[Harp-L] RE : Mexican harmonica music

["Hurrican Ramón" <party_man1@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Ranita's ( Froggy in Spanish ) & our illustrious forum leader's post led me to this :

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Hurricane Sez :


The comments on this topic ring close to my heart and I can say this on the subject .

What became of Mexican music historically and it's rise to become popular with in its own country is really kind of funny it's a really wonderful story .

Before there were any " Conjuntos , Norteños , marimba , or Mariachi bands the term  " Camperino " musica ( Camp music is it's literal translation ) , it moistly consisted of three musicians but  as always rules are made to be broken so it's O.K. if there were more than 3 and , the instruments were ( again there were variations to be sure , so , bare with me ) :

Guitar , a small stringed harp ( lap size ) and the harmonica(s) that included  echo's , tremolos and the dedicated model form Hohner the " Centinela " a large diatonic 12 hole I believe .

Every year in Tucson there is a annual " Mariachi festival at the cities convention center and it gets sold out every year , there you will be able to listen to many original forms of early Mexican camperino music . Every major standard "old time " Mexican song had it's first origins played to the mexican masses this way during the 1800's . Mariachis , conjuntos , & the rest own there very existence to this original form of harmonica playing and that is where the harmonica in Mexico began it's early Beginnings . Roll on up to the 20'th century and we find ourselves looking at Mexico at it's last major cross roads in history that led up to and during their " Civil War " led by Pancho Villa & Emiliano Zapata ( I have personal family accounts of these men and how they affected my father's & mothers' families during that time period ) , this war has been misnomer as a revolution , but it to me was more of a Civil war as the Mexican people had already gained their independence 
from the Spanish on September 16  ,1810 :
http://www.mexconnect.com/mex_/history/grito.html

And Also won their independence from France later on May 5  1862 :

http://www.vivacincodemayo.org/history.htm l.

It was during this civil war that the Hohner's Centinela harmonica made it's most modern introduction into fusing it's self to the soldiers of Mexico's Federal Army and the " guerrilleros of Pancho Villa & Emiliano Zapata  (  as did the harmonica to the brave men of " Yankee & Johnny Rebels ideals " who died on the fields of battle in our bloody civil war here in the USA ) during the war years , it was because of the use of this harmonica model that it was given the dedication as a the harmonica of that war and looked on affectionately . As in the case of the American civil war soldiers , the harmonica was easy to take with you and that's about the size of it friends ;)

I play Corridos , Huapangos , Boleros  , Rancheras , and a whole lot more of those styles on my diatonic  .

The harmonic humble , true blue , and as sincere as your intention's , man oh man I have always loved my harmonica :) Now that diligence has added a guitar to my playing and playing also drums , trumpet , keyboard , I still love it the most even if I practice now more on my guitar ( heh , heh , heh My wife --- I always blow her away after not practicing my harp and still ripping songs a new - - 0 - - , I guess going on 51 years at it it's a given for me and I am proud of it too  :) , my friends love my guitar playing but , when I pull out the harmonica case they all now it's going to get thick & heavy fast and their faces show it too !

Anyways fellows & gals Peacer & Love to all .


Sincerely :

HR

Aka :

Party_Man1@xxxxxxxxxx
       
        


 



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