Son jarocho

Son jarocho
Stylistic origins	Mexican Sones de la tierra, Andalusian folklore
Cultural origins	18th century Veracruz
Typical instruments	vocals, requinto, jarana, arpa jarocha, leona, pandero, quijada, marimbol
Other topics
Charro – Jarabe tapatío – Zapateado-Mariachi-Huapango-Son Huasteco

Son jarocho is a regional folk musical style of Mexican Son from Veracruz, a Mexican state along the Gulf of Mexico. It evolved over the last two and a half centuries along the coastal portions of southern Tamaulipas state and Veracruz state, hence the term jarocho, a colloquial term for people or things from the port city of Veracruz.

Characteristics

Son jarocho group

It represents a fusion of indigenous (primarily Huastecan), Spanish, and African musical elements, reflecting the population which evolved in the region from Spanish colonial times. Lyrics include humorous verses and subjects such as love, nature, sailors, and cattle breeding that still reflect life in colonial and 19th century Mexico. Verses are often shared with the wider Mexican and Hispanic Caribbean repertoire and some have even been borrowed from famous works by writers of the Spanish "Siglo de Oro". It is usually performed by an ensemble of musicians and instruments which collectively are termed a "conjunto jarocho". Son jarocho is often played only on jaranas and sung in a style in which several singers exchange improvised verses called décimas, often with humorous or offensive content.

Instruments

The instruments most commonly associated with son jarocho are the jarana jarocha, a small guitar-like instrument used to provide a harmonic base, with some double strings arranged in a variety of configurations; the requinto jarocho, another small guitar-like instrument plucked with a long pick traditionally made from cow-horn, usually tuned to a higher pitch and with a four or five thick nylon strings; the diatonic arpa jarocha; the leona, a type of acoustic bass guitar, and sometimes a minor complement of percussion instruments such as the pandero (especially in the style of Tlacotalpan), the quijada (an instrument made of a donkey or horse jawbone) or the güiro. Some groups add the marimbol, a plucked key box bass, and the cajón, (although the Peruvian version, not the Mexican cajón de tapeo).

Sones and groups

Son Jarocho group Zarahuato performing at the Museo de Arte Popular.

The most widely known son jarocho is "La Bamba", which has been popularized through the version by Ritchie Valens and the American movie of the same name. Other famous sones jarochos are "El Coco" and "La Iguana" and "El Cascabel", all of which have a call and response form, and "El Chuchumbé", "La Bruja".

Fermin Herrera (a Jarocho Harpist) has taught many people how to play, such as: John Robles and Antonio Moraza. It is because of him that many groups play or even know about the son jarocho in the USA. More recently, instruments and rhythms from son jarocho have been used by rock groups such as Café Tacuba, Quetzal, 22 Pesos, Ozomatli, and Zack de la Rocha. East L.A. rockers Los Lobos have also recorded in the Jarocho genre, as has Mexican-American artist Lila Downs. More recently son jarocho music has experienced a resurgence in the United States. U.S. based bands now playing (as of 2012) or using elements of the genre include Radio Jarocho, David Wax Museum, Son del Centro, Las Cafeteras, Son del Viento, Los Cenzontles and Jarana Beat.

Related genres are: son huasteco, huapango, son jaliscience, son chiapaneco

Well-known artists playing the genre are: Conjunto Hueyapan, Mono Blanco, Siquisirí, Tlen Huicani, Chuchumbé, Chucumite, and Son de Madera.

External links

• The History of Son Jarocho on the website of an American Conjunto Jarocho
• SonJarocho.MX – Comprehensive Resource of Son Jarocho groups and events worldwide
• JAROCHELO.com – Bi-weekly Podcasts with interviews, music, verses and more on Son Jarocho
• "El Son Jarocho Un TEsoro que debemos conservar" (The Son Jarocho a treasure to be preserved) by Andrés Barahona Londoño Template:Es icon
• Sounds of Veracruz: NPR
• FREE SON, revista independiente sobre son jarocho y identidad [1]Template:Es icon