Ranchera

Infobox Music genre
name= Ranchera
bgcolor= silver
color= gray
stylistic_origins= Mariachi
cultural_origins= flagicon|Mexico México
instruments = Guitar, Vihuela, Trumpet, Violin, Guitarrón
popularity= 1930-Present.
derivatives=
subgenrelist=
subgenres= Huapango, bolero ranchero, corrido
fusiongenres=
regional_scenes=
other_topics=Charro - Jarabe tapatío (also the name of a song) - Zapateado - Son Huasteco - Huapango - Mexican pop

The ranchera is a genre of the traditional music of Mexico. Although closely associated with the "mariachi" groups which evolved in Jalisco in the post-revolutionary period, rancheras are also played today by norteño (or Conjunto) or banda (or Duranguense) groups. Drawing on rural traditional folklore, the ranchera was conceived as a symbol of a new national consciousness in reaction to the aristocratic tastes of that era. Perhaps the greatest exponents of the ranchera have been Lola Beltrán, Vicente Fernández, Pedro Infante, Jorge Negrete, and Javier Solís.

About the Ranchera

Traditional rancheras are about love, patriotism or nature. Rhythms can be in 3/4, 2/4 or 4/4, reflecting the tempo of, respectively, the waltz, the polka, and the bolero. Songs are usually in a major key, and consist of an instrumental introduction, verse and refrain, instrumental section repeating the verse, and another verse and refrain, with a tag ending. Instrumentation may include guitars, strings, trumpets, and/or accordions, depending on the type of ensemble being utilised.

The normal musical pattern of rancheras is a/b/a/b. Rancheras usually begin with an instrumental introduction (a). The first lyrical portion then begins (b), with instrumental adornments interrupting the lines in between. The instruments then repeat the theme again, and then the lyrics may either be repeated or begin a new set of words. One also finds the form a/b/a/b/c/b used, in which the intro(a) is played, followed by the verse(b). This form is repeated, and then a refrain(c) is added, ending with the verse.

The most popular ranchera composers include Lucha Reyes, Cuco Sanchez, Antonio Aguilar, and José Alfredo Jiménez, who composed many of the best-known rancheras, with compositions totaling more than 1000 songs, making him one of the most prolific songwriters in the history of western music.

Another closely related style of music is the corrido, which is often played by the same ensembles that regularly play rancheras. The corrido, however, is apt to be an epic story about heroes and villains whereas rancheras may not necessarily be heroic ballads and also vary more in terms of tempo. However, two notable exceptions to this rule are the songs, 'Corrido de Chihuahua' and the 'Corrido de Monterrey', which are considered rancheras in spite of their names. Their lyrics are concerned with patriotism for the states of Chihuahua and Nuevo León, respectively.

The word "ranchera" was derived from the word "rancho" because the songs originated on the ranches and in the countryside of rural Mexico. Rancheras that have been adapted by "conjuntos", or norteño bands from northern Mexico and the southwestern US, are sometimes called "norteños", from the Spanish word for "northern".

ome well-known Rancheras

*Amanecí en Tus Brazos by José Alfredo Jiménez, Javier Solís, Luis Miguel, et al.
*Ay Jalisco No Te Rajes by Jorge Negrete
*Camino de Guanajuato by José Alfredo Jiménez and Pedro Fernández
*Carta a Eufemia by Pedro Infante
*Cien Años by Pedro Infante
*Corazón, Corazón by Lola Beltrán and Lucha Villa.
*Corrido de Chihuahua by Lucha Villa and Antonio Aguilar
*Corrido de Monterrey by David Zaizar and Vicente Fernández
*Cuatro Caminos by José Alfredo Jiménez and Lola Beltrán
*Cu-cu-rru-cu-cu Paloma by Lola Beltrán and Rocío Dúrcal.
*De Que Manera Te Olvido by Vicente Fernández
*Echame a Mí la Culpa by José Angel Espinoza, Javier Solís, Luis Miguel, et al.
*El Crucifijo de Piedra by Miguel Aceves Mejía
*Ella by José Alfredo Jiménez, Pedro Fernández, Vicente Fernández, et al.
*El Pastor by Miguel Aceves Mejía
*El Rey by José Alfredo Jiménez and Alejandro Fernández.
*El Siete Mares by José Alfredo Jiménez
*La Puerta Negra by Antonio Aguilar
*La Cruz De Olvido by Juan Zaizar and Alvaro Torres.
*Media Vuelta by Javier Solís
*Mexico Lindo y Querido by Jorge Negrete
*Noches Eternas by Vicente Fernández
*Pa' Todo el Año by José Alfredo Jiménez, Pedro Fernández, Vicente Fernández, et al.
*Payaso by Javier Solís
*Poco a Poco by Javier Solís
*Por Tu Maldito Amor by Vicente Fernández
*Por Una Mujer Casada by David Zaizar
*Si Nos Dejan by José Alfredo Jiménez, Lola Beltrán, Vikki Carr, et al.
*Sombras by Javier Solís
*Un Puño de Tierra by Antonio Aguilar
*Volver Volver by Vicente Fernández

Celebrated Ranchera Singers

*Miguel Aceves Mejía
*Antonio Aguilar
*Pepe Aguilar
*Lola Beltrán
*Rocío Dúrcal
*Alejandro Fernandez
*Pedro Fernández
*Vicente Fernández
*Pedro Infante
*José Alfredo Jiménez
*Jorge Negrete
*Lucha Reyes
*Cuco Sanchez
*Javier Solís
*Chavela Vargas
*Lucha Villa (article pending)
*David Zaizar

Bibliography

* Helmut Brenner: "Música ranchera. Das mexikanische Äquivalent zur Country and Western Music aus historischer, musikalischer und kommerzieller Sicht" (=Musikethnologische Sammelbände 14). Foreword by Thomas Stanford. Tutzing: Verlag Hans Schneider, 1996 [ISBN 3 7952 0867 X] .

External links

* [http://www.sobrino.net/mer/The_Ranchera.html Musical analysis]
* [http://canciones-letras.tripod.com/Norteno/indice_norteno.htm Northern ranchera lyrics]