Chicano music history

A Brief History of Chicano Music

Hello, how are you doing? I am sorry, but I overheard your conversation, and I find it quite amazing how Latin people as you would call this song garbage. It seems to me there is ignorance within our primarily Latin community we live in. I am not here to persuade you, but instead to inform you. This music which you call “garbage” has a great history, which insome way or another has probably had an impact in what forms your identity… By the way “Los Chucos Suaves” is not a corridor.

Lalo Guerrero, the author of the song being played is one the first Chicano music artists. He is not only an artist, but he is known as The Father of Chicano Music. These pachuco songs made history in the 1940’s, and still set a standards to other amazing authors. Theusage of Latin instruments in combination with the swing, the mixture of languages, and… Let me not get ahead of myself and let me begin were it all begun…

In the 1500’s when the Spaniards conquered what is now known as Cuba, the indigenous refused to obey them. Some were killed and others committed suicide, what is really important is that almost all indigenous died. The Spaniards wanted slavesand requested slaves from Africa. The African slaves had their own music style and rhythm; they were well known for their drums “congas,” and is expressed primacy through percussion instruments. After many decades music became a hybrid of the Spanish traditional flamenco and African music. This later became known as rumba, which then with variety and different rhythms came along Son, Danzon,Guagira, Guaracha and Naningo.

Every country on its own contributed differently to what is now Latin music. Mexico, in itself, contributed a great portion of this music. The traditional “son” of Mexico was a creation of Spaniards folk ballads, troubadour, and guitar-and-voice; which in all is a mestizo of African, Indigenous, and Spaniards cultures. France before “La batalla de Puebla,” had animpact in Mexico bringing European musical characteristics, such as classical music and municipal bands. Soon the indigenous learned how to play the instruments and created their own interpretation of rhythms. Rhythms like syncopation which is a musical technique in which weak beats are accented instead of strong ones, and is a major characteristic of Latin music.

It is said that Europeanimmigrants from Germany brought the accordion to Mexico. It was not expensive to make they liked the sound, and it soon became a really known and used in a variety of Mexican styles of music. Now-a-days, “bandas” still use this instrument as one of their main instruments in combination with others. It was around this time as well during the early 1800’s that the era of Romance style came along and is nowknown as corridos. This style of music was the voice of the people, for the people.

The independence of Mexico was in 1810, and corridos started in 1803. The corridos are stories told through songs poetically. These traveling artists would learn about the happenings of their country and would spread the voice from town to town. Moreover, the country was going through a lot of corruption, andbecause of lack of radios and communication, corridos became the news paper of the country. People would gather and listen to what the song said. The songs lasted for a long time, and informed about many different political ideas. By 1910, the revolution of Mexico, corridos made a great impact and change. Many songs were about revolutionaries such as Emilio Zapata, and Pancho villa.

From thatpoint on the first big migration to the United States happened. Texas became part of the United States, as well as California, and parts of New Mexico. Furthermore, the new born babies of the migrants are now Mexican-Americans (Chicanos). The new born grew listening to American music, but would still here their Latin music. The new Chicano artists, added a Mexican/Latin/Chicano taste to their...