El Fandanguito

A brief information about the "fandango"

The fandango is a musical and dance genre originated in Spain and that was naturally brought into the New World. In Mexico it found not just a new space to be reproduced, but a new home. The East of Mexico, the port of Veracruz (Gulf of Mexico) was oe of the most important entraces of cultural interchange during the Colonial Period in Mexico.

The fandango was/is not just oral tradition, music and dance but a cultural space to share knowledge, creativity, strength social bonds and even solve problems. The fandango is a festivity, a gathering were musicians, dancers and audience would get together to express themselves. An important part of the fandango, is in this case, the son jarocho, like the musical piece of the video: El Fandanguito. 

The son jarocho is comprised not just by the music, but the by the lyrics which are of relevance because it is a type of poetry. In fact the analysis of the lyrics of the sones, is already an extensive study, because they are also traces of old Spanish way of speaking and writing. The lyrics are generally descriptive, about love or social problems. All in all, that is the magic of the language and the music, which can be used to express anything. The topics are diverse and the Fandanguito here is like a hymn for the jaraneros (people who play the jarana, a small string instrument essential in the son jarocho). 

Arcadio Hidalgo is one of the pillars of the resurgence of the son jarocho and his lyrics are extremely poetic. He is describing his love, passion and activity as a musician. He is also singing one of the traditional verses and he is also claiming for better life opportunities. He is a peasant and in spite of the poor life conditions, he is strong, as his jarana. 

 "Yo fui a la Revolución
a luchar por el derecho
de sentir sobre mi pecho
una gran satisfacción
pero hoy vivo en un rincón
cantándole a mi amurgura
pero con la fe segura
y gritándole al destino
que es el hombre campesino
nuestra esperanza futura"

This is a décima, because it has ten verses and it says:

"I went to the Revolution
to fight for the right
of feeling on my chest
a big satisfaction
but now I live in a corner
I sing to the bitterness
but I have confident faith
that the peasants
are our future hope"



Información sobre el video 
Son jarocho compuesto por Arcadio Hidalgo
Interpretado por Antonio García de León, voz y jarana
del LP Sones de Veracruz, colección INAH, Vol. 6, 1969
INAH: Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia (México)
http://www.gobiernodigital.inah.gob.mx/Fonoteca/htme/acer00404a.html
http://www.culturatradicional.org/musica/jarocho/inah.htm

Dibujo por Alec Dempster
Título: Isidro Nieves
http://alecdempsterillustration.blogspot.com/

Un video de Antonio García cantando este tema en vivo:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cXy0lMtmlw