Norteño (music)

Norteño (literally meaning "northern" in Spanish; also known as conjunto) is a genre of Mexican music. The accordion and the bajo sexto are norteño's most characteristic instruments. This genre of music is extremely popular in both Mexico and the United States, especially among the Mexican community. Though originating from rural areas, norteño is highly popular in urban as well as rural areas. Many norteño bands will have either "Los...del Norte," "Los...de (Sinaloa, Michoacán, etc.)," or "Conjunto" as part of their name. Examples include Los Tigres del Norte and Conjunto Primavera.

Some of the most popular norteño artists include LOS CATANES DEL NORTE, Los Tigres del Norte, Flaco Jiménez, Ramón Ayala y sus Bravos del Norte, Los Rieleros del Norte, Polo Urias y su maquina norteña, Esteban Jordan, Los Gavilanes, Carlos y Jose, Los Alegres de Terán, Los Huracanes del Norte, and Los Tucanes De Tijuana. Thanks to the popularity of radio stations playing regional Mexican music, many norteño artists have become widely popular among the Mexican-American community. Local radio stations have continued to be a major influence in popularizing norteño.

History

Origins

Norteño originated slightly north of the Rio Grande in the Texas-Mexico borderlands in the early 20th century. Mariachi and guitar bands in southern Texas gradually developed a unique style. Traditionally, norteño bands played corridos, polkas, and rancheras.

A fundamental component in norteño music is the polka beat, which originated from Bohemia. Compared side-by-side, some styles of American polka may bear striking resemblance to norteño music. The polka beat is characteristic of norteño. At the turn of the 20th century, Bohemian immigrants flowed into Sinaloa, Mexico to farm the land and mine coal. German immigrants had also settled in large numbers in the cities of Monterrey, Nuevo León and Mazatlán, Sinaloa as early as the late 19th century. These German immigrants fueled the demand for a local brewing industry, and they also influenced the music scene by bringing the accordion and the polka rhythm, which were part of the popular music of their homeland. Soon, local bands adopted these elements, and a new unique style gradually resulted from a blend with Mexican ranchera styles. This new style soon became a unique norteño genre, thus named because it was primarily popular in the northern regions of Mexico.

Norteño vs. Tejano

In the 1950s, the heavy influence of Norteño on the traditional music of Mexican-Americans in southern Texas gave rise to a new form of popular music, called Tejano or "Tex-Mex", which is often influenced by American rock and swing. Tejano music often includes English and may sound much more like American rock and country music, but is a broad genre of music incorporating many different styles, all having origin in traditional Texas Mexican music.

However, because Tejano music is derived from Norteño music the two are often confused different names for the same genre. Though Norteño came first, Tejano music is a norteño-derived genre and is not the same as norteño. [1] The difference is easily heard in two different performances of the song "El Disgusto." Eddie Gonzalez is typical of Tejano music (sound sample), while Ramón Ayala (sound sample) is typical of norteño music. Note that the Tejano style typical of Eddie Gonzalez's music is heavily influenced by American country music and jazz, while Ramón Ayala's music sounds much less Americanized and more rural and traditional.

Modernization of norteño

Modern norteño has also diverged significantly from more original "oldie" norteño, which was the type played by Jímenez and related groups before the 1950s. Since the 1970s and 1980s, electric bass guitars and modern percussion have been added to norteño music. The traditional guitar-and-accordion style of Los Alegres de Terán and Antonio Aguilar transformed into the modern style typical to that of Los Tigres del Norte, Chalino Sánchez, and Oro Norteño. In the past, norteño bands consisted of an accordion as the lead instrument, with the bajo sextos (a type of 12-string Mexican guitar) serving as the roots of the music. Today, a typical norteño band usually includes a drum set, and a saxophone (e.g., [2]) or electronic keyboard may also be included. Click here to hear what a typical norteño song sounds like. (Un Puño de Tierra by Manuel Ayala y sus Bravos del Norte)

Norteño became even more popular in the 1990s and 2000s in the United States as the Latino-American community increased rapidly. Norteño continues to be one of the most popular types of modern Mexican music today, but it is also gaining rapid popularity in the United States. Many of the most famous Mexican bands such as Ramón Ayala y sus Bravos del Norte, Los Dueto Voces del Rancho, Grupo Móntez de Durango, and Los Rieleros del Norte are all based in the United States with American labels, and their music is usually recorded and produced within the United States. This trend follows the rapid integration of Mexican-American immigrants into the United States. As norteño music is increasingly becoming integrated into American society, norteño, banda, and duranguense are not only Mexican music but also, to some extent, music of the United States.

Features

Distinguishable features of norteño include use of the button accordion and bajo sexto. The rhythm is usually steady and can be middle or fast tempo. Norteño is a style of Mexican country music and thus has a more rural sound. Some artists like Ramón Ayala may sound older and more traditional, while others such as Oro Norteño and Los Dueto Voces del Rancho have a rowdier style and stronger beat.

Genres similar to norteño include banda and duranguense. Banda and duranguense bands have almost entirely brass instruments instead of accordions and guitars. However, banda and duranguense often play the same songs that norteño bands play, and they have the same steady beat of norteño. Lyrics and artist names are also similar.

Because many of these band names contain Mexican state names or a general geographical description (e.g., "de la Sierra"), norteño, banda, duranguense, and other similar genres can be classified into a category known as "regional Mexican music." Also, norteño is a border-type music, which is why many norteño groups choose to attach "del Norte" to their group names.

The sound of norteño

See also: Regional styles of Mexican music

Norteño has many different regional styles. Norteño in Texas, for example, is very likely to be influenced by American music, while norteña from Tijuana and Tamaulipas may sometimes have influences from the Caribbean. Durango and Sinaloa have also produced norteña bands, even though the two states are more closely associated with the musical style of banda (or duranguense). Chihuahua and Zacatecas norteño often incorporates the saxophone into their bands, creating a saxophone-accordion duet. Additionally, norteña music from Guanajuato and Chiapas sometimes employs synthetic marimbas in their music instead of the usual accordion.

Each norteño band also has its own unique adorno (music which interrupts the lyrical lines in between). For example, one of Los Tigres del Norte's adornos is a series of flutters, while Los Rieleros del Norte's adornos are characterized by descending scales.

Sound samples

These sound samples illustrate the typical sound of norteño music.

Contemporary modern norteño:

• La Eché en un Carrito by La Raza Norteña (note the polka beat and accordion)
• Chalino Sanchez Tu Nuevo Cariñito
• De Un Rancho A Otro by Dueto Voces del Rancho
• Vuelve Gaviota by Dinastia Norteña
• Boquita Colorada by Oro Norteño
• En Las Cantinas by El Chapo de Sinaloa
• Las Tres Ramitas by Los Dinámicos Del Norte

Contemporary variants:

• Margarita, Margarita by Candido y su Huella Norteña (saxophone-accordion duet — Chihuahuan-style norteño)
• Te Quiero Mucho by Los Rieleros del Norte (saxophone-accordion duet)
• Reina del Sur by Los Tigres del Norte (heavier guitar effect, different accordion playing technique)
• Detalles by Los Tigres del Norte

Traditional/oldie norteño:

• Por Una Mujer Casada by Los Tremendos Gavilanes
• Busca Otro Amor by Las Jilguerillas
• El Chubasco by Carlos y José
• Ojitos Negros by Cornelio Reyna

References

• Norteño music AllMusic Guide
• The Saxophone in Norteño music
• Texan-Mexican conjunto music
• Accordion on the Texas Border interview (audio source) — click on the "Listen" button next to the author's name
• Accordion history page featuring Jímenez
• LOS CATANES DEL NORTE

See also

• Music of Mexico
• Banda music
• Nortec

External links

• Free High Quality Norteño Ringtones And Wallpapers
• Musica Norteña[Fan Site]
• Música Norteña
• AllMusic Guide on norteño
• The Handbook of Texas Online: Musica Norteña
• Musica Norteña Chilena