''Norteño'' or ''norteña'' (, ''northern''), also ''música norteña'', is a subgenre of

regional Mexican Regional Mexican music refers collectively to the regional subgenres of the country music of Mexico and its derivatives from the Southwestern United States. Each subgenre is representative of a certain region and its popularity also varies by ...

music. The music is most often based on duple and triple metre and its lyrics often deal with socially relevant topics, although there are also many norteño love songs. The

accordion Accordions (from 19th-century German language, German ', from '—"musical chord, concord of sounds") are a family of box-shaped musical instruments of the bellows-driven free reed aerophone type (producing sound as air flows past a Reed (mou ...

and the bajo sexto are traditional norteño's most characteristic instruments. The genre is popular in both Mexico and the United States, especially among the Mexican and Mexican-American community, and it has become popular in other Spanish-speaking countries as far away as Chile. Though originating from rural areas, norteño is popular in both rural and urban areas. A ''conjunto norteño'' is a type of Mexican folk ensemble. It mostly includes diatonic accordion, bajo sexto,

electric bass The bass guitar (), also known as the electric bass guitar, electric bass, or simply the bass, is the lowest-pitched member of the guitar family. It is similar in appearance and construction to an electric but with a longer neck and scale leng ...

double bass The double bass (), also known as the upright bass, the acoustic bass, the bull fiddle, or simply the bass, is the largest and lowest-pitched string instrument, chordophone in the modern orchestra, symphony orchestra (excluding rare additions ...

, drums, and depending on the region,

alto saxophone The alto saxophone is a member of the saxophone family of woodwind instruments. Saxophones were invented by Belgians, Belgian instrument designer Adolphe Sax in the 1840s and patented in 1846. The alto saxophone is pitched in the key of E♭ ( ...

Repertoire

The norteño repertoire covers canción ranchera,

corrido The corrido (Spanish pronunciation: Help:IPA/Spanish, oˈriðo is a famous narrative metrical tale and poetry that forms a Ballad (music), ballad. The songs often feature topics such as oppression, history, daily life for criminals, the vaqu ...

ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and song of Great Britain and Ireland from the Late Middle Ages until the 19th century. They were widely used across Eur ...

, bolero, chotís, cumbia, huapango norteño, mazurka, polka, redowa and

waltz The waltz ( , meaning "to roll or revolve") is a ballroom dance, ballroom and folk dance, in triple (3/4 time, time), performed primarily in closed position. Along with the ländler and allemande, the waltz was sometimes referred to by the ...

. Image:Ramón Ayala.jpg, Ramon Ayala, a norteño musician known as the "King of the Accordion" Image:Los Tigres Del Norte 1.jpg, Los Tigres Del Norte performing at a Californian casino in 2006

History

Origins

Emperor Maximilian I brought Central European music to México during his reign (beginning 1863) in the Second Mexican Empire. By 1864, he had accumulated marching bands and musicians to entertain him. In 1867, the Mexican Republic executed Maximilian, thereby ending the Austrian empire in Mexico. Many of Maximilian's former soldiers and fellow countrymen fled north and dispersed into what is now the

southwestern United States The Southwestern United States, also known as the American Southwest or simply the Southwest, is a geographic and cultural list of regions of the United States, region of the United States that includes Arizona and New Mexico, along with adjacen ...

. Norteño music developed from a blending of Mexican and Spanish oral and musical traditions, military brass band instrumentation, and European musical styles such as polka and

. European immigrants from Germany, Poland, and Czechia to northern Mexico and the southwestern United States also brought dance traditions such as the varsovienne. The focus on the

in the music of their home countries was integrated into Mexican music, and became an essential instrument. It was called norteño ("northern") because it was most popular in the northern regions of Mexico. The late 1910s and 1920s were the golden age of the

, a form of

. Mexicans on both sides of the border came to

San Antonio, Texas San Antonio ( ; Spanish for "Anthony of Padua, Saint Anthony") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in Greater San Antonio. San Antonio is the List of Texas metropolitan areas, third-largest metropolitan area in Texa ...

, to record in hotels. Their songs memorialize the Mexican political revolution of the time. Los Alegres de Terán and Los Donneños were among the first norteño bands. Later in the century, the genre became more commercial with the works of Los Relámpagos del Norte and other groups. More recent bands such as Intocable integrate elements of

rock music Rock is a Music genre, genre of popular music that originated in the United States as "rock and roll" in the late 1940s and early 1950s, developing into a range of styles from the mid-1960s, primarily in the United States and the United Kingdo ...

and other popular styles.

Modernization

Modern norteño has also diverged significantly from more original " oldie" norteño of pre-1950s artists such as Narciso Martínez. Since the 1970s and 1980s, most norteño bands have replaced the tololoche with an electric bass guitar, and the snare drum with a full drum set. The traditional bajo sexto-accordion style of Los Alegres de Terán and Los Donneños transformed into the modern style typical to that of Los Tigres del Norte, Los Tucanes de Tijuana, Intocable, and Duelo. In 2014, Los Tigres del Norte released the album ''Realidades'', which contains the song "Era Diferente" ("She Was Different") about a lesbian teenager who falls in love with her best friend; according to lead singer and songwriter Jorge Hernández, this is the first time a norteño band has ever written a gay love song. Image:Intocable0519-1000.jpg, Intocable File:Norteno BC.jpg, A pre-1970s-style norteño ensemble in

Baja California Baja California, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California, is a state in Mexico. It is the northwesternmost of the 32 federal entities of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1952, the area was known as the North Territory of B ...

, Mexico, consisting of an accordion, a tololoche and a

snare drum The snare drum (or side drum) is a percussion instrument that produces a sharp staccato sound when the head is struck with a drum stick, due to the use of a series of stiff wires held under tension against the lower skin. Snare drums are often u ...

("tarola").

Regional variations

Northeastern Norteño: The most traditional style of norteño. Mainly popular in Mexico's northeastern and central states, and parts of the United States with large Mexican populations from those regions. Some artists that fall under this style include Los Cadetes de Linares, Ramón Ayala y Los Bravos del Norte, Los Invasores de Nuevo León, Los Cardenales de Nuevo León, and Pesado. Pacific Norteño: Uses the same instruments as traditional northeastern norteño, but has a rougher sound; in part due to being influenced by Sinaloan banda music. Also, some bands use a piano accordion instead of the traditional button accordion. Mainly popular in the Mexican states that border the

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five Borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is ...

, as well as the central states, and in parts of the United States with large Mexican populations from those regions. Some artists from this style include Los Tigres del Norte, Los Tucanes de Tijuana, Los Buitres de Culiacán, Los Titanes de Durango, and Marca Registrada. Norteño-Sax: Incorporates an

as a primary instrument along with an accordion. Sounds closer to traditional norteño, but with an emphasis on the saxophone. Several bands are influenced by grupero music and incorporate an

electronic keyboard An electronic keyboard, portable keyboard, or digital keyboard is an electronic musical instrument based on keyboard instruments. Electronic keyboards include synthesizers, digital pianos, stage pianos, electronic organs and digital audio work ...

for their ballads and romantic cumbias. Mainly popular in Mexico's landlocked states, and in parts of the United States with large Mexican populations from that region. Some artists under this umbrella include Conjunto Primavera, Los Rieleros del Norte, Polo Urías y su Máquina Norteña, La Fiera de Ojinaga, and La Maquinaria Norteña. Norteño-Banda: Is essentially pacific norteño, but replaces the bass with a sousaphone; an instrument typically used in banda music for the low notes. Like bass-driven pacific norteño, it is mainly popular in Mexico's pacific and central states, and in parts of the United States with large Mexican populations from those regions. Some artists include Calibre 50, Voz de Mando, Colmillo Norteño, Revolver Cannabis, and Código FN. Norteño Light: Is essentially northeastern norteño, but with a more pop-oriented sound, relaxed rhythms, and contemporary lyrics. It may also incorporate mildly rock elements. Mainly popular in Mexico's northeastern and central states, and parts of the United States with large Mexican populations from those regions. Some artists include Intocable, Duelo, Solido, Siggno, and Grupo Frontera.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Norteno (music) Regional styles of Mexican music Polka derivatives Latin music genres 2000s in Latin music 2010 in Latin music