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When I hear the word "Festival", I automatically think "MUSIC"!
All Saints Day/Day of the Children has started, All Souls Day/Day of the Dead follows on November 2nd.
I've wanted to learn more about violin/fiddle music of Mexico.
November is a good time of the year/good place to start, since there are ritual festivals associated with these 2 days.
This performance has Violin and CELLO! "Flor Menudita" by Tempus Quartet (Tampico, Tamaulipas - Mexico)
Violin Cover of "La Llorona" from the movie "Coco" (Angela Aguilar).
Here's more contemporary "DIA DE LOS MUERTOS" - Electric Violin & DJ, PEPPER & POCKET.
Here's a little background on the Día de los Muertos!
History - Day of The Dead
- Emily
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@SharonC -
Thanks a bunch, Sharon!
You just transported me back to when I was 12 years old, visiting California for the 1st time with my folks! Started in Los Angeles - I would have heard this while roaming the historic "Olvera Street"!
This piece isn't too far of a stretch for this thread - main melody's not hard, started learning this a while back (got sidetracked 😏). No violin to observe in this video, just classical Spanish guitar - one day I'll make it sound great on my 5-string violin "Mortimer" - without plucking a string (or maybe just a few)!
This is Mazurka "Mi favorita" (Anónimo) - Paola Hermosin (Seville, Spain).
Going on my list!!!
"La paloma" - Leslie Egerer violin. I'm always thrown for a loop by this one, Leslie is from or (at least settled) in Norway! Poor video quality (sigh).
- Emily
Shoot, I just found music I had stashed for later - from Spain to all over Central & South America. ...and I just accidentally erased most of them!😳😣😡🤬
I foresee this topic branching out...
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Here's a video of a traditional Xantolo Festival dance.
Xantolo is the Native Culture of Central Mexico's version of "Día de Muertos".
*edited:
I believe the song they are playing on the fiddle in the video is,
Also, found this really nice Violin Tutorial for a old favorite of mine - "La Malagueña" (no connection to "Day of the Dead"). I was afraid I'd have to learn this from a Flamenco guitar video!
Crazy enough, this was originally written as part of a Suite for piano (1928), by Ernesto Lecuona - a Cuban composer! Hmm... I always knew it as a Flamenco Guitar piece! (duh)For anyone needing sheet music, this should help - fairly easy melody except for the chords at the beginning.
- Emily
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How about some more son huasteco?
Son huasteco is one of the most influential of the regional folk music styles in Mexico, originating in the northeastern Mexican region called La Huasteca. The best-known song from this region is "Cielito Lindo" which probably needs no introduction.
Here's another traditional song, "El Gustito" with an outstanding violinist.
One particular dance, the huapango, has spread across Mexico, but originated in this style:
And this leads me to my obligatory classical connection: one of the more popular pieces by a Mexican composer is "Huapango" for orchestra by Jose Pablo Moncayo, led in this video by an outstanding Mexican conductor:
Moncayo's "Huapango" was actually the very first piece I performed (first piece on the program in my first concert) in my current orchestra.
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You might notice, by the way, that violin playing in Mexican folk music uses a lot more classical technique than fiddle styles from other cultures, with a strong preference for full bows, plenty of shifting, and often heavy use of vibrato. Classically trained violinists have been preferred for a long time. Unlike Celtic and American fiddle styles, violins in many Mexican folk styles are played alongside brass instruments, which makes projection much more important.
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@AndrewH -
Wanted to thank you for finding such fine examples of the traditional music.
I was having a very hard time listening to many huasteco and xantolo tunes - started sounding to me like someone was just scrubbing the strings.
Here's sheet music for a modern piece, "Havana" by Camila Cabello (Cuban-American).
Watch Camila Cabello Live along with her other songs here.
https://www.youtube.com/c/cami.....o/videos
- Emily
@BillyG - any way you can change the name of this thread to "Spanish and Hispanic American Violin" for me? My current heading is too limiting. (lol)
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Ooh... think I found a little treasure?
Traditional Catalonian Fiddle music (Spain)!
If anyone has a clue as to the names of these tunes, would be greatly appreciated.
- Emily
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I've been on a bit of a waltz bender lately, this one seemed a fantasy for the Holidays!
Chayanne (Elmer Figueroa Arce) is a Puerto Rican Latin Pop singer, now residing in the USA. I don't know if this waltz has traditional roots or not (suspect possible), but I can't resist it!
Tiempo De Vals
Come on you Fiddlers, Violists and Cellists - you can pick this up by ear!
- Emily
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Feeling adventurous?
I think it would be fun to try the solo parts of this Traditional Spanish Bullfighting piece on the violin or maybe a Danzón!
"La Virgen de la Marcarena"
Danzón is a Cuban music genre also popular in Puerto Rico and in parts of Mexico. Always a couple violins included in this music. "The form of danzón created by Miguel Faílde in 1879 - Las alturas de Simpson". (Wikipedia)
Here is "Nereidas" - Danzón - Amador Pérez Dimas - performed by Manuel Hernández Aguilar - Clarinet and Victor Flores - Double-bass
I found wonderful music by Mexican composers to share under the "Cello" heading and "Classical Genre". "Cello Concerto in C minor" by Mexican composer Ricardo Castro and "Vals Poético" by Felipe Villanueva - a Mexican composer, violinist and pianist.
- Emily
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@ELCBK I had a chance to sit in on a presentation about mexican folk music from Greg Reish at an old time fiddle event last year. In the presentation he brought up how the same music from central Europe like Polkas, Muzurkas influenced the upper Midwest and then into Mexico as people from Europe moved farther south. Just as folk styles from other parts of Europe influenced places like appalachia. Theres a video out there of him with accordianist Felipe Perez. He speaks shortly about it somewhere around 15:00 in or so. The video is mainly promoting Mr. Perez though and not so much a history thing. If you think about it alot of that style of music has a strong polka feel so made sense to me.
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In particular, norteño music is greatly influenced by German and Czech music, as the northern parts of Mexico had a fairly large amount of immigration from Central Europe.
I had a college friend from the Netherlands, whose hometown was near the German border, who said norteño music sounded familiar to him even though he had never been to Mexico at the time.
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Yes I believe the style he was speaking of specifcally was Mexican Conjunto which seems more accordian than fiddle based. Wish I could find a copy of the talk on youtube but doesnt look like its posted. Theres a short one about it on a site from MTSU.
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@AndrewH and @ABitRusty - Thanx!
That really makes sense and I hear it, too. You've given me more to look into.
Btw, I hope anyone reading this doesn't get the idea that you shouldn't bother to try to play music that may have been composed for other instruments!
I enjoy playing at least 3 that were originally meant for the accordion - learned a lot of music by listening to musicians who play other instruments. Our bowed string instruments never cease to amaze me by their versatility!
Thank you Andrew, for posting "Danzón No.2" by Arturo Márquez (a modern day composer) - I LOVE it. I am really falling in love with the danzón syncopation!
Here's a link to the "Classical Mexican Composers" thread.
https://fiddlerman.com/forum/c.....#p111660
- Emily
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ELCB said
@AndrewH and @ABitRusty - Thanx!That really makes sense and I hear it, too. You've given me more to look into.
Btw, I hope anyone reading this doesn't get the idea that you shouldn't bother to try to play music that may have been composed for other instruments!
I enjoy playing at least 3 that were originally meant for the accordion - learned a lot of music by listening to musicians who play other instruments. Our bowed string instruments never cease to amaze me by their versatility!
Thank you Andrew, for posting "Danzón No.2" by Arturo Márquez (a modern day composer) - I LOVE it. I am really falling in love with the danzón syncopation!
Here's a link to the "Classical Mexican Composers" thread.
https://fiddlerman.com/forum/c.....#p111660
- Emily
nahh..I wasnt saying "dont play accordian tunes"...lol.. i was just making a personal observation from what little ive heard.
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Galicia is under Spanish rule but an autonomous community with their own music!
Ancient Celtic Culture here - they have kept some Irish and Scottish traditions alive in their folk music & dance - even bagpipes! ...but that's for another thread.
Here's sheet music for an intriguing minor Galiza Valse, "A Bruxa" - AND 11 MORE!
https://youtu.be/uF8Kf1R6F_M?l.....lGtYjR-7
Here's sheet music for a Galician Mazurka, "Na Beira do Río".
- Emily
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Wanted to show some more amazing Latin Fiddle music!
Love this tune, "Mi Negra" - written by Jesus Florido (2003).
...had the pleasure of taking Jesus's Latin Fiddle workshop at the Fiddle Hell Festival (currently trying to learn this)!
It was mentioned that the name of the cd was a metaphor for "moving forward" in his music.
- Emily
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Pablo de Sarasate is famous for several pieces composed during the Romantic Period in Spain. I think most of his music would be a nightmare for the average violinist, but it is beautiful! I especially love the 2 'Spanish Dances' he composed while in Germany.
The 1st is "Malaguena Op. 21". Will Jackson posted this great version of the sheet music with violinist Gil Shaham!
Pablo de Sarasate - Malaguena Op. 21
Can't ever hope to play this, but I also love the 2nd one, "Habanera, Op.21". Here's sheet music and played by Mark Kaplan (PabloDeSarasate).
Sarasate - Habanera, Op.21, No.2
Great info on Sarasate at Wikipedia.
- Emily
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@ELCBK I loved those. The sheet music was really neat to see. Thanks.
(edit) Oops, need to watch the other one. I saw the two, but only watched the one! Duh!
(edit 2) Watched both. Comment still stands.
The Bumblebee Flies!
Please ignore any typos. My typing ability on a real typewriter did not transfer to these device key pads.
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