Chilean (musical genre)

The Chilena, also known as Chilena Oaxacan or Chilena Guerrero, is a Mexican musical genre from the Costa Chica region, an area next to the ocean. Pacific between the Mexican states of Oaxaca and Guerrero, although its influence extends to other nearby regions. It originated from the Chilean cueca, hence its name, a dance that was carried out by Chilean sailors in 1822 and then by Chilean immigrants between 1848 and 1855, during the height of the California gold rush, who passed through the ports of Acapulco in Guerrero; Puerto Escondido Puerto Angel and Huatulco in Oaxaca.

In other states of the Mexican Republic, as well as in the United States, the chilena came to be implemented as another musical genre due to the mass migration of inhabitants from the coastal regions during the 1980s and 1990s. It is related to Mexican musical genres such as the calentano son, the Tixtla stage son and the La Llanada artesa son, as well as the Argentine zamba, and the zamacueca, the Bolivian bailecito and the Peruvian northern sailor.

Origins

Although the Chilean bears in its name an indication of its origins, it is a genre that was born from the Lima Zamacuena that arrived in Chile first through Valparaíso with the ships Potrillo and Sebastiana, with the royalist Peruvian troops sent by the Viceroy Abascal in 1813 - 1814 to end the uprising. After the Battle of Rancagua, which took place between October 1 and 2, 1814 in the square of that city and had the purpose of stopping the royalist Peruvian forces of Mariano Osorio from their advance towards Santiago. Osorio takes Santiago until 1818. These battalions, made up of 95% Peruvians and 5% Spanish, took the Zamacueca from Lima to Chile. Again, when the Liberation Army of San Martín returns, it brings with it many Peruvian musicians who take the Zamacueca from Lima directly to Santiago. Coincidentally, the Chilean composer, José Zapiola (1802-1885) who commented on his & # 34; Recuerdos de Treinta Años & # 34; that: "...when I left on my second trip to the Argentine Republic, in May 1824, this dance was unknown. On my return in 1825, I already came across this novelty. Since then, Lima provided us with its innumerable and varied Zamacuecas, notable or ingenious for their music that uselessly try to imitate each other. The specialty of that music consists particularly in the rhythm and placement of the accents, typical of it, whose character is unknown to us, because it cannot be written in the common figures of music." This music is brought by Chilean sailors and from the mestizo traditions of the southern region of Mexico. It is the representative genre of the so-called Costa Chica and is practiced by both indigenous, Afro-Mexican and mestizo groups.

Its name indicates that it had its origins in music from Chile, more precisely in the "cueca chilena" or "chilena", the name by which this dance was known when it spread to several Latin American countries. The writer and historian Moisés Ochoa Campos (1917-1985) documented that the dance arrived in Acapulco in 1822 with the Chilean squad, sent by General O'Higgins to support the insurgents in the Mexican war of independence. However, the arrival It occurred a few days after the news of the defeat of the colonial government had become widespread in the port. Chilean sailors joined the street party, dancing their own national dances, among which was the cueca. Despite the fact that the folklorist Vicente Teódulo Mendoza believed that the chilena was still a Chilean genre, the Mexican version has been nationalized.

The Chilean arose specifically in the area that today includes the districts of Jamiltepec, Juquila and Pochutla; however, it soon expanded throughout the area known as the Costa Chica —a coastal region that extends from the south of Acapulco in Guerrero to Río Verde in Oaxaca—, which includes the Costa Chica in Guerrero and the Costa Chica in Oaxaca, and which constitutes a cultural region within the highly complex and dissimilar but interconnected cultural territory of Guerrero-Oaxaca.

The son spread as it incorporated, assimilated and reinterpreted vast influences of rhythms, harmonies, styles and melodies of mestizo, indigenous and black origins, it spread and regionalized, at the same time that it amalgamated a new type of son that was very particular. The various cultural elements circulated (and continue to do so) throughout the vast territory of the Costa Chica, carrying and contributing elements from the Guerrero and Oaxacan mountains, as well as from other regions, such as the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. A tradition shaped and forged by diverse peoples of the Costa Chica: Mixtecs from the coast, Amuzgos from Guerrero, Afro-Mexicans (blacks), Chatinos from Oaxaca and mestizos, from its beginnings to the present.

In addition, it is worth mentioning the influences that were arriving from Michoacán, through the Pacific coast, but which largely came from the portion of the Tierra Caliente region, between the states of Michoacán and Guerrero. All the varieties of are calentano that in fact, in principle, probably received influence from the traditions that developed in Guerrero-Oaxaca.

Dissemination

In Mexico the Chilean is danced, interpreted, enjoyed, cultivated and developed, still quite strongly today, in the Costa Chica region of the states of Guerrero and Oaxaca; with a somewhat stronger presence in the latter, where chilenas are performed and composed in other regions, especially in the southern Sierra [Sola de Vega] or Sierra de Miahuatlán, -directly interconnected with the coast- although with particular styles and different endowments instrumentals. Also in the Sierra Norte Zapotec and the Sierra Mixe the Chilean is interpreted, and they are also composed, although not in great quantity and their version is somewhat different. More recently, it has also been introduced into the variety or endowment of wind bands in the Mixteca Alta regions of Guerrero and Oaxaca, this with the recent introduction and development of wind bands in that region that have been modifying their repertoire. and endowment for the hegemony of the Sinaloan wind band.

The region with the greatest influence is from Ometepec to Pinotepa Nacional, jumping to Villa Sola de Vega Oaxaca, land of great troubadours, with beautiful interpretations, with simple lyrics that make us vibrate. Villa Sola de Vega is also known for its multiple Chileans and performing bands, this town is known as the cradle of the Chilean since great composers and musicians have emerged there, creating an extensive repertoire of them, many of the best-known Chileans. They were composed in those lands that have as their hallmark the Chilean played with violins, cajón, guitar; as well as the wind bands, well known throughout the state for the quality of the Chilean solteca

Features

6/8 time signature, generally sesquiáltero that alternates with 3/4, a characteristic that it shares with both the Chilean cueca and the great family of Mexican sones. A traditional Chilean consists of several parts, alternating instrumental solos with coplas sung to the rhythm of the accompaniment. The Chilean couplets are usually quartet, with alternate rhymes between the second and fourth verses. At the end of the quartet, a chorus is included that can be from two to four verses, depending on the composer. On other occasions, the chorus is made up of the musical phrase, while the verses change each time the song of the verse ends. The theme is very broad: there are Chileans that describe the geographical region of the coasts of Guerrero and Oaxaca, but there are plenty of love-themed ones. Generally, Chilean lyricists introduce messages into their compositions that may have a double meaning or a strong sexual charge.

Examples of Chilean Steps

Are you Cuban?

I'm not Cuban.

Are you a syrup?

I'm not a syrup.

What do you want to be my "mai"?

I'm butterfly.

Blue, Chilean of Guerrero

Tunas are born in the hills.

in plans, xicayotes (bis),

and in the head 'e the old

Fuck the zopilotes.

Sanmarqueña of my life,

Sanmarqueña of my love!

The Sanmarqueña, Chilean de San Marcos, Guerrero

Nice Pinotepa

I'm not a coplero and I'm singing to you

because he was born on your floor

the brunette

I'm loving. (bis)

I like your women.

That's why they don't know.

I'll keep singing

Long live the coast with Pinotepa! (bis)

Pinotepa, Chilean of Alvaro Carrillo, Oaxaca

Instrumentation

The traditional Chilean was played on stringed instruments; however, this instrumentation has gradually given way to wind bands, characteristic of a large part of the state of Oaxaca, forming the style called modern Chilean or being displaced by other musical styles of wind bands. Even so, the original and more traditional Chilean set is preserved in some regions; and there are some movements that seek to revitalize it, such as the one that has given rise to the Festival de la Chilena, which is celebrated in the town of Santiago Jamiltepec, Oaxaca.

Said traditional instrumental ensemble included guitar, bajoquinto —a chordophone with ten strings organized in five orders, with a rough and serious sound— and violin, sometimes accompanied by a harp. The last three are already performed by very few musicians in that specific region. In 1963, for example, Thomas Stanford recorded a group from Cruz Grande, Guerrero, which played the Chilean Viborita de la mar with harp and drumming on the soundboard of that instrument. Stanford pointed out that the harpist —Eduardo Gallardo— was already very old, and was one of the last two remaining players of the instrument in the area.

At the middle of the XX century, the chilena became a genre much favored by composers of popular music from that time. Álvaro Carrillo composed several chilenas that have become obligatory for Chileans and emblems of southern music. An example of this are Pinotepa, which has been interpreted by Lila Downs, among others; or La yerbabuena famously performed by the Caleta Duet and the Río Balsas Duet. During that time, the Chilean was accompanied by the common trios that played bolero. Perhaps this contributed to the almost total extinction of the bajo quinto and the violin, which gave way to the guitars and the requinto.

Although the interpretation of chilenas with wind band is also quite old, nowadays the commercial wind bands from the North of the Republic mainly also differ in instrumentation with respect to the more traditional band from the southernmost region. The former were more typical of the mountainous regions of Oaxaca, but little by little the costeños adopted them as their own, while people from the central valleys and the mountains introduced the Chilean as a popular genre. The second, from the XX century, have also introduced the use of keyboards, electric bass, guacharacas, electric guitar and others, with great acceptance among the people of the Coast of Guerrero and Oaxaca.

Mexican groups performing this genre

Currently there are national or international musical groups that are dedicated to playing, composing and disseminating this musical genre. These groups mostly arise from the regions where it was created and where it enjoys popularity. Some examples of these groups are (Hindu organization) from Pinotepa Nacional Oaxaca, (Siglo XX) from Ometepec Guerrero some of the most former Grupo Internacional Remolino, from the Juxtlahuaca area, in Oaxaca; others such as La Furia Oaxaqueña from Putla Villa de Guerrero, Oaxaca, La Luz Roja from San Marcos Guerrero, Grupo Musical Eclipse 91 (Jicayan Jamiltepec, Oaxaca), Grupo Sentimiento (from the Mixteca region of Tlaxiaco; Oaxaca), Lorena and Los Alebrijes (from Oaxaca de Juárez) and other regional groups. The Banda La Costeña and the Banda MM are famous in the region. It should be noted that there are other groups outside of Oaxaca that interpret variants of the genre; An icon of the Chilean genre (it is known as Merequetengue) is the Bryndis Group, natives of San Luis Potosí. This particular group shows the variant genre in the songs of "Que más te da," and "Felicidad" who are strongly influenced by the Sinaloa wind band. But the ones that have taken this genre to other countries are the Oaxacan singers Lila Downs, Susana Harp, Geo Meneses and Alejandra Robles since they have mixed this genre with other rhythms such as rock, reggae, pop and rap. It is necessary to remember that at the time, renowned local performers such as Luis Pérez Meza, Arturo Villela and the Duetos Dueto Río Balsas and Dueto Caleta were important.

• Arenita Azul (anonymous)
• Cuajinicuilapita (Moisés Vargas Castellanos)
• The Bravero (Álvaro Carrillo)
• El Negro de la Costa (Álvaro Carrillo)
• El Toro Rabón (José Agustín Ramírez Altamirano)
• La Putlequita (Prudencio Navarrete)
• La Sanmarqueña (José Agustín Ramírez Altamirano)
• Yerbabuena (Álvaro Carrillo)
• Black Puchunco (Macario Luviano)
• Pinotepa (Álvaro Carrillo)
• By the roads of the south (José Agustín Ramírez Altamirano)
• La Santanera (anoma de Sola de Vega).
• La Talapeña (Vidal Ramírez Guillén)
• Truth of God (I do not return to Amar) (Vidal Ramírez Guillén)