Ranchera is a genre of the traditional
music of
Mexico literally meaning "
music of the ranches.” 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. 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, Ranchera was conceived as a symbol of a new national consciousness in reaction to the aristocratic tastes of that era. Traditional rancheras sing 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 utilized.
Ranchera
Music: Vicente Fernandez, José Alfredo Jiménez, Pedro Infante, Pablo Montero, Pepe Aguilar, Rocío Dúrcal, Lorenzo de Monteclaro,
Lola Beltran, Javier Solis, Tomas Mendez, Pedro Fernandez, Angeles Ochoa, Lucha Reyes, Amalia Mendoza,
Lila Downs, Vikki Carr, Soledad Bravo, Astrid Hadad, Jorge Negrete, Paquita la del Barrio, Cuco Sanchez, Yolanda del Río, Antonio Aguilar, Alejandro Fernandez, and Nortec Collective.
