Mexican Folk Songs

Subject: Mexican/Hispanic Folk Songs
From:
Date: 20 Apr 02 - 12:33 AM

Hi,

I'm doing a show at a public school and need to play (on guitar) a few simple folk songs of Mexican or Hispanic origin. Any help out there for sources on line would be terrific.

Tha

Subject: RE: Mexican Folk Songs
From: rich-joy
Date: 20 Apr 02 - 08:26 AM

I have a Linda Ronstadt LP "Canciones de mi Padre" where she sings songs from her grandfather (via her father) whose homeland was Sonora, Mexico. Maybe someone can find this data on-line???
Songs included are :
Por Un Amor / Los Laureles / Hay Unos Ojos / La Cigarra / Tu Solo Tu / Y Andale / Rogaciano El Huapanguero / La Charreada / Dos Arbolitos / Corrido De Cananea / La Barca De Guaymas / La Calandria / El Sol Que Tu Eres /
Cheers! R-J

Subject: RE: Mexican Folk Songs
From: GUEST,vrdpkr
Date: 20 Apr 02 - 10:43 AM

Try "De Colores" and "Alla en el Rancho Grande". "Cielito Linda" is another nice tune. Good luck. Verde Picker

Subject: RE: Mexican Folk Songs
From: GUEST,Al
Date: 20 Apr 02 - 11:09 AM

We have three on our new CD. If you post your email address, I will convert the ones you want to mp3 and send them to you. They are: Cielito Lindo, Mujer Mujer, and Bailando Garabato. Actually the last one is not simple. Al

Subject: RE: Mexican Folk Songs
From: masato sakurai
Date: 20 Apr 02 - 09:36 PM

A lot of songs in Spanish are collected HERE; some with MIDI. There're 23 songs (texts only) HERE (presumably Mexican). There's a MIDI only site HERE (LA GRANDE MUSICA HISPANO AMERICANA). For Mariachi songs, THIS would be the best. Musical Spanish Songs (part of MUSICAL SPANISH), containing 10 songs, is intended for educational purposes, with detailed instructional information.

~Masato

Subject: RE: Mexican Folk Songs
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 20 Apr 02 - 10:27 PM

The Mariachi website pointed out by Masato has many of the old "pop" songs as well, inc. Besame Mucho, and cultural songs such as Quatro Milpas. Good site. Thanks, Masato.

Subject: RE: Mexican Folk Songs
From:
Date: 19 Dec 03 - 10:45 PM

I am looking for the Spanish words to the Mexican song

La Cumba, Cumba, Cumba, Cumba Ciero.

I'm not sure that I have the spelling right or that the song is listed by the first line, but I've heard it, like it and would like to learn it.

Thanks for any help you can offer.

Subject: Cumbanchero (Rafael Hernandez)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 20 Dec 03 - 02:50 PM

Hi, rtweiten - I did this Google Search (click) and came up with a number of possibilities. This page (click) had lyrics that sounded familiar to me. The page attributes the song to Rafael Hernandez, and I have verified that attribution from other sources.
This I Love Lucy Page also has the lyrics - Desi Arnaz introduced the song in the movie Cuban Pete (Cuban bandleader Desi Arnaz was the husband of comedienne Lucille Ball).
Amazon.com has 175 recordings of "Cumbanchero" listed, including recordings by Desi Arnaz, Ferrante and Teicher, David Grisman (!!!), Ruben Gonzalez, Xavier Cougat and Liberace. Hey, and the Ventures recorded it, too. I sure would like to hear the Grisman recording, or the one by Ruben Gonzalez.
Hope that's the one you want.
-Joe Offer (e-mail sent)-

---

Cumbanchero
Words and Music by RAFAEL HERNÁNDEZ, 1940[introduced by Desi Arnaz]
- Many thanks to ACoolPRican84 for translating this song -
A cumba-cumba-cumba cumbanchero A bongo-bongo-bongo bongocero Pri-qui-ti que va sonando El cumbanchero bongocero que se va Bongocero que se va A cumba-cumba-cumba cumbanchero A bongo-bongo-bongo bongocero Pri-qui-ti que va sonando El cumbanchero bongocero que se va Bongocero que se va Y suena asi el tambor: pri-qui-ti bum-bam Y vuelve a repicar: pri-qui-ti bum-bam A cumba-cumba-cumba cumbanchero A bongo-bongo-bongo bongocero Pri-qui-ti que va sonando El cumbanchero bongocero que se va Bongocero que se va	A cumba-cumba-cumba drumplayer A bongo bongo bongo bongoplayer Pri-qui-ti the sound that it's making When the drumplayer that goes by Bongoplayer that goes by A cumba-cumba-cumba drumplayer A bongo bongo bongo bongoplayer Pri-qui-ti the sound that it's making When the drumplayer that goes by Bongoplayer that goes by And the drum sounds like this pri-qui-ti-bum-bam And again he repeats pri-qui-ti-bum-bam A cumba-cumba-cumba drumplayer A bongo bongo bongo bongoplayer Pri-qui-ti the sound that it's making When the drumplayer that goes by Bongoplayer that goes by

Subject: RE: Mexican Folk Songs
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 20 Dec 03 - 06:39 PM

Joe, Escamillo referenced "Cumbanchero" before you, but put it in Spanish Songs (thread 5667) because it isn't Mexican.
The words in the site used by him for this song by Rafael Hernández are different from those used by Desi Arnaz and his band:

First verse- same, except priquití not normally hyphenated.

El Cumbanchero
Rafael Hernández

A cumba, cumba, cumba cumbanchero,
A bongo, bongo bongosero.
Priquití que va sonando el cumbachero,
bongocero que se va.

A va
a suena así el tambor,
boroquití,
bumbumbá.
Y vuelve a repicar,
biriquití bumbumbá

A va
y suena así el tambor,
boroquití
bumbumbá.

Y vuelve a repicar,
biriquití, bumbambá

Subject: RE: Mexican Folk Songs
From: Joe Offer
Date: 20 Dec 03 - 08:20 PM

Click here for a page of Cuban MIDI files, including "Cumbanchero." Oh, so THAT's the tune. It's not what I was thinking of.
Here is a page of "Latin" MIDI's.

Arma virumque cano, Trojae qui primus ab oris
Italiam fato profugus Laviniaque venit
Litora -- multum ille et terris jactatus et alto
Vi superum, saevae memorem Junonis ob iram,
Multa quoque et bello passus, dum conderet urbem
Inferretque deos Latio -- genus unde Latinum
Albanique patres atque altae moenia Romae.

Oh? Not THAT Latin, huh?

---

The All-Music Guide has only a brief biography of Hernandez:

An early émigré to East Harlem from his native Puerto Rico, Rafael Hernández did much to develop the Latin musical community in America during the 1920s and '30s, both through his popular songwriting and his leading of a renowned string quartet. His compositions, including "Lamento Borincano," "Amor Ciego," "El Cumbanchero," "No Me Quieras Tanto," "Cachita," and "Silencio," have been recorded by many Latin artists throughout the years: El Gran Combo, Trío Matamoros, Pedro Flores, Tito Puente, Ernesto Lecuona, Daniel Santos, Xavier Cugat, and Pérez Prado.

No dates of birth or death shown.

-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Mexican Folk Songs
From: Joe Offer
Date: 20 Dec 03 - 08:49 PM

As Q pointed out, Rafael Hernández was not Mexican - but I hate to separate an answer from a request. He was a Puerto Rican who moved to New York, but his music is popular in all Latin countries. There is a more detailed biography (with sound clips) at http://www.musicofpuertorico.com. Hernández was born in Puerto Rico in 1892, and died in 1965. This page is a collection of MIDI transcriptions of his music.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Mexican Folk Songs
From: GUEST,unapaloma1
Date: 29 Jun 04 - 04:03 PM

I am really interested in Mexican Music, especially ranchera and revolucion music. I have figured out what some mean, such as Una Paloma Blanca and Cielito Lindo, La Llorna, Cuatro Milpas, but I would like to know what De Colores, La Valentina, Cucurrucucu Plaoma mean, not the translation, the meanings if possible. Any help would be appreciated. I have several others too. Thanks. J. McLaughli [e-mail]

Subject: RE: Mexican Folk Songs
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 29 Jun 04 - 05:40 PM

Songs for Teaching is a good site for De Colores.
De Colores
There may be others on your list at this site.

Subject: RE: Mexican Folk Songs
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 29 Jun 04 - 06:08 PM

Do you mean Spanish rather than Mexican?
Una paloma blanca is 18th c. Spanish.
Or have I the wrong song?

Una paloma blanca
como la nieve
me ha picado en el alma,
mucho me duele. Etc.

Subject: RE: Mexican Folk Songs
From: ced2
Date: 30 Jun 04 - 05:25 PM

Do any involve hats? Or to be more precise the dancing on hats?

Subject: RE: Mexican Folk Songs
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 30 Jun 04 - 07:20 PM

"Jarabe tapatío" is the name of the 'Mexican hat Dance," which came from Jalisco, the charros (cowboys) of the cattle industry.

There seems to be a tendency to call anything with a Spanish name Mexican. The "Curu...paloma" by Tómas Méndez is an Argentine huapango.

Allan Sherman provided the best American lyrics for the 'hat dance.'

Subject: RE: Mexican Folk Songs
From: GUEST,Andrew Robinson
Date: 14 Jul 04 - 04:33 PM

Does anyone know if Rafael Hernández wrote the tune to Cubanchero, or did he add words to an old tune?
   There is a recording of it in a reggae version, called "Psychedelic Rock" on a Studio One album. (I heard this version first.)
   Thankyou to anyone who can help.

Subject: RE: Mexican Folk Songs
From:
Date: 31 Jul 04 - 06:12 PM

I'v been looking for the lyrics in English and Spanish for a song
I would like to teach my 5yr. old.
Can you please help me? It's Las Chiapanecas the MEXICAN HAND CLAPPING SONG.
Thank You,
Alice D.

Subject: RE: Mexican Folk Songs
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 01 Aug 04 - 12:20 AM

See thread 11049 for a couple of sets of lyrics, and a link by Dicho to the dance (with clapping) for children. Chiapanecas

Subject: RE: Mexican Folk Songs
From:
Date: 01 Aug 04 - 03:10 PM

I am in love and I want to serenade my beloved with the best and

most famous mexican love songs. Paloma Querido was a big hit with

her. Can someone suggest what I should learn and try next? She is

from Sinaloa.                                  Lorenzo

Subject: RE: Mexican Folk Songs
From:
Date: 29 Sep 04 - 08:50 PM

I am still looking for the lyrics of a Cuban?? song.
I think the title is Veneracion; anyway it is about the El Cobre church near Santiago de Cuba.
! Muchimimas gracias ! Robert Kakiay in Amsterdam / Holland

Subject: RE: Mexican Folk Songs
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 29 Sep 04 - 09:38 PM

The patron saint of Cuba,
La Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre.
Lyrics and midi here: Himno a la Caridad del Cobre

I believe that there is an earlier song, but I can't find it.

Subject: RE: Mexican Folk Songs
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 29 Sep 04 - 09:43 PM

There are a number of songs and poems. Put La Virgen de la Caridad in Google, and search.

I looked very briefly, but it may be a long search. I think there is a folk song, but it may take some time to find it.

Subject: RE: Mexican Folk Songs
From: Cornflake
Date: 29 Sep 04 - 11:32 PM

Probably no help but my group has done La Golondrina and La Bamba (which existed before the pop hit). I'm pretty sure the latter is Mexican. I think La Golondrina is but I'm not sure. Both are easy.

Subject: RE: Mexican Folk Songs
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 30 Sep 04 - 12:18 AM

Cornflake, both are Mexican. La Bamba originally from Vera Cruz, at least 100 years old, now with hundreds (or more) verses. La Golondrina has been called the Mexican "Home Sweet Home."

Subject: RE: Mexican Folk Songs
From: GUEST,please!
Date: 01 Oct 04 - 10:38 AM

please send anything you have(mariachi wise) to me at [e-mail]

Subject: RE: Mexican Folk Songs
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 01 Oct 04 - 02:27 PM

I presume Guestplease! is familiar with the website "El Mariachi.com."
Index and Search
"Over 350" songs. It has been linked in several threads, including by Masato in this one.

A good Mariachi song list (168) here: Song Lyrics

www.mariachi.org has information, but many links inactive.

Subject: RE: Mexican Folk Songs
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 01 Oct 04 - 02:39 PM

Looks like one must start with the home page, www.fiestaweb.org/, and then click on song lyrics.
Fiesta Web

Subject: RE: Mexican Folk Songs
From: GUEST,la
Date: 27 Apr 05 - 10:31 AM

Looking for English translation for La Golondrina - please email to [e-mail]...

Thanks!

Subject: RE: Mexican Folk Songs
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 27 Apr 05 - 02:07 PM

There are several texts to "La Golondrina," hence several translations would be necessary. I will post one provided by the Mexican National Railroad in 1883 in thread 37278.

Subject: RE: Mexican Folk Songs
From: GUEST
Date: 11 Feb 07 - 05:10 PM

Question: when I was in virginia I was watching a local college station. To my amazment I herd the melody of cielito lindo playing on the tv. The amazing thing was that it sounded like it was being played on a Renaissance lute or something similair. Is the origen of the melody older than the song?

Subject: RE: Mexican Folk Songs
From: GUEST
Date: 21 Sep 07 - 06:27 AM

The Swallow (La Golondrina) Serradell/Richter
Recorded by Brendan Bowyer & The Royal Showband
Lyrics submitted by Liam O'Reilly
____________________________________________
To far off lands, the swallow now is speeding
For warmer climes and sun-drenched foreign shores
While cooler breezes tell of summer fading
My heart with you, into the heavens will soar.

Oh graceful swallow bear a message of love
For on your journey, lies the land of my heart
As down you sweep, shed my blessings upon them
that tell of love which in my heart still burns

Among those shores are all that i care or live for
My home my loved ones, waiting for my return
Then glide downwards as you see from above
A sea swept isle from which we had to part

Each winter long console me in my dreaming
And you fond swallow on your gleaming wings
Will speed as i would wish i could go speeding
Straight to their hearts, and with you my love bring

Oh graceful swallow . . .
(repeat last line)

Subject: RE: Mexican Folk Songs
From: GUEST
Date: 22 Feb 08 - 04:07 AM

looking for: spanish/cancion folklore/"las quatro milpas"

Subject: RE: Mexican Folk Songs
From: Leadbelly
Date: 22 Jul 08 - 12:19 PM

Hi Guest,

would like to recommend the wonderful song "Adelita" to you. Here it comes...(known by Trini Lopez and others)

Si Adelita se fuera con otro
Le seguiria en la - sin cessar
Si por mar en un buque de guerra
Si por tierra en un tren militar

Si Adelita quisiera ser mi esposa
Si Adelita fuera mi mujer
Le compraría um vestido de seda
Para llevarla a bailar al quartel

Adelita se llama la joven
A quien yo adoro y no la puedo olvidar
En el campo yo tengo esa rosa
Y con el tiempo la voy a cortar

Y si acaso yo muero en campaña
Y si mi cuerpo en la sierra va a quedar
Adelita, por Dios, te lo rego
Que con tus ojos me vayas a llorar

Subject: RE: Mexican Folk Songs
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 22 Jul 08 - 12:30 PM

Adelita has been in Mudcat since 1998.
See thread 5940: Adelita

Easily found by using Search.