| Ranchera | |
|---|---|
| Stylistic origins | Mariachi |
| Cultural origins | Mexico |
| Derivative forms | corrido |
| Other topics | |
Ranchera (pronounced[ranˈtʃeɾa]) orcanción ranchera is a genre of traditionalmusic of Mexico. It dates to before the years of theMexican Revolution. Rancheras today are played in the vast majority ofregional Mexican music styles. Drawing on rural traditional folk music, the ranchera developed as a symbol of a new national consciousness in reaction to the aristocratic tastes of the period.[citation needed]
The wordranchera was derived from the wordrancho because the songs originated on the ranches and in the countryside of rural Mexico.
Traditional themes in rancheras are aboutlove,heartbreak,patriotism ornature.
Rhythms can have a meter in2
4 (in slow tempo: ranchera lenta and faster tempo:ranchera marcha),3
4 (ranchera vals), or4
4 (bolero ranchero).[citation needed]
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. Rancheras are also noted for thegrito mexicano, a yell that is done at musical interludes within a song, either by the musicians and/or the listening audience.[citation needed]
The normal musical pattern of rancheras is a–b–a–b. Rancheras usually begin with an instrumental introduction (a). The first lyrical portion then begins (b), with instrumental adornments interrupting the lines in between. The instruments then repeat the theme again, and then the lyrics may either be repeated or begin a new set of words. One also finds the form a–b–a–b–c–b used, in which the intro (a) is played, followed by the verse (b). This form is repeated, and then arefrain (c) is added, ending with the verse.[citation needed]
The most popular ranchera composers includeLucha Reyes,Cuco Sánchez,Antonio Aguilar,Juan Gabriel andJosé Alfredo Jiménez, who composed many of the best-known rancheras, with compositions totaling more than 1,000 songs, making him one of the most prolific songwriters in the history of western music.[citation needed]
Another closely related style of music is thecorrido, which is often played by the same ensembles that regularly play rancheras. The corrido, however, is apt to be an epic story about heroes and villains, or the narrator's lifestyle.[citation needed]
