LOS ANGELES (AP) — Mexican regional music — an umbrella term that includes mariachiBanda, corridornorteño, siereño, and other genres – there are Turns out it’s not a regional thing.continues to play an important role Advantages of Latin music. But despite the genre’s stars topping the charts and headlines; Most profitable concertrecent mainstream globalization has severely marginalized women’s voices.
This problem is not new. Women have long fought for representation in genres such as: hip hop and countryand some styles made progress Regional music in Mexico is one of the laggards when it comes to gender equality.
Nowadays, women often carve out a space for themselves and sing lyrics that are different from men’s, with themes of love, heartbreak, and female experiences.
“In this particular genre, women may still be finding their way,” he said. Leila CoboBillboard’s Chief Content Officer for Latin Music Coverage. “I think there’s a huge opportunity for someone to grab the place, explore it and see what happens.”
male artist preferences peso pluma and Nathanael Cano First emerging in late 2023, it ushered in the genre’s recent wave of corridos tumbados, a subgenre of Mexican regional music. This modern interpretation injects elements of hip-hop and trap into traditional musical styles and explores the lyrics. complicated and continue to evolve experience Mexican Americans on both sides of the border And now more women are embracing it.
mexican american singer Becky G Entering the genre a few years ago “was a natural thing and never felt like we were riding a wave,” he said, adding, “It felt like we were a part of making it.”
Spanish-born singer belindaAfter starting out as a child actor and finding early success in Spanish pop, he realized how few women were trying corridos. She dove into the genre at the heart of her latest album, Indómita, released in June.
“It was important to me to open the door for other girls to take risks,” Belinda said.
“Macho” culture
Women have been fighting for years to break out of the male-dominated space in Mexican music.
born in texas Selena Quintanilla She took the reins of Tejano music until her death in 1995, helping push the genre into the mainstream market. jenny riveraKnown as the “First Lady of Corrido” until her death in 2012, she was famous for taking the microphone in spaces mostly occupied by men and singing about women’s roles in marriage, infidelity, and motherhood.
But the newly created subgenre of corridos tumbados is particularly struggling. Cobo said these songs often tell stories about drugs, cartel violence and lavish lifestyles rooted in “macho” culture, which is difficult to change.
This gendered landscape of music is Sexism and “macho” culture that permeates Mexican societysays Omar Cerrillo, professor of sociology and art at Universidad Tecnológico de Monterrey in Mexico.
For centuries, music has been male-dominated, Cerillo said, noting that “from the early days of the late 19th century to the present day, there was a strong macho discourse in many songs.” Although the tide has changed significantly since then and women’s role in the genre has strengthened, he believes there is still much work to be done to rid the genre of its patriarchal roots.
Majo Aguilar followed in the footsteps of her grandparents, legendary musician and actor Antonio Aguilar, who found success in Mexico’s entertainment scene. Flor Silvestre. She says she’s focused on challenging “the idea that it’s more difficult because you’re a woman.”
Becky G, who started her career in pop and rap before switching to reggaeton and now focusing on Mexican regional music, said artists like Rivera and Quintanilla prove that change is possible in the corrido scene.
“I’m so proud to stand on the shoulders of so many incredibly talented and badass women,” said Becky G. “There are a lot of pioneers in these fields, so if they did it, what makes us an exception?”
Still, the genre can be discouraging and difficult to navigate for female artists like Airdrie, an up-and-coming musician based in El Paso.
“There’s a little bit of a nagging voice that just won’t go away,” Adrie said. “I can’t help but wonder if I would have a better career if I were a man.”
Corridos, but in their own words
The genre’s rapid success has a lot to do with the live instrumentation behind the songs, and according to Billboard’s Cobo, this unique aspect of the style “really stuck with people.” She noted that women who experiment within this style develop their own distinct lyrical forms.
Belinda’s music blended the corrido style with a more feminine and romantic sound, resulting in the creation of a new genre: corridos coquettes. This music has been a success and has collaborated with popular Corridor artists such as: Nathanael Cano and Tito Double P.
“That looks like me,” said Belinda. “It doesn’t matter how different it is or something you’ve never done before. You have to go with what you feel.”
Edley has long been a fan of Mexican regional music and corridos tumbados, but one question always comes to mind when he hears that music. “What would you say if you were this woman?”
Most of the popular corridos are sung by men and focus on betrayal or heartbreak by women. This idea inspired a popular series on Adrie’s TikTok account, in which she writes and sings her own versions of corridos from a female perspective.
In the song “TÚ NAME”, Fuerza RegidaFor example, a man brags about dating multiple women to get revenge on his ex-girlfriend. “We went shopping, and I bought her all the things you’d never buy,” he sings.
Adrie’s version turns the song into a soft ballad from the perspective of a woman who feels ignored in a relationship for a long time until they finally break up. “Who needs luxuries?” she sings, strumming her guitar. “All that mattered to me was that you loved me, and that promise was never kept.”
“I was hearing things they were saying about women who were past partners, and I thought, ‘Did she really do that? Did she actually do it? And if she did, then what’s going to happen on her side?'” Adrie said. “That’s when I put pen to paper and thought, if I were her, what would I say in that song?”
break boundaries
Becky G He grew up singing corridos and mariachi music at family parties, and was already a successful mainstream pop and reggaeton artist before jumping into the Mexican region professionally. Still, she faced obstacles and hesitations when venturing into the genre.
many people watched “Esquinas” Becky G’s first full regional album will be released in 2023 as a passion project, she said. “When I started, there was still no evidence that it was music that was globally recognized and celebrated.”
Still, she persevered, and her latest album is “Encuentros” This work, released last year, also focuses on regional sounds from Mexico. Both projects served as love letters to the genres of her childhood and “stirred the arteries,” she said.
Becky G said, “It was so real, so raw, it brought out again what was always there.” “Maybe it wasn’t the person that people necessarily saw in front of the camera, but it was in my hustle, it was in my drive.”
Beginner playlist for women of Mexican regional music
1. “300 noche” Belinda and Nathanael Cano
2. “Sea lion” Becky G and Delilah
3. “×T” idly
4. “Que Te Vaya Bien” Majo Aguilar
5. “Que Agonia – Remix” Yafritza y Su Esencia, Yuridia, and Angela Aguilar
6. “Cuando Muere Una Dama” jenny rivera
7. “No Me Queda Mas” Selena Quintanilla
8. “Canción sin miedo” Bibiru Quintana
9. “El Jefe” Shakira and Fuerza Regida
10. “Como Diablos” Becky G
