Mexico Pop Music: A Brief History
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Mexico has a long and storied history with pop music. From the early days of mariachi to modern pop, Mexicans have always had a taste for catchy tunes. In this blog post, we’ll take a brief look at the history of pop music in Mexico.
Early Mexican Pop Music
Mexico’s pop music scene has been around for quite some time and has undergone various evolutions. Early Mexican pop music was heavily influenced by American pop music. In the early 20th century, Mexican artists began to experiment with incorporating traditional Mexican folk music into their pop music. This led to the development of a unique style of Mexican pop music that is still popular today.
Mariachi
Mariachi is a type of Mexican folk music that dates back to the 18th century. It is traditionally played by a group of musicians wearing charro (traditional Mexican cowboy) clothing. The music is often upbeat and festive, and it often features the use of violins, guitars, trumpets, and other traditional Mexican instruments.
Mariachi music became popular in the United States in the early 20th century, when many Mexicans immigrated to the country. The music eventually found its way into Hollywood films, such as “The Cisco Kid” (1939) and “The Magnificent Seven” (1960). Mariachi bands began appearing in American nightclubs and on television shows in the 1950s and 1960s.
In recent years, Mariachi bands have become popular wedding entertainment options in the United States. Many Mariachi bands now perform a mix of traditional Mexican folk songs and modern pop hits.
Ranchera
Ranchera, also called Mexican folk music, is a genre of Mexican music that dates back to the 18th century. It is traditionally played by mariachi bands (Spanish for “group of minstrels”), though it can be performed by other instrumentalists as well.
Ranchera is characterized by its lively tempo and rhythm, as well as its romantic lyrics. The lyrics often tell stories of love, loss, and heartbreak – making it the perfect music to listen to when you’re feeling nostalgic.
While ranchera is typically associated with mariachi bands, the genre has also been popularized by other Mexican musicians such as Luis Miguel, Vicente Fernández, and Julio Iglesias.
The Evolution of Mexican Pop Music
Mexican pop music has undergone a massive evolution over the years. What started out as simple folk songs has now turned into a fully-fledged industry with international superstars. In this article, we’ll take a brief look at the history of Mexican pop music and how it has evolved over the years.
The influence of American pop music
In the early twentieth century, American pop music began to influence Mexican musicians and the popularity of American-style pop music began to grow. By the 1940s, American pop music was starting to be broadcast on Mexican radio stations and was becoming increasingly popular with Mexican audiences. In the 1950s and 1960s, a number of Mexican musicians began to experiment with incorporating American pop music styles into their own music. This led to the development of a unique style of Mexican pop music that blended traditional Mexican musical forms with elements of American pop music.
The popularity of Mexican pop music continued to grow in the 1970s and 1980s, as a number of well-known Mexican musicians such as Luis Miguel and Gloria Trevi achieved international success. In recent years, there has been a renewed interest in traditional Mexican musical styles, and a number of youngerMexican musicians have begun to experiment with incorporating these styles into their own pop music.
The influence of Latin American pop music
While traditional Mexican music has been influenced by a variety of different cultures over the centuries, the country’s pop music scene has been shaped largely by the influence of Latin American pop music. In the early 20th century, Mexican artists began to experiment with incorporating elements of North American popular music into their own work. This trend continued in the 1940s and ‘50s with the rise of “ranchera” music, a folkloric style that incorporated elements of country and western music.
In the 1960s and ‘70s, Mexican musicians began to fuse ranchera with rock and roll, creating a new subgenre known as “rock en español.” This musical movement gave birth to some of Mexico’s most iconic bands, including Los Tigres del Norte and Santana. In the 1980s and ‘90s, Latin American pop music exploded in popularity around the world, thanks in large part to artists like Menudo, Gloria Estefan, and Ricky Martin. Today, Latin American pop music continues to be hugely popular in Mexico and across the globe.
Contemporary Mexican Pop Music
Mexico has been home to a variety of popular music styles over the years. From mariachi to banda, there is no shortage of music genres to choose from. In recent years, however, Mexican pop music has become more popular than ever before. Thanks to artists like Belanova, Camila, and Reik, Mexican pop music is now heard all over the world.
Regional Mexican pop
Popular music in Mexico is very diverse and has been influenced by a variety of cultures, including indigenous, European, Asian, and African.
One popular genre is Regional Mexican pop, which includes a wide range of subgenres including ranchera, mariachi, banda, duranguense, and Norteño. This type of music often features traditional Mexican instruments such as guitars, trumpets, and violins.
Regional Mexican pop originated in the early 20th century and was popularized by artists such as Pedro Infante, Jorge Negrete, and Javier Solis. In the 1950s and 1960s, the genre underwent a modernization process as artists began to experiment with different sounds and instrumentation. This led to the creation of subgenres such as Mariachi Nuevo and Duranguense.
Today, Regional Mexican pop is one of the most popular genres in Mexico and is enjoyed by people of all ages. Some of the most popular contemporary artists include Gerardo Ortiz, Banda El Recodo, Calibre 50, and La Adictiva Banda San Jose de Mesillas.
Latin pop
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, a new wave of Latin American music stars began to gain popularity in the mainstream pop music world. These artists blended traditional Latin musical styles with more contemporary pop, rock, and hip-hop sounds to create a unique style of Latin pop.
One of the most successful and well-known Latin pop stars of this era was Shakira. A native of Colombia, Shakira rose to fame with her blend of Latin, rock, and pop sounds. Her hit singles “Ojos Así” and “La Tortura” helped her gain a large following both in Latin America and the United States.
In the 2010s, other Latin American artists such as Justin Bieber, Jennifer Lopez, and Pitbull have continued to find success with their own unique styles of Latin pop music.