Regional styles of Mexican music

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The Music of Mexico has many different regional variations that greatly vary from state to state.

  • Baja California is well-known for música norteña (northern music) that incorporates modern rock and cumbia into its music. Norteño .
  • Chiapas has produced many marimba bands and artists, such as Marimbas de Chiapas.
  • Chihuahua norteño is unique in that it uses the saxophone in addition to the usual accordion, and thus has two lead instruments. Zacatecas norteño is similar to norteña chihuahuense.
  • Durango is widely famous for its many duranguense (Durangan) bands. Duranguense bands are basically considered música norteña, but uses brass and wind instruments instead of guitars and accordions. Duranguense bands are often called Banda ... or Los ... de Durango.
  • Guerrero has also produced some musical bands playing Mexican country music.
  • Jalisco The Son Jaliscience is the most traditional and representative style of folk music of the mariachi tradition. El son de la negra is one of the pieces more representative. In the 1990s, bands such as Banda Machos, and Banda Maguey popularized techno-banda. These bands were the music for the popular dance quebradita which was popular in both sides of the border. Techno-bandas had less elements than traditional bands, and used electronic instruments such as bass guitar and keyboards. They did not use tubas and clarinets like other bands. also used saxophones.
  • Mexico City Danzon is a cuban style of music which also developed in Mexico City (in El Salón México) and Veracruz. It has been compared to Tango , for its elegance and complex structure. Cha Cha Cha is also an important style which was played a lot in the past century. Mambo derives from Cuban style of music called Rhumba and was invented by Perez Prado in Mexico City where he lived from 1948 to 1989. Mexican Bolero also originated in Mexico City, one of the most important Bolero singers is Agustin Lara.
  • Michoacán bands, unlike bands from many other states, do not have a particular style and instead play their songs using musical styles from Durango, Nuevo León, and Sinaloa. Thus, michoacanse band ensembles closely resemble those of either banda, duranguense, or norteño.
  • Nuevo León norteño bands resemble traditional norteño tejano (Texan norteño) somewhat more closely than other norteño bands due to Nuevo León's proximity to the southwestern American state of Texas.
  • Oaxaca has a musical tradition/style known as Son Istmeño, which is a continuation of the son folk tradition found throughout Mexico (as well as Cuba and Puerto Rico). It has very strong indigenous roots, and the songs are sung in both the Zapotec language as well as Spanish; the rhythms are often indigenous as well, while the basic melodic/harmonic structure is Spanish. The song "La Lorona" is an example of a son istmeño. Marimba ensembles are also found here.
  • Sinaloa is widely famous for banda, or Mexican big band music. Sinaloa was where the musical genre originated. Bandas play a wide variety of songs, include rancheras, boleros, and cumbias. Bandas often adapt and resing songs from other duranguense and norteño bands.
  • Tamaulipas norteño is similar to Nuevo León norteño. It has heavy influences from Tejano music. It also has Huapango (also known as Son Huasteco) music.
  • Veracruz has a unique style in music, it is called Son Jarocho and it is played with some guitar-like instruments called "Jaranas". Recently the harp forms an important part of Son Jarocho. Grupo Mono Blanco are a very influential band. It also has Huapango (also known as Son Huasteco) music, as well as Cuban Danzon and bolero.
  • Yucatan has its own musical traditions, one in particular known as "musica/danza jarana." Although the jarana is the main/central instrument in a typical ensemble, other kinds of guitars are utilized in order to create a melodic sound that includes both very strong Spanish and indigenous influences as well as, to an extent, Caribbean influences. Vocal harmonies also contribute to the trademark sound of Yucatan. The "cancion jarana" was also probably an influence on the Cuban-born bolero, and there is a strong connection between the music of Yucatan, Mexico and the music of Cuba. Boleros and "musica trova," a Cuban musical tradition, also have a very important place in musica Yucateca.
  • Zacatecas Bands in Zacatecas play what it is known as "Tamborazo Zacatecano", the bands are formed with a drum and wind instruments. A notable band is Banda Jerez.

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