early Bachata often had themes of heartbreak, deception, and love lost.  However, things began to change for the Bachata movement with the death of dictator Rafael Trujillo in 1961, whose family had a monopoly on the entire Dominican music industry. It was at that point where the Bachata recording industry and the music itself began to flourish.  And it had evolved in that era with a more rhythmic and dancable beat borrowing from Merengue and Son.  

However, it appears that there was a backlash to Bachata in the 70’s where it again was stigmatized and barred from the higher class venues. Most songs from this era dealt with the musicians environment of uncivil behavior, drunkenness, and prostitution. Songs of the time were ripe with sexual innuendo (double sentido) . Although super popular in the Dominican Republic, these songs were thought of as vulgar and ignorant by the mainstream society. 

This 45 from Edilio Paredes is a perfect example of Bachata at this time. You can already see where this song is going with La Mama Y La Hija (the mother and the young daughter). Its basically a tale of two friends liking, enjoying, and marrying both the mother and daughter.

2. Edilio Paredes: La Gozadera

A great two sider from Edilio Paredes, who is considered by many as the most influential singer, guitar player, arranger, and the person who most influenced these more uptempo changes of Bachata in the mid 1970’s .

Born in the town of La Galana, near near San Francisco de Macoris, Edilio Paredes began his musical career young and still still plays today. At age 13 he moved to the capital of Santo Domingo and got a job working at a record store/record label which launched his music profession.

You have to excuse me but Dominican Spanish is sometimes difficult for me to understand due to the idiomatic expressions and dialect. But what I do know or what I sense, is that this song is ripe with all sorts of innuendo.  If anyone from the Dominican Republic would like to translate or thinks my paraphrasing sucks, just let me know. The song La Gozadera (fun loving time?) is a story about a guy who has a problem with his girl, whose love is over, and whose solution is to party and womanize. Amazing, amazing, amazing 45.