Modern Music
By Alejandro Correa
Modern music in Mexico, is constantly changing, but usually that identifies the rest of the world, is its freshness and originality, regardless of musical genre to which it belongs, several times been less valuable our talent for our neighbor, the United States America, because it was a big monster in the music industry and record label, sometimes obscures the talents of our artist.
The music in Mexico is very diverse, and is separated into several catergories such as pop, rock, classical, electronica, jazz, ska, etc.
Popular music
The Mexican music market that had served as a launching pad to stardom for a lot of non-Mexican artists, who are interested extending the market-range of their music. Mexico is a country very friendly that accepts artists from other parts of the world, and has transformed into stars. Some examples were Julio Iglesias, whose son was Enrique Iglesias, Shakira, whom has sung since was a child; Chayanne, who was one of the best dancers in the world, Aventura, whose songs have conquered the heart of the Mexican women , among many others. According to the magazine of America Top 100, Mexico had over 90 hits in Latin America during 2006, almost a third more than its closest competitor, the United States, that have another type of music.
In the same way Mexico has its own stars, and therefore most beloved and valued.
The most known Mexican pop singers nowadays are: Luis Miguel, whom has sung since he was a child, Alejandro Fernández, whose father was the unforgivable Vicente Fernandez , Thalía, Marco Antonio Solís, Paulina Rubio, Alejandra Guzmán, Gloria Trevi, Cristian Castro, Anahí and Dulce María.
Rock and metal
In the 60s and 70s, during the PRI government, most rock bands were forced to appear underground, that was the time after Avándaro, that its a Woodstock-style Mexican festival, in which groups like El Tri, Enigma, The Dugs Dugs, Javier Batiz and many others arose. During that time Mexican Carlos Santana became famous after performing at Woodstock, because he sang very well and the letter of their son was very deep so during the 80s and 90s many Mexican bands went to the surface and appear new popular rock bands like Molotov, Control Machete, Café Tacuba, Los Caifanes, Maná, Julieta Venegas, Ely Guerra and Maldita Vecindad and got many followers. The Mexican rock movement began in the late 1950s and early 1960s and rapidly becoming popular, and peaking in the 80s and 90s with real authentic sounds and styles. One of the early Mexican Rock bands came out of the East Los Angeles Area were "Los Nómadas", that were one of the first racially-integrated bands of the 50s, consisting of 3 Latino Boys, Chico Vasquez, J.D. Moreno, Abel Padilla, and a Caucasian boy Bill Aken. The adopted song of classical guitarist Francisco Mayorga and Mexican movie actress Lupe Mayorga, At this days Aken was mentored by family friend, jazz guitarist Ray Pohlman and would later become rocker Zane Ashton, but his association with the boys would be a lifelong one. Mexican Rock combined the traditional instruments and stories of Mexico in its songs. Mexican along with Latin American Rock remain very popular in Mexico, surpassing other cultural interpretations of Rock and Roll.
Latin alternative
Latin alternative, a music created by young players, who have been raised not only on their parents' music but also on rock, hip-hop and electronica. It represents a sonic shift away from regionalism and points to a new global Latin identity.
The name "Latin alternative" was coined in the late 1990s by record company executives as a way to sell music that was—literally—all over the map. It was marketed as an alternative to the slick, highly produced Latin pop that dominated commercial Spanish-language radio, such as Ricky Martin or Paulina Rubio.
Artists within the genre, such as Café Tacuba, who wrotte the famous son "Ingrata", have set out to defy traditional expectations of Latin music. Now, in an age of Internet connections, downloading and sampling, Latin alternative has become not just a reaction to outside influences but its own genre.
Mexican Ska
Ska entered Mexico in the 1980s, originally in Mexico City, and the genre enjoyed its highest popularity during the 1990s. Mexican Ska groups include Panteon Rococo, La Maldita Vecindad , Mama Pulpa and Tijuana No, that originally was called Radio Cantaje.
Classical music
Mexico has a long tradition of classical music, as far back as the 16th century, when it was a Spanish colony. Music of New Spain, especially that of Juan Gutiérrez de Padilla and Hernando Franco, is increasingly recognized as a significant contribution to New World culture.
In the 18th century, Manuel de Sumaya, maestro de capilla at the cathedral in Mexico City, wrote many cantadas and villancicos, and he was the first Mexican to compose an opera, La Partenope (1711). After him, Ignacio Jerusalem, an Italian-born composer, brought some of the latest operatic styles as well as early classical styles to Mexico. His best-known composition is probably the Matins for the Virgin of Guadalupe (1764). Jerusalem was maestro de capilla at the cathedral in Mexico City after Sumaya, from 1749 until his death in 1769.
Jazz
Some major exponents are Leo Acosta, Tino Contreras, Juan García Esquivel, Luis Ocadiz, J.J. Calatayud, Leo Acosta, Arturo Castro, Chilo Morán, Popo Sánchez, and Eugenio Toussaint. Antonio Sanchez is also a very well known jazz drummer from Mexico City.
Electronic Art music
Some of the best Mexican composers for electronic and electroacoustic media are Antonio Russek, Javier Torres Maldonado, Rodrigo Sigal, Rogelio Sosa, Guillermo Galindo, Murcof and Manuel Rocha Iturbide, the later conducting festivals and workshops of experimental music and art, in Mexico City and Paris. But they weren’t well known to the young Mexicans that prefer foreign artists like David Guetta or Tiesto.
