Cielito Lindo

'Cielito Lindo' is a song that's reached iconic status in Mexico. Any international football fan will have heard it. It's the song that Mexicans erupt in unison singing, to cheer on their national team in the World Cup.



Here they are against Portugal; and against Iran; and against France (at 1.26); and against Germany; and against Costa Rica; and against Chile. We could go on and on. Mexican football crowds sing it, in support of the national team, against any challengers.

It's also become a favorite to welcome international musical artists on the stages of Mexico. Yesterday, we told how it was sung to Lady Gaga. She was by no means the first. Here it is featuring in a U2 concert, in 2009.



It has been sung to everyone from Faith No More to Divididos. But the list of those it has been recorded by is even more impressive.

Just about every major Mexican singer has done a version at some time (even if it's just an informal rendering at a concert). But it's spread much wider than that. Pedro Infante, Bing Crosby, Placido Domingo, Jose Carrera, Luciano Pavarotti, Alma Cogan, Ella Fitzgerald, Luis Miguel, Enrique Iglesias, Alejandro Fernández and thousands others have thrilled Mexican fans with 'Cielito Lindo'.

It is a tune very close to the Mexican heart. Recently, Manchester United fans were looking for a chant to sing to their star Mexican footballer, Javier Hernández. One British Mancunian came up with a variation of 'Cielito Lindo', which namechecked both Hernández and his club. "Watch out," a Mexican fan commented, "you might make him cry." (Javier Hernandez Chant?)



So what is this song? 'Cielito Lindo' was penned in 1882 by Quirino Mendoza y Cortés. It was popularized, as most famous traditional Mexican songs were, by Pedro Infante singing it in a film.

This was 'Los Tres García' (1947), in which three charros (cowboys) fall in love with an American girl named Lupita. Their grandmother is not impressed and tries to thwart them at every turn. But romance wins the day for Infante's character, Luis Antonio García, and the lovely Lupita. It was a massive box office hit and, when Infante sang his love-song to Lupita, the hearts of thousands of cinema-goers melted. 'Cielito Lindo' was now sealed in the Mexican consciousness forever.



Of course, it's only the older generation who recall Lupita now. For everyone else, it is a love song to be sung at footballers and Lady Gaga. Beyond that, it's the preserve of bar sing-a-longs and Mariachi bands.

Ever wished that you could sing along? Or, at least, know what the Mexcians are singing? Here is your big moment. Give it a go. Mexico will love you.

Cielito Lindo

De la Sierra Morena, Cielito lindo, vienen bajando, Un par de ojitos negros, Cielito lindo, de contrabando. Estribillo: Ay, ay, ay, ay, Canta y no llores, Porque cantando se alegran, Cielito lindo, los corazones. Pájaro que abandona, Cielito lindo, su primer nido, Si lo encuentra ocupado, Cielito lindo, bien merecido. (Estribillo) Ese lunar que tienes, Cielito lindo, junto a la boca, No se lo des a nadie, Cielito lindo, que a mí me toca. (Estribillo) Si tu boquita morena, Fuera de azúcar, fuera de azúcar, Yo me lo pasaría, Cielito lindo, chupa que chupa. (Estribillo) De tu casa a la mía, Cielito lindo, no hay más que un paso, Antes que venga tu madre, Cielito lindo, dame un abrazo. (Estribillo) Una flecha en el aire, Cielito lindo, lanzó Cupido, y como fue jugando, Cielito lindo, yo fui el herido. (Estribillo)

Through dark tresses, heavenly one, a pair of deep brown eyes, lower as they approach, a stolen glance. Refrain: Ay, ay, ay, ay, sing and don't cry, heavenly one, for singing gladdens hearts. A bird that abandons his first nest, heavenly one, then finds it occupied by another, deserves to lose it. (Refrain) That beauty mark you have next to your mouth, heavenly one, don't share with anyone but me who appreciates it. (Refrain) If your little mouth, my dark girl, were made of sugar, I would spend my time enjoying its sweetness. (Refrain) From your house to mine there is no more than a step. Before your mother comes, heavenly one, give me a hug. (Refrain) Cupid shot off an arrow, heavenly one, And though he was playing, I was wounded. (Refrain)

Sombrero Chic

Rocking her sombrero, in Mexico City, is American actress, Katy Perry. She was in the country, on February 7th, as part of the promotion for the perfume range, 'Purr'. After entertaining the crowds, Ms Perry sat down to meet, greet and sign some autographs. It was then that a fan handed her the hat; and it was this photograph that ended up in all the world's media. Why? Because it placed her firmly in her location. Katy Perry is in Mexico! And she has the sombrero to prove it!

Nothing says Mexico like the sombrero. On a global scale, it's probably more recognizable than our flag, as a national icon. But why this particular hat and why did it become so famous?


'Sombrero' by Ngy Thanh
The name sombrero comes from the Spanish sombra, meaning 'shade', and therein lies the clue to its original function. Out in the fields, with the Mexican sun pounding down, the workers needed some protection. No-one is going to walk around with a parasol nor stop to erect marquees, so they had to get shelter from somewhere. Enter the wide-brimmed hat - portable, practical shade from the elements.

These workers started early in the morning, while the dawn was barely a glimmer on the horizon. They worked throughout the climbing heat, until noon made it unbearable. The sombreros allowed them to stay out in the field, hunkered down under their hats, for a siesta and a break. Then, as the afternoon waned, they were in situ for the second half of the day's labour, continuing late into the evening.

To the north-east, there were newcomers. The American pioneers, treading a trail into the Wild West, started to encounter these Mexican workers. Originating, on the whole, from colder climes, the Americans had seen neither a sombrero nor a siesta before. Thus two stereotypes were born: the 'lazy' Mexican and the 'big hat wearing' Mexican. Of course, as soon as they'd settled in and experienced a few summers in the heat themselves, the practicality of the situation was learned. The sombrero inspired the Stetson, the cowboy hat extraordinaire.


John Wayne
It may seem slightly incredible that those monstrously huge, brightly colored sombreros, touted in so many tourist shops, could have inspired the more subdued cowboy hats. However, a sombrero simply means 'wide-brimmed hat'. What the Americans saw on the heads of Mexican farm labourers and ranchers weren't the massive, elaborate hats, seen so often now on the heads of the Mariachis.

For a start, it would have been highly difficult to even attempt heavy manual work, while keeping one of those perched on your head. The workers' sombreros were smaller and woven from straw. The wealthier people, including landowners and overseers, lined their hats with felt. These sombreros looked much more like a Stetson.


Hats worn by Mexican ranchers and farm workers
Most people don't see the hats in the field. They see them instead in the world of entertainment: on the heads of Mariachis; at the rodeos; in the parades. These are the places where style and spectacle always win out over practicality. Thus the sombreros get bigger and wilder, more embroidered and in ever more startling colors. They were donned in homage to the hats of their audiences, in solidarity, but with a sprinkle of showbusiness glitz and glamour.

Of course, these were the shows, the style and music that got exported around the world. These were the hats that made Mexico famous or, in some case, infamous. Celebrity visitors still habitually slip on a sombrero to signal their identification with the Mexican people.


Pope John Paul II, with a Mariachi sombrero, in Mexico
The average Mexican does not wear a huge sombrero. Those in the countryside, working out on the land, may still wear the smaller, more practical versions, but in the cities our crowns are bare. Nevertheless, it's a recognized gesture that a sombrero on a head means a nod to Mexico.

There are only two reasons that an urban Mexican will put on a sombrero. One is for fun and the other for national identity. Often the two go hand in hand. They are the fiestas, the parades and the great sporting events. Any time that anyone needs a visual prop to say, '¡Viva México!', then out comes the hat and voila! Instant Mexicano!


Fan supporting Mexico, in the 2010 World Cup

Fun is precisely the reason that so many tourists buy one too. Shops and mercados, all over Mexico, display their brightly colored, vastly over-sized sombreros, and visitors to our country snap them up en masse. This is great! It provides photo-opportunities at every turn and creates an array of color across our beaches. Moreover, those beaches need shade and so the story of the sombrero turns full circle, right back to the beginning. You see, there's nothing like a sombrero to keep the Mexican sun from your face.

Plácido Domingo and Yanni Honor Mexico

Neither Plácido Domingo or Yanni are Mexican. However, their love for the country is evident in their album releases this month. Each man has done what he does best, creating music in honour of the bicentennial and centennial celebrations. This isn't so surprising, when you realise how beloved the Spanish tenor and Greek composer are in Mexico.

This year sees the 200th anniversary of the Mexican War of Independence, which separated Mexico from the Spanish Empire. This month also witnesses the 100th anniversary of the Mexican Revolution, which established civil rights and democracy for its population. Both artists have recorded their albums with these events in mind.



Plácido Domingo was up first, with his album, 'Mexico Lindo y Querido' ('My Pretty and Beloved Mexico'). The song of the same name is a favorite of Mariachi and Ranchera ensembles and the clue to the style of music is right there. Domingo brings his considerable vocal prowess to these traditional Mexican groups. It is already in the shops.

Domingo is no stranger to Mexico. He was born in Spain, but moved to Mexico with his parents, when he was eight years old. Later he entered the National Conservatory of Music, in Mexico City, to study piano and conducting. It was here that he was encouraged to train his voice instead. His operatic debut was held in Monterrey, Mexico, when he was cast as Alfredo, in 'La Traviata'.

Domingo has married twice, both times to Mexican women. With his first wife, Ana María Guerra Cué, he had a son, José Plácido Domingo Guerra, who was born in Mexico City, in 1958. In 1962, Domingo married his second wife, Marta Ornelas. A stunning soprano, she was voted Mexican Singer of the Year in the same year. She gave up her career to care for their two sons, Plácido Francisco and Alvaro Maurizio.

Despite travelling all over the world, as Domingo is in demand for concerts and other performances, the family regularly return to the home that they maintain in Acapulco, Mexico.

After an earthquake, in 1985, rocked Mexico City, Domingo performed a number of benefit concerts to raise money for the victims. As a result, public subscription paid for a statue in his honor. It was cast, by Alejandra Zúñiga, out of door keys handed in by the people of Mexico City. This was especially poignant to Domingo, as he had lost four of his own relatives in the tragedy.

Domingo also performed a concert, in 2003, in aid of Ciudad de la Alegria Foundation. This Cancún based charity provides homes and assistance to the most vunerable in society, including low-income individuals, orphans, expectant mothers, immigrants, rehabilitated legal offenders, and the terminally ill.

More recently, in December 2009, Domingo held a free concert in Mexico City. This was staged in front of the Angel of Independence statue and included arias, as well as traditional Mexican songs.

'Mexico Lindo y Querido' is already riding up the Mexican album charts, after its release last month. Domingo sings popular Mexican songs, backed by a Mariachi band.



Yanni announced, two days ago, the imminient release of his 'Yanni: Mexicanisimo'. There is no actual date, as yet, for when this will be in the shops, but it is expected before the bicentennial celebrations, on September 16th. His blog describes what is to come: 'Yanni: Mexicanisimo brings together some of the most beautiful Mexican songs of all time in a fusion of Ranchero, Symphonic Orchestra and Yanni's unique magic.'

Born and raised in Greece, Yanni has spent his adult years based in the USA. However, he has expressed his love of all things Mexican and this album is his tribute to the festivities here.

Mariachis!

This weekend, over 450 mariachis participated in a parade around Guadalajara, in Jalisco. They were here, from as far afield as the Slovak Republic, Japan, Canada, Australia, the USA and several South American countries, to enjoy the 17th Mariachi and Charreria Festival. They were joined in the parade by traditional dancers and charros (cowboys), creating a colorful and vibrant display of Mexican culture. It was an event which drew over 200,000 spectators and, despite fears about violence in the area, passed without incident.



The Mariachis can be found all over Mexico. Often in distinctive sombrero hats and studded charro uniforms, they serenade diners in restaurants; entertain shoppers in the malls and markets; drift along streets, causing a spring in the step of all those passing by. They create the magical atmosphere of Mexico City's Garbaldi Plaza; and many still flood to watch the most talented of all perform their concerts. Mexicans frequently hire Mariarchis to play at weddings or on other special occasions. To an international audience, the marachi music IS the music of Mexico. It is what they hum to themselves, far away back home, trying to rekindle the feeling of their Mexican vacation.

Mariachi music was born in the state of Nayarit, in Western Mexico, during the colonial period. In its traditional sense (there has been a lot of experimentation over the years), it is played by an ensemble using a vihuela, a guitarrón, violins, trumpets, an acoustic guitar and, sometimes, a harp. In fact, it is considered that, without the vihuela and guitarrón, the band is not Mariachi. Often, but not always, there is a vocalist or two. It is noteworthy for the Grito Mexicano, moments when the whole ensemble shout out a refrain or call, like 'AY YA YAY YA!' or 'tequila!'



When Mariachi began, it was seen as scandalous. Just as parents in the 1950s worried about the influence of rock'n'roll, and their modern day counterparts panic about death rock metal, then the colonial and post-colonial elders protested the Mariachi. The instruments were mostly Spanish in origin and had been used to accompany church services. The vihuela and guitarrón provided a backdrop of music by which the Catholic devout could take Communion. Then the younger generation started using them for popular music.

These instruments, perceived as religious, were now used to sing songs about machismo, revolutionary heroes, love, death and politics. Some of these were even anti-clerical. Priests railed against the Mariachi from their pulpits, exorting Mama and Papa to rein in their wayward youngsters. Despite, or because of, this, the Mariachi flourished. Then, as Mexico gained independence from the Spanish, Mariachi grew in popularity as something distinctly Mexican. The songs became used to spread news from village to village, town and city. The bands played at Independence Day celebrations everywhere; and also during the 1934 presidential election campaign of Lázaro Cárdenas.

But it was the advent of movies that truly pushed the Mariachi into the hearts of Mexicans; as well as linking this genre of music with Mexico for all foreigners. Mexican movies, and the appearance of Mexicans in Hollywood movies, promoted the idea of macho Mexican men, with charming smiles and hearts of gold. Idols, such as Pedro Infante and Jorge Negrete, turned their smouldering gazes towards the camera, quickening the heartbeats of women all over the world. Their Latino hot, tough guy image was underscored with Mariachi music.

It's still happening. Robert Rodriguez's directorial debut, in 1993, began with the first of his 'Mariachi Trilogy'. 'El Mariachi', 'Desperado' and 'Once Upon a Time in Mexico'. They went on to achieve global acclaim, Hollywood 'player' status, several movie awards and a lot of profit for Rodriguez, as well as launching the American film careers of Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek. Mariachi music worked its magic again.