Hola mcgroarty
The genre of music you describe is called Norteņo, Polka, Conjunto
and Tejano, depending who and where you are asking, from the border
area of Mexico and the US. Some current popular bands, or conjuntos,
are Primavera, Los Tigres del Norte, and Los Huracanes del Norte. Some
of the instruments used are a type of accordion, and a twelve string
acoustic guitar, and a tuba which occasionally incorporates some
?Ooomm pa pa? sounds.
Norteno -- Spanish for "northern." Norteno is conjunto's Mexican
counterpart. A type of music relying on accordion and bajo sexto
instrumentation.
Polka -- A fast rhythm that developed in Europe during the 19th
century that became the basis for most Tejano and norteno music.
Tejano -- Spanish for "Texan." Tejano is a hybrid of traditional
Mexican rancheras, polkas and cumbias updated with blues, pop and
country strains.
?One of the most enduring musical traditions among Mexicans and
Mexican Americans is the accordion-based ensemble known as "conjunto"
(and as "musica nortena" outside of Texas). Popular for more than one
hundred years, especially since its commercialization in the 1920s,
this folk ensemble remains to this day the everyday music of
working-class Texas Mexicans and Mexican "nortenos" (northerners).
During the course of its long history, the conjunto evolved into a
tightly organized style that speaks musically for the aesthetic and
ideological sentiments of its adherents. In the process, this music of
humble beginnings along the Texas-Mexico border has spread far beyond
its original base, gaining a vast audience in both Mexico and the
United States.?
http://www.smithsonianeducation.org/migrations/bord/txmxcon.html
http://www.lib.utexas.edu/benson/border/arhoolie2/raices.html
Amazon has samples of Norteņo music you can listen to, and purchase here:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000005UZA/ref=m_art_li_1/103-5627222-5973467?v=glance&s=music
http://polkaboy.typepad.com/polkaholics/2004/09/polka_you_arent.html
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000009OXY/qid=1109185103/sr=2-5/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_5/103-5627222-5973467
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000040JIA/ref=m_art_li_2/103-5627222-5973467?v=glance&s=music
A list of Norteņo on Allmusic
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll
I've never heard of Polka Dogs, but Allmusic has a sample on this page:
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:6gjveae04xk7
Los Tigres Del Norte
http://www.metroactive.com/papers/metro/12.31.97/los-tigres-9753.html
Los Huracanes Del Norte
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000005UR6/qid=1109186639/sr=8-4/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i4_xgl15/103-5627222-5973467?v=glance&s=music&n=507846
Tejano:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00005ABFT/ref=pd_sim_music_1/103-5627222-5973467?v=glance&s=music&n=507846
For more, just type in ?Norteno? without the quotation marks in
Amazon?s search box. Note also, you do not need the tilde ~, for
searching.
?Also, Mexicans living in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas play polkas
on button-box accordions with guitar, bass, and drums in the band,
though the guitar is usually a bajo-sexto (a twelve string acoustic
guitar that's kind of like a baritone guitar), and Native Americans in
Arizona play polkas with two saxophones as the primary instruments -
it's called chicken scratch music.
There are LPs with polkas from nearly every European country (I have
many of these). including Irish, Scot, Norwegian, Swedish, French,
Ukrainian, and of course Polish, German, Czech, Slovak, and
Slovenian.?
http://polkaboy.typepad.com/polkaholics/2004/09/polka_you_arent.html
I certainly hope this is the type of music you are seeking. If not,
please request an Answer Clarification, before rating.
Happy listening!
Adios, Crabcakes
Search Terms
Knowledge of Mexican music
Amazon.com search of Norteņo, Tejano, Mexican Polka for listening samples. |
