Corrido

"The corrido was originally performed as a melodically simple tune with guitar accompaniment. It was performed in waltz time and now commonly adopts a polka rhythm. Since the commercialization of the corrido, it is often performed by conjuntos produced professionally by recording companies"

Prior to widespead use of radio, popular corridos were passed around as an oral tradition, often to spread news of events and popular heroes, and popular humor, to the population, many of whom were illiterate prior to the improvements to the educational system that occurred after the Revolution. Academic study of corridos written during the Mexican revolution shows they were used as a means to communicate news throughout Mexico as a response to the propaganda being spread in the newspapers which were owned by the corrupt government of Pofirio Díaz. Sheet music of popular corridos were sold or included in publications. Other corrido sheets were passed out free as a form of propaganda, to eulogize leaders, armies, and political movements, or in some cases to mock the opposition. The best known Revolutionary corrido, is, of course, La cucaracha, an old song that was rephrased to celebrate th ... poke fun at his nemesis Venustiano Carranza."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corrido

Oooh, another labor of love web site -- Corridos Sin Fronteras - Ballads Without Borders - This bilingual web site teaches the rich history of Mexico through narrative songs known as "corridos". The site supports a Smithsonian Institution traveling exhibition. Visitors learn about revolutionaries, bandits, war heroes, drug smugglers and more through music, art, photography and video. A teacher section helps integrate the site into the classroom, and a resource section provides even more information on this popular musical tradition. Winner of Museums and the Web Best Online Exhibition Award 2003. (site developed by Interactive Knowledge, Inc)

http://www.corridos.org/

http://64.233.183.104/search?q=cache:K28zLOKzoHsJ:www.ncteamericancollection.org/assets/pdf/aaw_corrido.pdf+corrido+romeo&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us&client=firefox-a

"Note that the corrido is a ballad form--the majority those listed as sources in this lesson plan follow a
simple four-line stanza with eight syllables on each line where the last word of the second and forth
line rhyme .

Any of Shakespeare's tragedies provide a suitable narrative for a corrido. In particular, the tragedies Romeo
and Juliet, Hamlet, or Othello all provide dramatic material for "victim corridos
From the press materials of "Corridos sin Fronteras" -
The themes of corridos are diverse but they generally involve tragic accidents and heroes that attract the attention and sympathy of entire communities, Hernandez said. There are corridos about Cesar Chavez, the legendary farm labor leader, and Pancho Villa, the Mexican Revolution leader. Such contemporary groups as Los Tigres Del Norte, which has recorded nearly 500 songs and corridos in their 30-year history, popularize the genre.

"The weekend of March 16-18 was undoubtedly the highlight of the entire Festival with two excellent, but entirely contrasting, productions by groups from Division A and a guest performance by the Compañía de Teatro Repertorio Español de Nueva York of Romeo y Julieta in translation by Pablo Neruda."

http://www.musicayletras.net/cancion/306727/Joan-Sebastian_Romeo-y-julieta.html
a corrido on Romeo y Julieta

About the tango from New Grove dictionary of music

About the tango from New Grove dictionary of music: "The choreography of the tango is also symbolic of the arrabal culture, in that dance figures, postures and gestures reflect some of the mannerisms and style of the compadrito, a popular hero similar to Don Juan, and a pimp in the early Buenos Aires barrios (districts). Mafud (1966) interpreted the straight, immobile upper body of the make dancer as a reflection of the characteristic posture of the compadrito; he related the smooth pattern of steps to the same patterns in the Creole knife duels, and the forward tilt of the spine to the use of elegant high-heeled shoes. The major theme of the tango as a dance for embracing couples is the obvious domination of the male over the female, in a series of steps and a very close embrace highly suggestive of the sexual act. Characteristic of the dance is the contrast between the very active male a..."

Music history of Mexico

Mary's instant research into music history of Mexico in early 1900's:

http://folkloricomusicdance.blogspot.com/
Arriba! Folklorico Music and Dance of Mexico

http://emedia.leeward.hawaii.edu/frary/social_envir_mex.htm
Socio-Cultural Environment of Post-Revolutionary Mexico, by Peter Kun Frary, professor of music

http://news-service.stanford.edu/pr/97/971105remakemex.html
"new views of 20th-century mexico to be explored Nov 13-15 conference - from like 19997. names some people & resources"

3-5 p.m.: Panel on Popular Culture/Mass Audiences I: Music and Dance. Maria Herrera-Sobek, UC-Santa Barbara, "Construction of Nation, Nationality and Ethnicity in the Mexican Corridor: 1910-1945"; Jesus Flores y Escalante, dance historian, "Dance Halls in Mexico City"; and Russel Rodriguez, Stanford and Santa Clara universities, "The cultural poetics and politics of contemporary Mariachis."

"A dance historian will talk about the history of dance halls, and another speaker will discuss how mariachi, a regional music, became a national music. "

http://parlorsongs.com/issues/2004-5/thismonth/feature.php
Parlor songs - a web site about tin pan alley music. This page is about US Music ABOUT Mexico - you are going to love this one - it has the sheet music AND midi files for like 15 songs which contain the 'idea' of mexico held by american songwriters at that time

* La Media Noche is really good

* Lyrics to Sombrero Land

Silently hiding, silently sliding down to his arms,
Two lips caress, with kisses impress her heart in their charms;
Thru gardens groping, They go eloping, silently flee,
As once more to her, he tenderly hums his plea.

* Lyrics to "Sombrero" Mary Wisnewski

[Verse 1]
Way down by the Silv'ry Rio Grande,
There lives Sombrero, A cowboy brave,
Far out in that golden prairie land,
He rides where pampa's plumes serenely wave,

With jingling spurs he comes to town,
Wherein the plaza's shade, each lovely maid,
With soulful glance from eyes of brown,
to win his heart so true and strong will sing this song.

[Chorus]
Sombrero, Sombrero won't you greet
a Senorita Say we'll never part,
Sombrero, Sombrero truly you have
"rounded up" my heart.

[Verse 2]
All day as he gaily rides the range,
Sombrero's dreaming of maidens dear,
Night comes ev'ry dream so fair and strange,
Comes true where mandolins are sounding clear,

And when the dance ends all too soon,
A cigarette he rolls, and slowly strolls,
Beneath the golden southern moon
To hear this song from some sweet girl with heart awhirl.

http://latinmusic.about.com/od/countrie1/p/PRO18BASICS.htm
An overview of mexican popular music from About .com: discusses some early 20th century music + 1800's music as well as more modern stuff