Trumpets & Violins

September 10, 2011 8:49 AM

I've always enjoyed mariachi music when I've heard it, but am now wanting to explore a little deeper. Keeping in mind that I know next to nothing, steer me towards some of the greats.

Love the upbeat stuff, but I especially love sad songs. Bonus points for artists on Spotify. Good books on the origins of Mariachi wouldn't go amiss either. Thanks!

posted by ericthegardener to Media & Arts (5 answers total)

For old-timey classic mariachi, I always think of José Alfredo Jiménez. There are a bunch of collections of his biggest hits available. For something more recent, check out Alejandro Fernández' Que Seas Muy Feliz.
posted by ambrosia at 9:14 AM on September 10, 2011

You might also look into Ranchera as a similar musical style (I'm not actually sure what the differences are).

One of my personal favorites is Son de Madera, which is technically son jarocho rather than mariachi - but good music nonetheless.
posted by rube goldberg at 9:33 PM on September 10, 2011

This is probably not one of the greats, but it's currently relevant. Mariachi El Bronx is the mariachi version of the punk band The Bronx.
posted by XhaustedProphet at 10:17 PM on September 10, 2011

rube goldberg, Son de Madera was not what I was looking for but boy am I glad you told me about them. Found an album on Spotify and it's packed with great songs. Thanks!

I came across Mariachi El Bronx right before you suggested them XhaustedProphet. I like the music a lot but I'm not digging the singer's voice. It sounds a little too bro-ish to me. Interesting though. I wonder what compelled them to take that turn with their music. Thanks!
posted by ericthegardener at 12:21 PM on September 11, 2011

As a follow-up to my answer, I just saw Mariachi El Bronx live last night! They were pretty fun to watch, their drummer is really good. Also, I really like their outfits.
posted by XhaustedProphet at 8:49 PM on September 24, 2011