OK, I'LL start it: Rolling Banda/Duranguense/Narcocorrido/Flashy Matching Suits Regional Mexican Thread

http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/los-tigres-del-norte-sing-the-real-stuff-at-immigration-rally/2013/10/08/c3a26a84-304f-11e3-bbed-a8a60c601153_story.html

Jose Perez Leon is such a devastating song.

http://www.npr.org/2013/11/26/247162901/ak-47s-accordions-and-angels-of-death-narcocorridos-hit-the-big-screen

movie doc

That female banda band Los Horoscopos du Darango are back in my part of the world Friday...

I happened upon Los Horoscopos at Taste of Chicago, in 2011 I think. They were really good -- the set was half banda half duranguense, but the banda had some snazzy moves when they weren't playing. Nonstop energy and musicianship.

In other news, the EMP Pop Conference schedule is up, and I'll be presenting with Mr. Kun and Ms. Buendía on this panel, hooray:
Movements
Buendía, “How to Make It in the Americas: The Workings of An Independent Transnational Music Community”
Kun, “I Know All the Borders, Roads, Rivers and Canals: Mobility, Movements, and the Making of ‘Regional Mexican’ Music”
Langhoff, “Pronounced ‘Jai-Fi’: California Norteño, the Word “Hyphy,” and the Story of a Movement”

It's Saturday afternoon April 26, if anyone's going.

My favorite norteno album so far this year is Los Buitres' TERRITORIO BUITRE, but that's not saying a whole lot. About half the songs flip between quartet and banda, and those are the best songs. There's also a couple decent Espinoza Paz numbers and a few that are middling to boring, notably their attempt at an accordion-driven power ballad. I'm still happy to listen all the way through, though. "Mejor Soltero" and "Noche de Lokera" are especially good. They're a weird band -- they alternate between seeming really ambitious and phoning it in.

PopCon schedule: http://www.empmuseum.org/programs-plus-education/programs/pop-conference.aspx?t=schedule#Tabs

Cool

the set was half banda half duranguense, but the banda had some snazzy moves when they weren't playing. Nonstop energy and musicianship.

May I confess to still not always knowing the difference between these two styles and norteno, as well. Can you explain them?

May I confess to still not always knowing the difference between these two styles and norteno, as well. Can you explain them?

Duranguense: too fast half the time; also, ultra-cheesy keyboards
Banda: fucking clarinets
Norteño: THE BEST, because the most stripped-down (guitar, bass, drums, accordion, maybe saxophone)

new blog (early self promotion): http://nortenoblog.wordpress.com/

Humorist's breakdown is basically right on, though he's bothered by clarinets more than I am. A banda's a big band, 16 members or so, with brass, clarinets, and often percussion. Norteño usually refers to a smaller band, with drums, bajo sexto, bass or tuba, and accordion. There is also a repertoire of norteño songs, which bandas often play. Some bandas and norteño groups have close relationships, notably Banda Carnaval and Calibre 50, which share some songwriting credits. Current pop songwriters like Luciano Luna and Espinoza Paz write songs for both types of ensembles.

Duranguense's its own thing and is mostly over at this point. If I remember correctly, its Grammy category was "banda." It's a little like a synth-based approximation of banda, though still mostly acoustic instruments -- the synths take lead lines and oompahs. The lead lines are indeed ultra cheesy; the best artists either buried them in the mix (Diana Reyes) or played up the demented aspects of the music (Banda Lamento Show).

looks good

Hey guyz this thread still exists

From Dr. Phil's blog (minus the links):

These were the top Regional Mexican songs of December 18, 1999, as reported by Billboard. Some things to note:

Los Angeles Azules continue to intrigue.

Several of these bands — El Recodo, Primavera, Los Tigres — released music in 2014. All of them sound pretty much the same today as they did 15 years ago.

Ah, the sound of traditional dance music.

Am now checking out La Nueva Rebelion.

Hey, thanks for reading! Here's the NorteñoBlog Top 10-ish lists. PopMatters ran the same lists with Haikunym adding a blurb for Regulo Caro's album. I would also like to complain that out of 10 Latin albums and 10 Latin songs, Billboard's year-end best-of found space for exactly one norteño artist, Regulo Caro. It's a good song, though -- "Soltero Disponible."

The Singles Jukebox covers La Nueva Rebelión: http://www.thesinglesjukebox.com/?p=14673

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/27/arts/music/ariel-camacho-dies-at-22-lead-singer-of-los-plebes-del-rancho.html?action=click&contentCollection=Music®ion=Footer&module=MoreInSection&pgtype=article

Young Mexican norteno and narcocorrido singer

Singer/accordion player Alfredo Olivas shot six times at a show in Chihuahua; 3 people arrested; multiple concerts postponed, obviously.

crazy down there at times

DOMINGO 22 DE MARZO

MONTEZ DE DURANGO
Y AUTORIDAD DE LA SIERRA

EN CONCIERTO!

100 Damas entran Gratis hasta las 10:30pm

Here's NorteñoBlog's top singles of 2015, first quarter, and the accompanying Youtube playlist.

Plus more violence: Javier Rosas, who I was just starting to like, got shot in a scenario that sounds more cartel-related than Olivas's situation. That may still be hearsay, though. (Billboard also reports that "on March 15, Rogelio "El Chicken" Contreras Rivera, of the band Kumbiamberos RS, was kidnapped and killed while playing at a bar in Monterrey," which is terrible.) Of course, Gerardo Ortiz bounced back from a similar shooting incident to become the face of the genre. It reminds me of kids liking 50 Cent for his "authenticity" when he first came out -- I'm pretty sure I'm not imagining that? -- though Ortiz is a way better artist than 50 ever was, and Rosas might be also.

Fascinating article on the banda scene in New York.

Nice. Lots of details.

I am reading a book of essays about regional Mexican music and migration (Musica sin fronteras: ensayos sobre migracion, musica, e identidad) and am learning so much about regional Mexican music. It's really interesting and is making me stop every half page to google something. <3 (also it's in Spanish so I am learning a lot of new musical vocabulary)

Your Spanish is better than mine

http://wiserwithage.com/2019/11/14/grandmother-81-releases-debut-album-with-grandson-and-is-nominated-by-latin-grammys-for-best-norteno-album/?fbclid=IwAR3350j9AgliMsx6XyH2LdLubSon4hvXaF6ZKSZkmq84SqN7cXRA5C9Lpqk

Grandma Norteno album with grandson and his band nominated for Latin Grammys

construction workers next door to my place are blaring their music loud. Shazam says they have played yesterday songs including Betillo Guerrero "Por Clave el 13" and norteno band Los Tucanes de Tijuana

Peso Pluma on Why Being the First Regional Mexican Artist in Spotify’s RADAR Program Is ‘Big for the Country, the Genre and the Industry’ https://t.co/ooHfqTNca7

— billboard latin (@billboardlatin) May 22, 2023

Haven’t figured out why Peso Pluma is getting crossover attention that prior regional Mexican musicians didn’t get

Peso Pluma is playing a huge outdoor arena near DC in August

Also mentioned in this other thread

natanael cano and corridos tumbados