Introduction to Mexican Music
Mexican music is a tradition that reflects the country’s rich cultural history and social transformations. At its core lies a tri-cultural heritage, blending the indigenous musical practices of pre-Columbian civilizations with Spanish colonial influences and African rhythms introduced through the transatlantic slave trade. This fusion of cultural elements has shaped Mexico’s musical landscape, giving rise to distinctive genres and instruments such as mariachi, son jarocho, and huapango, each carrying echoes of this intricate interplay of traditions.
The transformation of Mexican music has also been deeply tied to notions of nationalism, particularly during the 19th and 20th centuries. Following Mexico’s independence from Spain, music became a key tool for constructing a shared national identity. Composers like Manuel M. Ponce and Carlos Chávez drew inspiration from folk melodies and indigenous traditions, weaving these elements into classical compositions that celebrated the country’s unique cultural patrimony (Olsen 2007). This trend persisted through the Mexican Revolution (1910–1920), when songs like “La Adelita” and “Cielito Lindo” served as anthems of unity and resistance, embedding themselves in the nation’s collective memory.
In the modern era, mass media has played a pivotal role in disseminating Mexican music both domestically and globally. The rise of radio, cinema, and television in the 20th century transformed regional styles into national phenomena and elevated artists like Jorge Negrete, Pedro Infante, and Vicente Fernández to iconic status. Moreover, globalization and digital platforms have further amplified Mexico’s musical influence, showcasing genres like banda, reggaetón, and regional Mexican music to international audiences while fostering cross-cultural collaborations (Pedelty 2004).
Through its tri-cultural foundations, nationalist aspirations, and the power of mass media, Mexican music continues to serve as a dynamic expression of the country’s identity, resilience, and creativity. It bridges past and present, offering a lens into Mexico’s history while resonating with contemporary audiences worldwide.
Mexico boasts a rich and diverse musical landscape, ranging from early colonial-era music to classical symphonic compositions and vibrant popular traditions of the 20th and 21st centuries. In this module, we explore three popular genres deeply intertwined with Mexican music and identity: mariachi, son jarocho, and corridos.
Mariachi: The Sound of Mestizaje
Mariachi is arguably the most internationally recognized symbol of Mexican music. Emerging from the rural regions of Jalisco in the 18th century, mariachi originally referred to small ensembles playing regional sones, including son jalisciense. By the early 20th century, mariachi evolved into a sophisticated ensemble with trumpets, violins, vihuelas, guitarróns, and sometimes harps, performing a wide repertoire that includes rancheras, polkas, and huapangos (Sheehy 2006).
Mariachi has become synonymous with Mexican identity, particularly through its association with mestizaje, the blending of Indigenous, Spanish, and African cultural influences. The Indigenous roots of mariachi are reflected in the stringed instruments, adapted from European models but crafted using local techniques and materials. The music’s harmonic structures and storytelling traditions reflect European influences, while rhythmic variations, such as syncopation, hint at African legacies.
Mariachi’s rise to national prominence was heavily influenced by mass media during the 20th century. Films from Mexico’s Golden Age of cinema, starring icons like Jorge Negrete and Pedro Infante, helped present mariachi as the quintessential sound of Mexico (Avila 2019). However, this image often overshadowed regional musical diversity, presenting a romanticized version of rural, mestizo culture while neglecting the contributions of Indigenous and Afro-Mexican communities. In the following video Nati Cano, founder of Mariachi Los Camperos, explains the bolero in mariachi music.
Son Jarocho: A Fusion of Afro-Caribbean Rhythms
Son jarocho originates from the Gulf Coast state of Veracruz, a region marked by its rich history of cultural exchange due to its role as a port city. This genre blends Indigenous, Spanish, and African musical traditions, making it one of the most overt expressions of Mexico’s tri-cultural heritage.
Musical Characteristics
Son jarocho features intricate string work on instruments like the jarana, requinto, and arpa jarocha (harp), alongside percussion provided by the quijada (a donkey jawbone) or pandero (tambourine). The music is characterized by call-and-response vocals, improvisation, and lively rhythms, often accompanied by zapateado, a percussive dance performed on wooden platforms.
The genre’s most famous song, La Bamba, gained global recognition after being adapted by Ritchie Valens in the 1950s, but its original form remains deeply rooted in Veracruz’s traditions. The lyrics of son jarocho songs often incorporate humor, satire, and social commentary, serving as a medium for storytelling and resistance (Loza 1992).
Son jarocho reflects the cultural syncretism of Veracruz, where enslaved Africans, Indigenous peoples, and Spanish settlers exchanged traditions. Despite its importance, the African influence in son jarocho was historically minimized in narratives of Mexican music. However, recent efforts by scholars and musicians have highlighted the genre’s Afro-Caribbean roots, helping to reclaim its role in Mexico’s diverse heritage. For a wonderful visual ethnography of son jarocho, look at the following Smithsonian Folkways video.
Corridos: Narratives of Resistance and Identity
Corridos are narrative ballads that have been a cornerstone of Mexican folk music since the 19th century. Rooted in Spanish romance traditions, corridos tell stories of heroism, tragedy, love, and social justice, often reflecting the experiences and struggles of marginalized communities.
Musical Characteristics
Corridos are typically performed with simple melodic lines accompanied by guitars, bajo sexto, or norteño ensembles, including accordion and bass. The lyrics are central to the genre, unfolding as vivid storytelling that documents real or fictional events.
Corridos have long been a voice for the voiceless, emerging as a medium to convey the realities of rural and working-class Mexicans. During the Mexican Revolution, corridos like La Adelita and El Corrido de Pancho Villa chronicled the exploits of revolutionary figures, blending fact and legend to inspire resistance and solidarity.
In the 20th century, corridos adapted to new social contexts, particularly among Mexican and Mexican-American communities in the United States. Narcocorridos, a controversial subgenre, focuses on the drug trade, often glamorizing or critiquing the realities of cartel violence (Simonett 2001). Meanwhile, migrant corridos address the struggles of crossing borders, laboring in foreign lands, and maintaining cultural identity in the face of assimilation. For a musical demostration of the original instruments used in early corridos, look at the following Smithsonian Folkways video.
Point of reflection
In Mexico, music has often been used to construct a cohesive national identity, particularly during moments of political and social transformation. Following independence, nationalist projects sought to unify a fragmented country by emphasizing cultural mestizaje (racial and cultural mixing). Traditional music forms, such as mariachi and sones, were elevated as symbols of a shared Mexican identity. However, this process often marginalized Indigenous and Afro-Mexican communities by selectively highlighting their contributions while downplaying their contemporary realities.
For example, mariachi music, which draws on Indigenous string traditions, Spanish harmonies, and African rhythmic patterns, was promoted as a symbol of the mestizo identity. This narrative celebrated cultural mixing but frequently ignored the distinct identities and struggles of Indigenous and Afro-Mexican peoples (Sue 2013). By focusing on mestizaje, music became both a tool for inclusion and a mechanism for erasure, perpetuating the myth of a homogenous Mexican identity.
At the same time, certain regional styles have highlighted specific racial and ethnic identities. Genres like son jarocho from Veracruz reflect the deep African influence in Mexico’s Gulf Coast, while Indigenous languages and instruments, such as the huehuetl and teponaztli, are preserved in some traditional practices. However, these forms are often treated as relics of the past rather than living traditions, which can reinforce stereotypes of Indigenous and Afro-Mexican communities as “historical” rather than contemporary.
Internationally, Mexican music has shaped how the world views Mexican culture, often through a lens of exoticism. In the early 20th century, Mexico’s golden age of cinema and the global spread of mariachi popularized a romanticized image of the country. Artists like Jorge Negrete and Lola Beltrán, often depicted in traditional charro or china poblana attire, presented an idealized version of Mexican identity that emphasized rural, mestizo traditions. While this image celebrated Mexican culture, it also oversimplified the country’s racial and ethnic complexity.
More recently, genres such as reggaetón and regional Mexican music, including banda and norteño, have gained international popularity, complicating these narratives. Reggaetón, with its Afro-Caribbean roots, has prompted renewed discussions about Afro-descendant identities in Latin America, while banda and corridos often reflect the experiences of Mexican migrants, offering a counter-narrative to stereotypes about Mexican identity in the United States.
Challenging Stereotypes Through Music
In contemporary Mexico, music is increasingly being used as a platform to challenge racial and ethnic stereotypes. Hip-hop and rap movements, particularly among Indigenous and Afro-Mexican communities, have emerged as powerful tools for self-expression and resistance. Artists like Mare Advertencia Lirika, an Indigenous Zapotec rapper, and Afro-Mexican musicians from Guerrero and Oaxaca use their music to address issues of racism, marginalization, and cultural pride.
Globally, Mexican-American artists have also used music to challenge dominant narratives about Mexican identity. From the Chicano rock movement of the 1960s to contemporary artists like Cuco and Kali Uchis, these musicians navigate hybrid identities, reflecting the experiences of diaspora communities and broadening the understanding of what it means to be Mexican. A great example of this is MC Luka Lupita’s Taco Shop. For a great video combining hip hop, food, and Mexico City, look at the following video.
References and Further Reading:
Avila, Jacqueline. Cinesonidos: Film Music and National Identity During Mexico’s Época de Oro. Oxford University Press, 2019.
Loza, Steven. “From Veracruz to Los Angeles: The Reinterpretation of the” Son Jarocho”.” Latin American Music Review/Revista de Música Latinoamericana 13, no. 2 (1992): 179-194.
Olsen, Dale. The Garland Handbook of Latin American Music. Routledge, 2007.
Pedelty, Mark. Musical ritual in Mexico City: from the Aztec to NAFTA. University of Texas Press, 2004.
Simonett, Helena. “Narcocorridos: An emerging micromusic of Nuevo LA.” Ethnomusicology 45, no. 2 (2001): 315-337.
Sheehy, Daniel. Mariachi Music in America: Experiencing Music, Expressing Culture. By daniel sheehy. NewYork: Oxford University Press, 2006.
Sturman, Janet. The course of Mexican music. Routledge, 2015.
Sue, Christina A. Land of the cosmic race: Race mixture, racism, and blackness in Mexico. Oxford University Press, 2013.