Today I thought I’d share some lively videos of female musicians performing music traditionally associated with men in Mexico and the United States. The inclusion of women is not quite as recent as you might think, with popular all-female Mexican groups playing and touring as early as the 1950s. I am by no means an expert in this history, so this will be but a brief and incomplete snapshot of a much richer legacy, but I hope you will enjoy it nonetheless!
A good place to begin is a work-in-progress website called Mujeres en el Mariachi:
This site is dedicated to the trailblazing WOMEN IN MARIACHI, beginning in Mexico City where three all-female groups set the trend for future women working in this all-male tradition. Theirs is a silent history, seen and heard yet their existence never recognized. We have a large collection of recorded interviews, photographs, and articles of these pioneering women in both Mexico and the US.
The information here is still sparse, but most notable in my opinion is firstly their collection of photos documenting a USO tour given by Las Rancheritas y su Mariachi in Vietnam to entertain American troops during the war:
And secondly a video of a 2008 reunion concert given in San Jose, California, by the surviving members of three of Mexico’s very first all-female groups from the 1950s, playing together now as Mariachi Las Pioneras de México:
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Linda Ronstadt
Let’s fast-forward now to someone more well-known to wider American audiences. Of English, German, and Mexican descent, Linda Ronstadt put out not only many English-language albums throughout her career, but also the highly acclaimed Canciones De Mi Padre, comprised of traditional Mexican tunes. You can, and should, watch the full 1989 KQED concert here:
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And what about current mujeres mariachi? Here are three groups worth checking out!
Mariachi Divas
This is the first all-female mariachi group both to be nominated for a Grammy Award and to win one. You may also know them as the official mariachi band of Disneyland!
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Mariachi Flor de Toloache
A mariachi fusion ensemble out of New York City that also has a Grammy nomination as well as a win under their belt, Mariachi Flor De Toloache takes its name from nightshade, a plant associated with mysticism. The band was cofounded by Mireya Ramos — whose father was himself a mariachi performer — and Shae Fiol, and got their start playing on subway platforms before rising to fame.
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La Santa Cecilia
Another Grammy-nominated and Grammy-winning band, Los Angeles group La Santa Cecilia is not really a mariachi band, but their 2017 live album Amar y Vivir — En Vivo Desde La Ciudad De México pays skilled homage to a variety of Mexican folk music styles. You can watch an excellent 40-minute video below that is half concert/half documentary.
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Finally, I’d like to highlight one song from the previous album in particular — “Ingrata” — whose lyrics portray a man chastising and threatening the titular “ungrateful woman” for not loving him properly and for wanting to leave him. The fact that lead singer Marisol Hernández (AKA La Marisoul) and guest singer Mon Laferte chose *not* to change the gender of either the title or the characters in order for the song to be performed from the point of view of a woman protagonist leaves us with a poignant reminder not only of the traditional exclusion of women from important facets of Mexican culture and society, but also of the very real dangers women experience in the country to this day. You can find a rough translation of the lyrics below the video.
Ingrata — Spanish lyrics
Ingrata, no me digas que me quieres
No me digas que me adoras que me amas
Que me extrañas que ya no te creo nada
Ingrata, que no ves que estoy sufriendo
Por favor hoy no me digas
Que sin mi te estas muriendo
Que tus lagrimas son falsas
Ingrata, no me digas que me adoras
Se te nota que en tus labios
Ya no hay nada que tu puedas
Ofrecer a esta boca
Por eso ahora yo se que veniste
Por que te acuerdas de mi cariño
Por eso ahora que estoy tan triste
No quiero que nadie me mire sufrir
Ingrata, no me digas que me quieres
Tu desprecias mis palabras
Y mis besos mas de una ves
Hicieron que soñaras
Ingrata, no te olvides que si quiero
Pues si puedo hacerte daño
Solo falta que yo quiera
Lastimarte y humillarte
Ingrata, aunque quieras tu dejarme
Los recuerdos de esos días
De las noches tan oscuras tu
Jamas podrás borrarte
No me digas que me quieres
Que me adoras
Que me extrañas
Que ya no te creo nada
Por eso ahora yo se que veniste
Por que te acuerdas de mi cariño
Y no me importa si lloro un poquito
Porque ese poquito será por tu amor
No vengas para pedirme que
Tenga compasión de ti
Y luego vienes a pedirme
Que quieres estar lejos de mi
Te pido que no regreses
Si no es para darme
Un poquito de amor
Te pido y te lo suplico
Por el cariño
Que un día nos unió
Por eso ahora
Tendré que obsequiarte
Un par de balazos
Pa que te duela
Y aunque estoy triste
Por ya no tenerte
Voy a estar contigo
En tu funeral
Ingrata — English lyrics
Ungrateful woman, don’t tell me that you care about me,
Don’t tell me that you adore me, that you love me,
That you miss me, I don’t believe you anymore.
Ungrateful woman, don’t you see how I’m suffering?
Please don’t tell me
That you’re dying without me.
Your tears are false.
Ungrateful woman, don’t tell me that you adore me,
I can tell that your lips
Have nothing more to offer
This mouth of mine.
I know you just came here today
Because you miss how sweetly I always treat you.
That’s why I’m so sad now,
And I don’t want anyone to see my suffering.
Ungrateful woman, don’t tell me that you love me,
You have no respect for what I say,
Even though my kisses
have often thrilled you.
Ungrateful woman, don’t forget that if I want to
I can cause you a lot of pain,
All I need is the desire
To hurt and humiliate you.
Ungrateful woman, even if you do want to leave me,
You’ll never be free of the memory
Of those dark days
And nights.
Don’t tell me that you love me,
That you adore me,
That you miss me,
I don’t believe you anymore.
I know you just came here today
Because you miss how sweetly I always treat you.
And I don’t mind if I do cry a little,
Because that little bit I cry will be because of your love.
Don’t come here asking
For my compassion,
Just to turn around and tell me
You want to leave me.
Don’t bother coming back to me
Unless you’re going to give me
Just a little bit of love.
I’m asking you and begging you,
In the name of the love
That once united us.
And that’s why now
I have to give you this little gift:
A couple of gunshots
So you’ll feel what pain is.
And even though I’m sad
That you’re not here anymore,
I’ll be right there with you
At your funeral.
The song was originally performed by the hugely influential all-male Mexican group Café Tacvba, and the lyrics are certainly shocking. Fortunately, however, they have now renounced their original version of the song, collaborating with Colombian star Andrea Echeverri to put out a new cut more in line with today’s values, featuring an additional verse penned by Echeverri. Here’s how it reads now, and you can view a concert performance here: