Thursday, March 12, 2015

HOW MEXICO LEARNED TO POLKA: TACONEALE ABUELITA!

Legendary norteño group Los Alegres de Terán, in a promotional still from the 1976 documentary Chulas Fronteras.

From: National Public Radio
A casual listener would be forgiven for not knowing one kind of accordion music from another. But where two cultures in particular are concerned, the similarity comes with a century-old backstory involving immigration and imitation.

On the 76th birthday of Flaco Jimenez — one of the instrument's most celebrated living players — Morning Edition asks how the accordion-heavy folk music of northern Mexico came to sound so much like the polkas and waltzes of Eastern Europe. Hear the conversation, featuring Felix Contreras of NPR's Alt.Latino and Chris Strachwitz of Arhoolie Records, at the audio link.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

With the Polish Conquistadoeres that came with Cortez,,they Polka danced the Aztecs to death. This is how the West was won . Taken from the secret archives of the Naco Secirity Agency. (The NSA).

Anonymous said...

They are really Alquadia agents disguised as polka musicians. You can find da Mayor in the pic if you look closely .

Anonymous said...

Actually, the very first naco was Polish. His name was Alesky Grazaslova. The second naco was an Itallian named Petri Pissonyou.

Anonymous said...

The FLOJO in the middle picture looks like Fred Martinez...the failed politician and bondsman.

Anonymous said...

You are right.! I spotted Da Mayor hiding behind da bushes.

rita