Famous Mexican Musicians

Mexicans are fond of music and dance. They can never imagine a life that has no music or dance. They never waste an opportunity to celebrate and the music will be a part of all celebrations (big or small). Mexican musicians use instruments such as flutes, drums, gourd rattles and other similar musical instruments. Many of the Mexican traditional music were written when Mexico was a Spanish colony. However, the Mexican folk songs were popular right from the 16th century. Mexican music became popular in the USA during the mid 20th century. During the Mexican Revolution of 1910 many Mexicans had crossed over to the US in search of jobs. They brought their culture and tradition along with them. The Mexican musicians transmitted their musical styles to enrich the musical life of all music lovers. Though most of the Mexican musicians are male, few women musicians have also contributed to the Mexican music.

Some of the Famous Mexican Musicians

There are many Mexican musical groups who perform in the restaurants, street and also during the festivals. Some of the best-known and famous Mexican musicians are listed here.

• Miguel Bernal Jiménez (February 16, 1910 - July 26, 1956)
  
  He was not only a musician but also a music composer. He was known as the Mexican musician who promoted religious music. He had contributed most of his work to the Mexican Nationalist Movement. Some of his popular works include Ave Gratia Plena, Cuarteto Virreinal, Tata Vasco, El Himno de los Bosques, Misa Guadalupana Juandieguito and many more. One of the musical works that was acclaimed worldwide was Tata Vasco.

• Manuel de Elías (June 5, 1939 - )
  
  He was a music composer and conductor. He was instrumental in establishing the Musical Institute at the University of Veracruz, in the year 1975. Some of his popular works which he created for various groups include Vitral 1 for Chamber Orchestra, Vitral 3 for Orchestra, Divertimento for Drum-kit, Aphorismus 1 for Choir a capella, Aphorismus 3 for Solo Flute and Sonate 1 for Piano. He dedicated his work Mictlán-Tlatelolco to the earthquake (Mexico City) victims of 1985.

• Lolita De La Colina
  
  She was a popular singer and songwriter of the seventies. She has written songs for the celebrities like Manoella Torres, Sophy, José Luis Rodríguez, Daniela Romo, Arianna, Stephanie Salas, Lupita D'Alessio and José José. One of her songs, "Perdon" was a great hit. One of her songs that was not only a hit but also an unforgettable one was "Tu nombre me lo callo". This was recorded by Rafael of the group - The Spainard.

• Blas Galindo (February 3, 1910 - April 9, 1993)
  
  Blas Galindo was a Mexican composer who formed a group called "Grupo de los cuatro" in the year 1934. Some of his vocal works include Jicarita, Arrullo, for soloist and orchestra, Canciones de Jalisco and many more. His works on Chamber music include Sonata for clarinet and piano, Sonata for cello and piano. During his lifetime he received many awards for his musical work.

• Manuel María Ponce Cuéllar (December 8, 1882 - April 24, 1948)
  
  Ponce was a composer and a scholar of the traditional Mexican music. He wrote music for solo instruments such as guitar and piano and also for chamber ensembles and orchestra. Few of the songs written by him include Adiós mi bien, Isaura de mi amor, Tal vez Tres poemas de E. González Martínez, Una multitud más and many more. One of the melodies composed by Ponce, which is still popular is "Estrellita".

Some Famous Contemporary Mexican Musicians

Here is a list of some popular contemporary Mexican musicians.

• Juan Gabriel (January 7, 1950 ) born in Alberto Aguilera Valdez. He is a Mexican songwriter and singer. He has won many awards for his compositions. He composes for the bands Mariachi and Ranchera ballad. He makes compositions for pop music also. His musical works are well-appreciated by the music lovers all over the world. In 1996, Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley, declared October 5th as "The Day of Juan Gabriel". He is very popular in America. He was nominated for Grammy six times. In the year 2001 his statue was erected at the Mexico City. It was in the honor of his being awarded by the Billboard Awards that year. In the year 2002, he was honored with four Billboard awards. Some of his famous albums are Inocente` de Ti , El Alma Joven, En el Palacio de Bellas Artes and there are many more. Celebracion De los 25 Años de Juan Gabriel en Bellas Artes was released when Juan Gabriel completed 25 years in the musical arena. There are many songs written by him that are yet to be recorded.

• Marco Antonio Solis (December 29, 1959 ) born in Ario de Rosales, Michoacán, Mexico.
  He is not only a singer and a composer but also a producer of musical records. In 1996, he wrote as well as produced an album called "Nuevos Senderos" for the group in Puerto Rica called "Merengue Queen". This album had some wonderful songs such as "Basta Ya" , "Me Subes", "Me Bajas, and "Me Subes," was an instant hit. One of his albums that was released in 2008, was "Una Noche En Madrid" (en Vivo). Some of his other popular albums are La Mejor Colleccion, La Historia Continua 3, Trozos De Mi Alma 2 and many more albums that have a collection of wonderful songs accompanied with musical instruments.

Mexican music is popular in not only in Mexico but also in America and Europe. The famous Mexican American singers and musicians are playing a crucial role in keeping their traditions alive. The Mexican music is lively and offers pure entertainment. The singers like Jade Esteban Estrada, Selena, La Mafia , Roy Benavidez, Freddy Fender, Hector P. Gracia are some of the famous contemporary singers.