Son Jarocho

Infobox Music genre
name=Son Jarocho
bgcolor=darksalmon
color=black
stylistic_origins=Son
cultural_origins=18th century Veracruz
instruments= Requinto, Jarana, Pandero, Harp
popularity= Popularity of this Mexican genre has grown much.
derivatives=
subgenrelist=
subgenres=
fusiongenres=
regional_scenes=
other_topics=Charro - Jarabe tapatío - Zapateado-Mariachi-Huapango-Son Huasteco

Son Jarocho is a traditional musical style of Veracruz, Mexico. It has historically been played from the northern state of Tabasco to central Veracruz, including Veracruz port and its hinterlands, hence the term "jarocho", the colloquial term for people or things from this region. It represents a fusion of indigenous (primarily Huastecan), Spanish, and African musical elements, reflecting the population which evolved in the region from Spanish colonial times. Lyrics include humorous verses and subjects such as love, nature, sailors, and cattle breeding that still reflect life in colonial and 19th century Mexico. Verses are often shared with the wider Mexican and Hispanic Caribbean repertoire and some can even be found in works from writers of the Spanish siglo de oro.

The instruments associated with Son Jarocho are the "jaranas" (in various dimensions), requinto jarocho, harp and percussion such as pandero, Cajón and quijada (an instrument made of a donkey or horse jawbone). Son Jarocho is often played only on jaranas and sung in a style in which several singers exchange improvised verses called "decimas", often with humorous or offensive content. The most widely known "son jarocho" is La Bamba, which has been popularized through the version by Ritchie Valens and the American movie of the same name.

More recently, instruments and rhythms from son jarocho have been used by rock groups such as Café Tacuba and Ozomatli.

Related genres are: Son Huasteco, Huapango, Son jaliciense, Son Chiapaneco and Son.

Well-known artists playing the genre are: Mono Blanco, Siquisirí, Tlen Huicani, Chuchumbé, Los Cojolites, Conjunto Jardin and Son de Madera.

New artists include Boston, MA-based trio, [http://www.latuzamusic.com/ La Tuza] .

External links

* [http://www.sonjarocho.com/ The History of Son Jarocho on the website of an American Conjunto Jarocho]