Norteño (music)
Encyclopedia
Norteño also norteña or conjunto
, is a genre of Mexican music
. The accordion
and the bajo sexto
are norteño's most characteristic instruments. The norteño genre is popular in both Mexico
and the United States
, especially among the Mexican community. Though originating from rural areas, norteño is popular in urban as well as rural areas.
Some popular norteño artists include Ramón Ayala
, (David Pimentel) Los Cadetes de Linares
, Los Tigres del Norte
, Los Huracanes del Norte
, Los Tucanes De Tijuana, and Los Invasores De Nuevo Leon. Thanks to the popularity of radio stations playing regional Mexican music, many norteño artists have become widely popular among the Mexican-American community. Local radio stations have continued to be a major influence in popularizing norteño.
A conjunto norteño is a type of mexican
folk ensemble. Often it consists of accordion
, bajo sexto
, double bass
and drums, but it can also have saxophone
.
Its repertory covers canción ranchera, corrido
, balada, huapango norteño, polka
, redova and chotís.
and the polka
. These European immigrants fueled the demand for a local brewing industry, and they also influenced the music scene by bringing the accordion
, waltz, and polka, which were part of the popular music of their homeland. Soon, local bands adopted these elements, and a new unique style gradually resulted from a blend with Mexican ranchera
styles. This new style soon became a unique norteño genre, thus named because it was primarily popular in the northern regions of Mexico.
In the late 1910s and 1920s, the corrido
s entered a golden age when Mexicans on both sides of the border recorded in San Antonio
-area hotels, revolutionizing the genre alongside Mexico's political revolution. Los Alegres De Teran were the first band to play norteño music. All that we have from this genre we owe it to Tomas Ortiz and Eugenio Abrego, Los Alegres de Teran. Later in the century, Ramón Ayala
, Cornelio Reyna
, Los Invasores de Nuevo Leon, and Carlos y Jose commercialized Northern music. Other bands such as Los Tigres del Norte
and Los Cadetes de Linares added influences from cumbia, rock music, and other new styles, thus creating a unique new blend in some of their new songs.
gave rise to a new form of popular music, called Tejano
or "Tex-Mex", which is often influenced by American rock
and swing
. Tejano music often includes English and may sound much more like American rock and country music, but is a broad genre of music incorporating many different styles, all having origin in traditional Texas Mexican music.
However, because Tejano music
is derived from Norteño music the two are often confused as different names for the same genre. Though Norteño came first, Tejano music is a norteño-derived genre and is not the same as norteño. The difference is easily heard in two different performances of the song "El Disgusto." Eddie Gonzalez is typical of Tejano music, while Ramón Ayala
is typical of norteño music. Note that the Tejano style typical of Eddie Gonzalez's music is heavily influenced by American country music and jazz
, while Ramón Ayala's music sounds much less Americanized and more rural and traditional.
and related groups before the 1950s. Since the 1970s and 1980s, electric bass guitars and modern percussion have been added to norteño music. The traditional guitar-and-accordion style of Los Alegres de Terán and Antonio Aguilar
transformed into the modern style typical to that of Los Tigres del Norte
, Intocable
, Duelo
, Isac Esquivel and Oro Norteño. In the past, norteño bands consisted of an accordion
as the lead instrument, with the bajo sexto
s (a type of 12-string Mexican guitar
) serving as the roots of the music. Today, a typical norteño band usually includes a drum
set, and a saxophone
or electronic keyboard may also be included. (Un Puno De Tierra Ramon Ayala
y sus Bravos del Norte)(Los Rieleros del Norte)(Polo Urias ysu Maquina Nortena)(Los Nortenos de Ojinaga)and the other main difference would be the use of two accordions instead of just one for Norteño.
Norteño became even more popular in the 1990s and 2000s in the United States as the Latino
-American community increased rapidly. Norteño continues to be one of the most popular types of modern Mexican music today, but it is also gaining rapid popularity in the United States. Many of the most famous Mexican bands such as Ramón Ayala y sus Bravos del Norte, Pesado and Intocable are all based in the United States with American labels, and their music is usually recorded and produced within the United States. Grupo Pesado is the leader in norteño music today. Intocable is a more tejano style. In an era where groups are born and die out after an album or two Pesado has stayed afloat for seventeen years, by evolving with every album. This trend follows the rapid integration of Mexican-American immigrants into the United States.
and bajo sexto
. The rhythm is usually steady and can be middle or fast tempo. Norteño is a style of Mexican country music and thus has a more rural sound. Some artists like Ramón Ayala may sound older and more traditional, while others such as Oro Norteño and Los Dueto Voces del Rancho have a rowdier style and stronger beat. Besides the typical instrumentation, norteño 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.
Genres similar to norteño include banda
and duranguense
. Banda and duranguense bands have almost entirely brass instrument
s instead of accordions and guitars. However, banda and duranguense often play the same songs that norteño bands play, and they have the same steady beat of norteño. Lyrics and artist names are also similar.
Because many of these band names contain Mexican state names
or a general geographical description (e.g., "de la Sierra"), norteño, banda, duranguense, and other similar genres can be classified into a category known as "regional Mexican music." Also, norteño is a border-type music, which is why many norteño groups choose to attach "del Norte" to their group names.
Norteño has many different regional styles
. Norteño in Texas
, for example, is very likely to be influenced by American music like Intocable
, young soloist/accordionist Isac Esquivel, while norteña from Tijuana
and Tamaulipas
may sometimes have influences from the Caribbean. Durango
and Sinaloa
have also produced norteña bands, even though the two states are more closely associated with the musical style of banda music
(or duranguense). Chihuahua and Zacatecas
norteño often incorporates the saxophone
into their bands, creating a saxophone-accordion duet. Additionally, norteña music from Guanajuato
and Chiapas
sometimes employs synthetic marimba
s in their music instead of the usual accordion.
Each norteño band also has its own unique adorno (music which interrupts the lyrical lines in between). For example, one of Los Tigres del Norte
's adornos is a series of flutters, while Los Rieleros del Norte
's adornos are characterized by descending scales. The saxophone was introduced in a small border town in the state of Chihuahua called Ojinaga. that is were they inegrated the saxophone and this town is identified by its "norteno" culture, as many artist have emerged from this part of chihuahua.
Conjunto
Conjunto literally translates as "group," and is regionally accepted in Texas as defining a genre of music that was born out of south Texas at the end of the 19th Century, after German settlers introduced the button accordion. The bajo sexto has come to accompany the button accordion and is...
, is a genre of Mexican music
Music of Mexico
The music of Mexico is very diverse and features a wide range of different musical styles. It has been influenced by a variety of cultures, most notably indigenous Mexican and European, since the Late Middle Ages...
. The accordion
Accordion
The accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
and the bajo sexto
Bajo sexto
A bajo sexto is a musical instrument with 12 strings in 6 double courses, used in Mexican music. It is used primarily in norteño music of northern Mexico and across the border in the music of south Texas known as "Tex-Mex", "conjunto, or "música mexicana-tejana".A similar instrument with five...
are norteño's most characteristic instruments. The norteño genre is popular in both 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...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, especially among the Mexican community. Though originating from rural areas, norteño is popular in urban as well as rural areas.
Some popular norteño artists include Ramón Ayala
Ramón Ayala
Ramón Ayala is a Mexican-American musician, composer, and songwriter of norteño and conjunto music. Known as the "King of the Accordion," Ayala has recorded over 105 albums for which he has received four Grammy Awards. Additionally, Ayala has been featured in thirteen movies...
, (David Pimentel) Los Cadetes de Linares
Los Cadetes de Linares
I Rule!!!Los Cadetes de Linares are famously known for their corridos, ballad-style songs about famous drug cartel criminals or heroes in the rural frontier of the US-Mexico border. They are a conjunto -- also known as a norteño group—and their accordion and bajo sexto waltzes are well-known in...
, Los Tigres del Norte
Los Tigres del Norte
Los Tigres del Norte is a norteño-band ensemble based out of San Jose, California, hailing from Rosa Morada, Sinaloa, Mexico.- History :...
, Los Huracanes del Norte
Los Huracanes del Norte
Los Huracanes del Norte are a Mexican Norteño group, originally from Tangancicuaro, Michoacan but based out of San Jose, California, USA. They are one of the genre's most popular performers....
, Los Tucanes De Tijuana, and Los Invasores De Nuevo Leon. Thanks to the popularity of radio stations playing regional Mexican music, many norteño artists have become widely popular among the Mexican-American community. Local radio stations have continued to be a major influence in popularizing norteño.
A conjunto norteño is a type of mexican
Mexican people
Mexican people refers to all persons from Mexico, a multiethnic country in North America, and/or who identify with the Mexican cultural and/or national identity....
folk ensemble. Often it consists of accordion
Accordion
The accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
, bajo sexto
Bajo sexto
A bajo sexto is a musical instrument with 12 strings in 6 double courses, used in Mexican music. It is used primarily in norteño music of northern Mexico and across the border in the music of south Texas known as "Tex-Mex", "conjunto, or "música mexicana-tejana".A similar instrument with five...
, 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...
and drums, but it can also have 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...
.
Its repertory covers canción ranchera, 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...
, balada, huapango norteño, polka
Polka
The polka is a Central European dance and also a genre of dance music familiar throughout Europe and the Americas. It originated in the middle of the 19th century in Bohemia...
, redova and chotís.
Origins
During the late 19th century, German and Czech migrants to Northern Mexico and the U.S. Southwest brought different styles among them: la redova, la varsovianaVarsovienne
The varsovienne, also known as the varsouvienne or varsoviana, is a slow, graceful dance in ¾ time with an accented downbeat in alternate measures. It combines elements of the waltz, mazurka, and polka. The dance originated around 1850 in Warsaw, Poland...
and the polka
Polka
The polka is a Central European dance and also a genre of dance music familiar throughout Europe and the Americas. It originated in the middle of the 19th century in Bohemia...
. These European immigrants fueled the demand for a local brewing industry, and they also influenced the music scene by bringing the accordion
Accordion
The accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
, waltz, and polka, which were part of the popular music of their homeland. Soon, local bands adopted these elements, and a new unique style gradually resulted from a blend with Mexican 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...
styles. This new style soon became a unique norteño genre, thus named because it was primarily popular in the northern regions of Mexico.
In the late 1910s and 1920s, the 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 entered a golden age when Mexicans on both sides of the border recorded in San Antonio
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
-area hotels, revolutionizing the genre alongside Mexico's political revolution. Los Alegres De Teran were the first band to play norteño music. All that we have from this genre we owe it to Tomas Ortiz and Eugenio Abrego, Los Alegres de Teran. Later in the century, Ramón Ayala
Ramón Ayala
Ramón Ayala is a Mexican-American musician, composer, and songwriter of norteño and conjunto music. Known as the "King of the Accordion," Ayala has recorded over 105 albums for which he has received four Grammy Awards. Additionally, Ayala has been featured in thirteen movies...
, Cornelio Reyna
Cornelio Reyna
Cornelio Reyna was a Mexican norteño singer.Cornelio Reyna formed a partnership with the legendary Ramón Ayala to create the famous duet called Los Relampagos del Norte in 1963. The band stayed together for eight years and then in 1971, Reyna decided to pursue a solo career as a mariachi singer...
, Los Invasores de Nuevo Leon, and Carlos y Jose commercialized Northern music. Other bands such as Los Tigres del Norte
Los Tigres del Norte
Los Tigres del Norte is a norteño-band ensemble based out of San Jose, California, hailing from Rosa Morada, Sinaloa, Mexico.- History :...
and Los Cadetes de Linares added influences from cumbia, rock music, and other new styles, thus creating a unique new blend in some of their new songs.
Comparison to Tejano
In the 1950s, the heavy influence of Norteño on the traditional music of Mexican-Americans in southern TexasTexas
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...
gave rise to a new form of popular music, called Tejano
Tejano music
Tejano music or Tex-Mex music is the name given to various forms of folk and popular music originating among the Mexican-American populations of Central and Southern Texas...
or "Tex-Mex", which is often influenced by American rock
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
and swing
Swing (genre)
Swing music, also known as swing jazz or simply swing, is a form of jazz music that developed in the early 1930s and became a distinctive style by 1935 in the United States...
. Tejano music often includes English and may sound much more like American rock and country music, but is a broad genre of music incorporating many different styles, all having origin in traditional Texas Mexican music.
However, because Tejano music
Tejano music
Tejano music or Tex-Mex music is the name given to various forms of folk and popular music originating among the Mexican-American populations of Central and Southern Texas...
is derived from Norteño music the two are often confused as different names for the same genre. Though Norteño came first, Tejano music is a norteño-derived genre and is not the same as norteño. The difference is easily heard in two different performances of the song "El Disgusto." Eddie Gonzalez is typical of Tejano music, while Ramón Ayala
Ramón Ayala
Ramón Ayala is a Mexican-American musician, composer, and songwriter of norteño and conjunto music. Known as the "King of the Accordion," Ayala has recorded over 105 albums for which he has received four Grammy Awards. Additionally, Ayala has been featured in thirteen movies...
is typical of norteño music. Note that the Tejano style typical of Eddie Gonzalez's music is heavily influenced by American country music and jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, while Ramón Ayala's music sounds much less Americanized and more rural and traditional.
Modernization
Modern norteño has also diverged significantly from more original "oldie" norteño, which was the type played by Narciso MartínezNarciso Martínez
Narciso Martínez , dubbed early on, El Huracan del Valle , began recording in 1936, on October 21 precisely, and is the father of conjunto music...
and related groups before the 1950s. Since the 1970s and 1980s, electric bass guitars and modern percussion have been added to norteño music. The traditional guitar-and-accordion style of Los Alegres de Terán and Antonio Aguilar
Antonio Aguilar
José Pascual Antonio Aguilar Barraza most commonly known as Antonio Aguilar, nicknamed "El Charro de México", was a Mexican film actor, singer, producer and screenwriter. During his career, he made over 150 albums, which sold 25 million copies, and made 167 movies...
transformed into the modern style typical to that of Los Tigres del Norte
Los Tigres del Norte
Los Tigres del Norte is a norteño-band ensemble based out of San Jose, California, hailing from Rosa Morada, Sinaloa, Mexico.- History :...
, Intocable
Intocable
Intocable is a Tejano/Norteño musical group from Zapata, Texas that was started by friends Ricky Muñoz and René Martínez in the early 90's. Within a couple years as a band, Intocable had already risen to the top of the Tejano and Norteño fields with a musical signature that had fused Tejano's...
, Duelo
Duelo
Duelo is a Tejano band from Roma, Texas with a norteño style. The band is also known as Grupo Duelo and Duelo Norteño. The group rose to prominence in late 1990s and continues to record as of 2009, when their album Necesito Más de Tí debuted in the top slot on the Billboard Top Latin Albums...
, Isac Esquivel and Oro Norteño. In the past, norteño bands consisted of an accordion
Accordion
The accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
as the lead instrument, with the bajo sexto
Bajo sexto
A bajo sexto is a musical instrument with 12 strings in 6 double courses, used in Mexican music. It is used primarily in norteño music of northern Mexico and across the border in the music of south Texas known as "Tex-Mex", "conjunto, or "música mexicana-tejana".A similar instrument with five...
s (a type of 12-string Mexican guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
) serving as the roots of the music. Today, a typical norteño band usually includes a drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
set, and 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...
or electronic keyboard may also be included. (Un Puno De Tierra Ramon Ayala
Ramon Ayala
Ramon Ayala is a bajo sexto player from Donna, Texas, who currently resides in the Rio Grande Valley. He is the son of Pedro Ayala. His progressive style and technique has earned him the 2009 Bajo Sexto Player of the Year Award from the South Texas Conjunto Association. In 2009 he celebrated his...
y sus Bravos del Norte)(Los Rieleros del Norte)(Polo Urias ysu Maquina Nortena)(Los Nortenos de Ojinaga)and the other main difference would be the use of two accordions instead of just one for Norteño.
Norteño became even more popular in the 1990s and 2000s in the United States as the Latino
Latino
The demonyms Latino and Latina , are defined in English language dictionaries as:* "a person of Latin-American descent."* "A Latin American."* "A person of Hispanic, especially Latin-American, descent, often one living in the United States."...
-American community increased rapidly. Norteño continues to be one of the most popular types of modern Mexican music today, but it is also gaining rapid popularity in the United States. Many of the most famous Mexican bands such as Ramón Ayala y sus Bravos del Norte, Pesado and Intocable are all based in the United States with American labels, and their music is usually recorded and produced within the United States. Grupo Pesado is the leader in norteño music today. Intocable is a more tejano style. In an era where groups are born and die out after an album or two Pesado has stayed afloat for seventeen years, by evolving with every album. This trend follows the rapid integration of Mexican-American immigrants into the United States.
Features
Distinguishable features of norteño include use of the button accordionAccordion
The accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
and bajo sexto
Bajo sexto
A bajo sexto is a musical instrument with 12 strings in 6 double courses, used in Mexican music. It is used primarily in norteño music of northern Mexico and across the border in the music of south Texas known as "Tex-Mex", "conjunto, or "música mexicana-tejana".A similar instrument with five...
. The rhythm is usually steady and can be middle or fast tempo. Norteño is a style of Mexican country music and thus has a more rural sound. Some artists like Ramón Ayala may sound older and more traditional, while others such as Oro Norteño and Los Dueto Voces del Rancho have a rowdier style and stronger beat. Besides the typical instrumentation, norteño 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.
Genres similar to norteño include banda
Banda music
Banda is a brass-based form of traditional music. Bandas play a wide variety of songs, including rancheras, corridos, cumbias, baladas, and boleros. Bandas are most widely known for their rancheras, but they also play modern Mexican pop, rock, and cumbias...
and duranguense
Duranguense
Duranguense is a genre of Mexican music. It is popular among the Mexican-American community in the United States. Duranguense is closely related to the Mexican styles of banda and norteño. The main instruments, which are held over from banda, are the saxophone, trombone, and bass drum...
. Banda and duranguense bands have almost entirely brass instrument
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...
s instead of accordions and guitars. However, banda and duranguense often play the same songs that norteño bands play, and they have the same steady beat of norteño. Lyrics and artist names are also similar.
Because many of these band names contain Mexican state names
States of Mexico
The United Mexican States is a federal republic formed by 32 federal entities .According to the Constitution of 1917, the states of the federation are free and sovereign. Each state has their own congress and constitution, while the Federal District has only limited autonomy with a local Congress...
or a general geographical description (e.g., "de la Sierra"), norteño, banda, duranguense, and other similar genres can be classified into a category known as "regional Mexican music." Also, norteño is a border-type music, which is why many norteño groups choose to attach "del Norte" to their group names.
Regional styles
- See also: Regional styles of Mexican musicRegional styles of Mexican musicRegional styles of Mexican music vary greatly vary from state to state. Norteño, banda, duranguense, and other Mexican country music genres are often known as regional Mexican music because each state produces different musical sounds and lyrics....
Norteño has many different regional styles
Regional styles of Mexican music
Regional styles of Mexican music vary greatly vary from state to state. Norteño, banda, duranguense, and other Mexican country music genres are often known as regional Mexican music because each state produces different musical sounds and lyrics....
. Norteño 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...
, for example, is very likely to be influenced by American music like Intocable
Intocable
Intocable is a Tejano/Norteño musical group from Zapata, Texas that was started by friends Ricky Muñoz and René Martínez in the early 90's. Within a couple years as a band, Intocable had already risen to the top of the Tejano and Norteño fields with a musical signature that had fused Tejano's...
, young soloist/accordionist Isac Esquivel, while norteña from Tijuana
Tijuana
Tijuana is the largest city on the Baja California Peninsula and center of the Tijuana metropolitan area, part of the international San Diego–Tijuana metropolitan area. An industrial and financial center of Mexico, Tijuana exerts a strong influence on economics, education, culture, art, and politics...
and Tamaulipas
Tamaulipas
Tamaulipas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Tamaulipas is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 43 municipalities and its capital city is Ciudad Victoria. The capital city was named after Guadalupe Victoria, the...
may sometimes have influences from the Caribbean. Durango
Durango
Durango officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Durango is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is located in Northwest Mexico. With a population of 1,632,934, it has Mexico's second-lowest population density, after Baja...
and Sinaloa
Sinaloa
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....
have also produced norteña bands, even though the two states are more closely associated with the musical style of banda music
Banda music
Banda is a brass-based form of traditional music. Bandas play a wide variety of songs, including rancheras, corridos, cumbias, baladas, and boleros. Bandas are most widely known for their rancheras, but they also play modern Mexican pop, rock, and cumbias...
(or duranguense). Chihuahua and 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....
norteño often incorporates the 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...
into their bands, creating a saxophone-accordion duet. Additionally, norteña music from Guanajuato
Guanajuato
Guanajuato officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Guanajuato is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 46 municipalities and its capital city is Guanajuato....
and Chiapas
Chiapas
Chiapas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Chiapas is one of the 31 states that, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 118 municipalities and its capital city is Tuxtla Gutierrez. Other important cites in Chiapas include San Cristóbal de las...
sometimes employs synthetic marimba
Marimba
The marimba is a musical instrument in the percussion family. It consists of a set of wooden keys or bars with resonators. The bars are struck with mallets to produce musical tones. The keys are arranged as those of a piano, with the accidentals raised vertically and overlapping the natural keys ...
s in their music instead of the usual accordion.
Each norteño band also has its own unique adorno (music which interrupts the lyrical lines in between). For example, one of Los Tigres del Norte
Los Tigres del Norte
Los Tigres del Norte is a norteño-band ensemble based out of San Jose, California, hailing from Rosa Morada, Sinaloa, Mexico.- History :...
's adornos is a series of flutters, while Los Rieleros del Norte
Los Rieleros del Norte
Los Rieleros Del Norte is a Mexican norteño band. Founded in Zacatecas, Close to Villanueva Zacatecas. Los Rieleros del Norte are from Fresa Zacatecas. One of the oldest norteño bands still playing today...
's adornos are characterized by descending scales. The saxophone was introduced in a small border town in the state of Chihuahua called Ojinaga. that is were they inegrated the saxophone and this town is identified by its "norteno" culture, as many artist have emerged from this part of chihuahua.
External links
- Musica Norteña
- The Saxophone in Norteño music at Smithsonian Education
- Texan-Mexican conjunto music
- Accordion History featuring Santiago Jiménez, Jr. (Flaco's brother) NPR Music