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| Hoja Volante -- Printed Broadside (ejemplo de corrido sobre Emiliano Zapata) |
In the aftermath of that remakable--and sometimes difficult--evening we just spent with los padres de los estudiantes normales de Ayotzinapa, I think it's a good idea we turn to the corridos. Una manera central--y muy mexicana--de compartir--y sentir--la historia. En forma de canción. Los eventos del pasado--y necesariamente, de hoy mismo.
Corridos are story songs. That is, they tell of real events. In the
time before media-ization of pretty much everything. These songs were a a
kind of social memory. Vivid in their imagery, enjoyable to sing--and
thereby a good way to hand down the stories. The tradition began in the
19th century (and probably before) reaching it's height during the years
of the Revolución Mexicana (roughly 1910-20). (La Rielera, La
Valentina, Carabina 30-30, La Adelita y muchos otros.) The tradition
continues with more contemporary events and stories--like those of the Zapatistas (see Fer's links below), and the corridos by Los Tigres del
Norte (see examples from from Adrián, below). And the "narcocorridos" by Chalino Sánchez and others.
Note that the download itself
includes historical corridos--and several examples of more local (and thereby less well knownsongs )--telling of real events from a close-up point of view for a
close-up audience (exemplo: Corrido de Inez Chávez García). The letra
were often distributed in the form of inexpensive printed broadsides
(hojas volantes)--an interesting historical tradition in itself
(remember the prints of José Guadalupe Posada!)
Also in the download--several (beautifully sung) corridos por Cuco Sanchez. All traditional from the time of the Revolución.
And I've included one older century corrido, based on the life of Heraclio Bernal
(18955-1888) a vivid historical figure from Sonora, depicted as a
bandit--and at the same time a challenge to the authorities (including
Porfirio Díaz).
Here's the DOWNLOAD:
https://berkeley.box.com/s/m6hd1kgz4vhr647ze4vghqf3hkkyz99y
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| Emiliano Zapata |
Emiliano
Zapata, of course, was the legendary revolutionary leader (1910ff).
There are dozens of corridos based on his life. For example, in the download,
General Emiliano Zapata. Here's another, from online:
http://www.bibliotecas.tv/zapata/corridos/corr10.html
More recently, the Zapatistas (in Chiapas, starting in 1994) organized
in his name--demanding local, indigenous government. Their
struggle reflects the essential issues in Bonfil Batalla's México
Profundo. Una lucha que sigue.
READING: Of course, continue Bonfil Batalla, México Profundo. We'll dsicuss next time. I want you to be able to recapitulate both his central ideas--and some of the examples of the way he supports these ideas from his work in the field. (Bonfil Batalla was a prominent anthropologist.)
PROJECT. For this week, work from one of the corridos (your choice). I also mentioned starting on your some corridos of your own (!)--working in pairs. Think about last night, and events from your own experience.If you base your new song on one of the old ones, Adrián and I can probably accompany you musically. Or you yourselves! We'll build in these corridos nuevos as they happen. I'm the thinking for the following week. (We'll discuss more next week.) And I do want a visual project from everyone. But you may get inspired--so I'll leave this a little open!
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LET'S CONCENTRATE ON THESE for singing together:
La Carcel de Cananea (El Corrido de Cananea) (I gave you letra sheet in class.)
Juan Charrasqueado (Chavela's version, cancionero)
Himno Zapatista (Fer nos va a enseñar)
Carabina 30-30 (you'll need to find la letra)
El Desterrado (cancionero)
La Adelita (cancionero)
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| Tres Veces Mojado (Los Tigres del Norte) |
Here, from Adrián, unos corridos populares de Los Tigres del Norte, with his comments:
La Camioneta Gris:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6iW4YAr34qY
El Circo:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3Zj3OfpvvqU
Dice Adrián: There's a lot of sociopolitical commentary in the song about
Carlos Salinas de Gortari and a lot to look at there too.
La Jaula de Oro talks about being
undocumented in the US and Somos Mas Americanos talks about the history
of California and states before the Mexican-American war, and the
legacies of the Mexican-American War. Topics of immigration are also
talked about in both songs.
La Jaula de Oro
Somos Mas Americanos
Note from Tony: A good book on these new corridos is Martha Chew Sánchez, Corridos and Migrant Memory. See course bibliography. Her personal story--and its connection to the songs--is compelling as well. On the narcocorridos, there's Elijah Wald's Narcocorrido: A Journey into the Music of Drugs, Guns and Guerrillas, (2002). And a very good general source remains Steve Loza, Barrio Rhythyms: Mexican American Music in Los Angeles (1993).
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| Los Zapatistas |
And from Fer--this selection of Corridos Zapatistas.
El Himno Zapatista
is based on an older corrido, Carabina 30-30 (here in downtown version
version by Los Lobos. Let's learn to sing both the older version--and
the Zapatista Himno. Con su comentario.
El Himno Zapatista esta inspirado en una cancion revolucionara, Carabina 30-30, aqui hay una cancion de los lobos:
Los Zapatistas convirtieron esta cancion en su propio himno, aqui el video:
Y aqui un video en vivo de un canto al himno zapatista (mueve mi corazón)
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| Los Zapatistas |
Otras
canciones muy buenas que conozco estan en un disco llamado EZLN: El
Fuego y La Palabra, Dignidad, el cual esta entero en este video de
Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNniK7bmcvs
También de Fer:
https://berkeley.box.com/s/miq9waccmo4ni34j6hty63u1u9y3abhm
