Banda music
Encyclopedia
Banda is a brass
-based form of traditional music. Bandas play a wide variety of songs, including ranchera
s, corrido
s, cumbia
s, balada
s, and bolero
s. Bandas are most widely known for their rancheras, but they also play modern Mexican pop, rock, and cumbias. Most Banda music is very clearly a dialect of polka and will seem familiar and appealing to fans of polka or traditional German and Polish music.
La Banda el Recodo
, Banda Jerez
, El Coyote
, Banda Sinaloense MS, Banda La Autentica, Banda Machos
, Banda Maguey
, Banda Cuisillos, La Arrolladora Banda El Limón
and Banda Los Recoditos
are some of the most famous banda artists. Banda is primarily a male-dominated genre; however, there are also a few all-female bandas such as Banda Las Tapatías and Banda Soñadoras, as well as a few prominent female singers such as Chayito Valdez
and Graciela Beltrán
also Jenni Rivera
, a state in northwestern Mexico
, banda music exploded in popularity in the 1890s throughout Mexico. Its roots come from the overlapping of Mexican music with German polka music. At the time, many German Mexicans lived in the states of Sinaloa, Chihuahua, and Nuevo León. This greatly influenced northern Mexican music. Immigrants from northern Mexico brought the music to the United States. Initially popular in the southwest United States
, primarily in Texas
, California
and Arizona
, banda has followed the movement of Mexican immigrants to the Midwest United States and the rest of the country. Other notes on the origin of "Banda" music resembling mid 20th century Jazz: Mexicans whom came in contact with Latin-based Jazz of Chicano
s or Mexicans born and raised in the United States adopted Jazz-like sounds in banda to further enrich the music type.
The first bandas were established in 19th century in the south and center of Mexico. There are brass instruments dated from 1850's in the state of Oaxaca. The repertory of the bandas of Morelos, Guerrero, Oaxaca, Chiapas and Michoacán covered gusto, son, vinuet, piezas y marchas fúnebres, danzon, vals, corrido, pasos dobles, marchas, polkas, rancheras, alabanzas and foxes. In Yucatán, the bandas are called jaranas and also play jarana music.
, woodwind
, and percussion
instruments. The most notable instrument is the tambora
which is a type of bass drum with a head made from animal hide, with a cymbal
on top. Bandas were previously called "tamboras", named after this drum. The tambora is played in a strong and embellished manner, which provides the drive for the rest of the band. The percussion section also includes the tarola which is a snare with timbales which would resemble the tom-toms on a regular drumset, cowbells, and cymbal
s. Banda el Recodo
, one of the most famous bandas, features 3 Trumpet
s, 4 clarinet
s, 3 valve trombones or slide trombones, 2 Eb alto horn
s, and 1 sousaphone
.
Like an orchestra, a banda can be organized into different sections.
Most banda arrangements feature 3 part harmony and melodic sections which contrast the timbres of the clarinet, trumpet, and valve trombone sections.
Bandas play many different styles including waltzes, cumbias, polkas, marches, foxtrots, rock ballads, rancheras and sones. Historically bandas were village brass bands called on to entertain the town, and would play anything from opera overtures to big band jazz. This tradition continues today in many towns, especially during festivals and celebrations.
Bandas usually have a strong percussion. The percussionists generally provide the accents and do not usually play all the time or keep a 'groove'. Often the percussionists will enter only when the singer is not singing, such as in an instrumental chorus. The groove is mostly provided by the sousaphone (or bass guitar in a few recordings) playing the bass line, and the alto horns playing sharp upbeats. Typically when a banda plays a cumbia, the alto horn players switch to Latin percussion instruments such as maracas
, cowbell, congas, bongos and guiro
.
Bandas generally contain between 10 and 20 members. They usually have a lead singer and a second voice, and occasionally a third voice. The voice often consists of a duet, but solo singers and trios are also common.
Besides the typical instrumentation, banda music, as well as many other forms of traditional Mexican music, is also noted for the grito mexicano
, a yell that is done at musical interludes within a song, either by the musicians and/or the listening audience.
In the late 80's and throughout the 90's many new bandas were so-called "technobandas" or "electrobandas", in which some or all of the horns were replaced by electric instruments. A typical technobanda will substitute a sousaphone with electric bass and the two alto horns with a synthesizer and a guitar. The clarinets were frequently replaced with saxophones also. However the bass part is still played in a style imitating a sousaphone, using a Synthesizer
or substituting using a double bass
or a bass guitar
. These Technobandas created the early movement of la Quebradita. Some examples of technobandas are Banda Machos
, Banda Maguey
, Banda Vallarta Show, Banda Toro, Banda Fresa, Banda Tepic, Banda Pequenos Musical, Banda Movil, Banda Arkangel R-15, Banda Pachuco
, Banda Laberinto.
is closely related to Banda
. However, Tambora uses a Saxophone
instead of a Clarinet
. Another difference from the banda is that the Tambora uses its drum consistently, as opposed to the banda who distributes the use of the other instruments throughout a song. Tambora originated in the state of Zacatecas
. Tambora uses various instruments such as:
Brass instrument
A brass instrument is a musical instrument whose sound is produced by sympathetic vibration of air in a tubular resonator in sympathy with the vibration of the player's lips...
-based form of traditional music. Bandas play a wide variety of songs, including ranchera
Ranchera
Ranchera is a genre of the traditional music of Mexico originally sung by only one performer with a guitar. It dates to the years of the Mexican Revolution in the early 20th century. It later became closely associated with the mariachi groups which evolved in Jalisco. Ranchera today is also played...
s, corrido
Corrido
The corrido is a popular narrative song and poetry form, a ballad, of Mexico. The songs are often about oppression, history, daily life for peasants, and other socially important information. It is still a popular form today, and was widely popular during the Mexican Revolution and Nicaraguan...
s, cumbia
Cumbia
Cumbia is a music genre popular across Latin America. The cumbia originated in the Caribbean coast of Colombia, where it is associated with an eponymous dance and has since spread as far as Mexico and Argentina...
s, balada
Ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
s, and bolero
Bolero
Bolero is a form of slow-tempo Latin music and its associated dance and song. There are Spanish and Cuban forms which are both significant and which have separate origins.The term is also used for some art music...
s. Bandas are most widely known for their rancheras, but they also play modern Mexican pop, rock, and cumbias. Most Banda music is very clearly a dialect of polka and will seem familiar and appealing to fans of polka or traditional German and Polish music.
La Banda el Recodo
Banda el Recodo
Banda Sinaloense el Recodo de Don Cruz Lizárraga, often referred to as Banda el Recodo is a Mexican Banda sinaloense group. Since its founding in 1938, it has been under the direction of the Lizárraga family...
, Banda Jerez
Banda Jerez
Banda Jerez is a Mexican banda group formed in the late 1980s. Banda Jerez's hits include "Billete Verde", "Una Mujer Casada" "Tan Bonita", "Cerveza Helada", "La Cabrona", "La Baraja","tamarindo", and "la iguana". The band was named after Jerez de García Salinas, Zacatecas, Mexico, where it was...
, El Coyote
El Coyote
El Coyote , is the lead performer and vocalist of El Coyote y su Banda Tierra Santa. El Coyote y su Banda Tierra Santa are with Record label Universal Music Latin Entertainment, and formerly Univision Music Group. El Coyote was born in the town of Coyotitán in Sinaloa, Mexico but was raised in...
, Banda Sinaloense MS, Banda La Autentica, Banda Machos
Banda Machos
Banda Machos is a Mexican band originally from Villa Corona, in the state of Jalisco. The band sings a combination of Banda music, Quebradita, and Ranchera...
, Banda Maguey
Banda Maguey
A favorite during the 1990s banda craze, Banda Maguey took over the radio waves with their debut album Tumbando Caña in 1994, which contained a number of hits including "El Alacran" a cover originally sung by La Sonora Matancera. Signed to Fonovisa a year earlier, Banda Maguey took over their...
, Banda Cuisillos, La Arrolladora Banda El Limón
La Arrolladora Banda El Limón
La Arrolladora Banda El Limón is a Mexican banda group from Limon in the state of Sinaloa which has been performing together, in one incarnation or another, since the 1960s. Despite being together since the 1960s, they didn't record their first album until three decades later, when in 1997 they...
and Banda Los Recoditos
Banda Los Recoditos
Banda Los Recoditos is a Mexican band formed in Mazatlán, Sinaloa. It was founded in 1989 by friends and family members of Banda el Recodo by Cruz Lizárraga. Alfonso Lizárraga and Pancho Barraza, the first vocalists, were two of the more than dozen bandmembers comprising the original incarnation of...
are some of the most famous banda artists. Banda is primarily a male-dominated genre; however, there are also a few all-female bandas such as Banda Las Tapatías and Banda Soñadoras, as well as a few prominent female singers such as Chayito Valdez
Chayito Valdez
Chayito Valdez is a Mexican-born American singer and actress associated with the folk music of Mexico.-Career:...
and Graciela Beltrán
Graciela Beltrán
Graciela Beltrán in the small town of Costa Rica located in the state of Sinaloa, Mexico, is a Mexican singer and actress...
also Jenni Rivera
History
Established in the late 1880s in SinaloaSinaloa
Sinaloa officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sinaloa is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 18 municipalities and its capital city is Culiacán Rosales....
, a state in northwestern Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, banda music exploded in popularity in the 1890s throughout Mexico. Its roots come from the overlapping of Mexican music with German polka music. At the time, many German Mexicans lived in the states of Sinaloa, Chihuahua, and Nuevo León. This greatly influenced northern Mexican music. Immigrants from northern Mexico brought the music to the United States. Initially popular in the southwest United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, primarily in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, banda has followed the movement of Mexican immigrants to the Midwest United States and the rest of the country. Other notes on the origin of "Banda" music resembling mid 20th century Jazz: Mexicans whom came in contact with Latin-based Jazz of Chicano
Chicano
The terms "Chicano" and "Chicana" are used in reference to U.S. citizens of Mexican descent. However, those terms have a wide range of meanings in various parts of the world. The term began to be widely used during the Chicano Movement, mainly among Mexican Americans, especially in the movement's...
s or Mexicans born and raised in the United States adopted Jazz-like sounds in banda to further enrich the music type.
The first bandas were established in 19th century in the south and center of Mexico. There are brass instruments dated from 1850's in the state of Oaxaca. The repertory of the bandas of Morelos, Guerrero, Oaxaca, Chiapas and Michoacán covered gusto, son, vinuet, piezas y marchas fúnebres, danzon, vals, corrido, pasos dobles, marchas, polkas, rancheras, alabanzas and foxes. In Yucatán, the bandas are called jaranas and also play jarana music.
Sound
A typical banda is made up of brassBrass instrument
A brass instrument is a musical instrument whose sound is produced by sympathetic vibration of air in a tubular resonator in sympathy with the vibration of the player's lips...
, woodwind
Woodwind instrument
A woodwind instrument is a musical instrument which produces sound when the player blows air against a sharp edge or through a reed, causing the air within its resonator to vibrate...
, and percussion
Percussion instrument
A percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
instruments. The most notable instrument is the tambora
Tambora (Mexican drum)
A tambora is a percussion instrument, resembling a bass drum in Mexican brass bands, mainly in Banda sinaloense and Tamborazo Zacatecano.It is a double headed membranophone with a diameter of 20 - 26 inches, a fixed cymbal on the frame that is struck with another cymbal and a stand for the drum. A...
which is a type of bass drum with a head made from animal hide, with a cymbal
Cymbal
Cymbals are a common percussion instrument. Cymbals consist of thin, normally round plates of various alloys; see cymbal making for a discussion of their manufacture. The greater majority of cymbals are of indefinite pitch, although small disc-shaped cymbals based on ancient designs sound a...
on top. Bandas were previously called "tamboras", named after this drum. The tambora is played in a strong and embellished manner, which provides the drive for the rest of the band. The percussion section also includes the tarola which is a snare with timbales which would resemble the tom-toms on a regular drumset, cowbells, and cymbal
Cymbal
Cymbals are a common percussion instrument. Cymbals consist of thin, normally round plates of various alloys; see cymbal making for a discussion of their manufacture. The greater majority of cymbals are of indefinite pitch, although small disc-shaped cymbals based on ancient designs sound a...
s. Banda el Recodo
Banda el Recodo
Banda Sinaloense el Recodo de Don Cruz Lizárraga, often referred to as Banda el Recodo is a Mexican Banda sinaloense group. Since its founding in 1938, it has been under the direction of the Lizárraga family...
, one of the most famous bandas, features 3 Trumpet
Trumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
s, 4 clarinet
Clarinet
The clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
s, 3 valve trombones or slide trombones, 2 Eb alto horn
Alto horn
The alto horn is a brass instrument pitched in E...
s, and 1 sousaphone
Sousaphone
The sousaphone is a type of tuba that is widely employed in marching bands. Designed so that it fits around the body of the musician and is supported by the left shoulder, the sousaphone may be readily played while being carried...
.
Like an orchestra, a banda can be organized into different sections.
- Bass: The lowest-pitched part is played by the sousaphoneSousaphoneThe sousaphone is a type of tuba that is widely employed in marching bands. Designed so that it fits around the body of the musician and is supported by the left shoulder, the sousaphone may be readily played while being carried...
(referred to as a "tubaTubaThe tuba is the largest and lowest-pitched brass instrument. Sound is produced by vibrating or "buzzing" the lips into a large cupped mouthpiece. It is one of the most recent additions to the modern symphony orchestra, first appearing in the mid-19th century, when it largely replaced the...
" in Mexico), accompanied by the tambora, a large bass drum with a cymbal on top. - Harmony: Two Armonias, "charchetas" or "saxores" in Mexico (Eb alto hornsAlto hornThe alto horn is a brass instrument pitched in E...
), play chords using different rhythms depending on the style. - Tenor: valve trombones or slide trombones play the lower-pitched part of the melody/arrangement.
- Alto: TrumpetTrumpetThe trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
s play the higher-pitched part of the melody/arrangement. - Soprano: ClarinetClarinetThe clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
s and sometimes saxophoneSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
s play as "singing" instruments that may play with the voice. - Voice: Banda el RecodoBanda el RecodoBanda Sinaloense el Recodo de Don Cruz Lizárraga, often referred to as Banda el Recodo is a Mexican Banda sinaloense group. Since its founding in 1938, it has been under the direction of the Lizárraga family...
and Banda JerezBanda JerezBanda Jerez is a Mexican banda group formed in the late 1980s. Banda Jerez's hits include "Billete Verde", "Una Mujer Casada" "Tan Bonita", "Cerveza Helada", "La Cabrona", "La Baraja","tamarindo", and "la iguana". The band was named after Jerez de García Salinas, Zacatecas, Mexico, where it was...
consists of trios, but many bandas also consist of dual and solo singers.
Most banda arrangements feature 3 part harmony and melodic sections which contrast the timbres of the clarinet, trumpet, and valve trombone sections.
Bandas play many different styles including waltzes, cumbias, polkas, marches, foxtrots, rock ballads, rancheras and sones. Historically bandas were village brass bands called on to entertain the town, and would play anything from opera overtures to big band jazz. This tradition continues today in many towns, especially during festivals and celebrations.
Bandas usually have a strong percussion. The percussionists generally provide the accents and do not usually play all the time or keep a 'groove'. Often the percussionists will enter only when the singer is not singing, such as in an instrumental chorus. The groove is mostly provided by the sousaphone (or bass guitar in a few recordings) playing the bass line, and the alto horns playing sharp upbeats. Typically when a banda plays a cumbia, the alto horn players switch to Latin percussion instruments such as maracas
Maracás
Maracás is a town and municipality in the state of Bahia in the North-East region of Brazil.-References:...
, cowbell, congas, bongos and guiro
Güiro
The güiro is a Latin-American percussion instrument consisting of an open-ended, hollow gourd with parallel notches cut in one side. It is played by rubbing a stick or tines along the notches to produce a ratchet-like sound. The güiro is commonly used in Latin-American music, and plays a key role...
.
Bandas generally contain between 10 and 20 members. They usually have a lead singer and a second voice, and occasionally a third voice. The voice often consists of a duet, but solo singers and trios are also common.
Besides the typical instrumentation, banda music, as well as many other forms of traditional Mexican music, is also noted for the grito mexicano
Grito Mexicano
Grito Mexicano , or simply grito, is a part of Mexican culture. It is similar to the yahoo or yeehaw of the American cowboy during a hoedown, except with added trills and an onomatopoeia closer to "aaah" or "aaayyyeee". The first sound is typically held as long as possible, leaving enough breath...
, a yell that is done at musical interludes within a song, either by the musicians and/or the listening audience.
In the late 80's and throughout the 90's many new bandas were so-called "technobandas" or "electrobandas", in which some or all of the horns were replaced by electric instruments. A typical technobanda will substitute a sousaphone with electric bass and the two alto horns with a synthesizer and a guitar. The clarinets were frequently replaced with saxophones also. However the bass part is still played in a style imitating a sousaphone, using a Synthesizer
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
or substituting using a double bass
Double bass
The double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
or a bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
. These Technobandas created the early movement of la Quebradita. Some examples of technobandas are Banda Machos
Banda Machos
Banda Machos is a Mexican band originally from Villa Corona, in the state of Jalisco. The band sings a combination of Banda music, Quebradita, and Ranchera...
, Banda Maguey
Banda Maguey
A favorite during the 1990s banda craze, Banda Maguey took over the radio waves with their debut album Tumbando Caña in 1994, which contained a number of hits including "El Alacran" a cover originally sung by La Sonora Matancera. Signed to Fonovisa a year earlier, Banda Maguey took over their...
, Banda Vallarta Show, Banda Toro, Banda Fresa, Banda Tepic, Banda Pequenos Musical, Banda Movil, Banda Arkangel R-15, Banda Pachuco
Banda Pachuco
Banda Pachuco is a Mexican music group, formed in 1993.They reached number 5 in the Billboard Hot Latin Tracks with their "Mitad Tu, Mitad Yo" song in 1995. They made a big hit in their album "Terco Corazon" released in 1998 welcoming a new singer Neo Serrato...
, Banda Laberinto.
Tambora
TamboraTambora
Tambora may refer to:* In music:**Tanpura, an instrument used in Indian classical music for continuous production of consonating reference notes **Tambora , an Afro-Caribbean percussion instrument...
is closely related to Banda
Banda
-People:*Banda people, an ethnic group of the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Cameroon and Sudan*Rupiah Banda, President of Zambia*Hastings Banda, former President of Malawi...
. However, Tambora uses a Saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
instead of a Clarinet
Clarinet
The clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
. Another difference from the banda is that the Tambora uses its drum consistently, as opposed to the banda who distributes the use of the other instruments throughout a song. Tambora originated in the state of Zacatecas
Zacatecas
Zacatecas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Zacatecas is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 58 municipalities and its capital city is Zacatecas....
. Tambora uses various instruments such as:
- Tambora
- Saxophone
- Trumpet
- Tarolas
- Trombone
- Toribion
- Pitolin