I have really enjoyed this book and have found it quite interesting. Through this text I was able to learn more about the history of the corrido which is an essential part in Mexico’s history, its people and its culture. Usually when the topic of corrido is brought up or when I am found studying on it I usually relate it to the Mexican Revolution and the heroes of this Revolution facing life and death struggles in the midst of combat and being idols for many and dedicating songs to their strength and perseverance. Not until I read this book was I really aware of the importance of the corrido in the Mexican American border history and to its people living in those areas. This musical form of work and its evolution in becoming a piece of music that people identify with and relate with has much of its beginnings connected to the U.S.-Mexico border and its people and the events that have occurred in that area.
As Paredes states, the biggest theme and the most important one found in the corrido is the one about the border conflict. This style of music is used to remember that one hero that fought for his right and one who is able to become and idol for many. One of these heroes being Gregorio Cortez. People of the Rio Grande are able to connect with Cortez and rally around him as he has probably suffered through or witnessed injustices or ill-treatments like many, yet he decides to take a stand against it and stand up for his right and ability to defend himself. He is a man that is able to endure the mistreatment of the Americans. He becomes a figure of importance to the people of the border because for them Cortez like many other figures represent someone who is willing to fight against an oppressive authority and its treatment and laws.
One interesting aspect of the corrido is though it is a simple form of music, meaning that it is mostly easy to understand and analyze I believe that Paredes wants to also make a point that it is still very much artistic and worthy of academic research. He uses much of the second part to analyze its roots, patterns and themes. The corrido though at first glance may seem very direct and effortless it has a vast cultural and musical significance for the border culture.
I like what you said in the last paragraph about the corrido still being “artistic and worthy of research”; this relates to what we talked about in class today. Although it is sung, we can see (after analyzing it and studying Paredes’s analysis) that it is full of meaning and is of great importance to border culture. On the other hand, like you said, at first glance it really does seem to be overly simple or not worthy of giving it any second thought. Paredes definitely proves this wrong though!
Hey Stephanie,
I also liked this book and learned a great deal from it, especially about how to do close-read analysis! I will refer back to it in the years to come. This history aspect of it was the icing on the cake. And how thought provoking is what you mentioned about music and the story living on, carrying the same message that folks relate to…which still has relevance to this day!
Have a good day,
Craig
Hola chica!
I also agree with the first part of your response. It’s so eye-opening how there is a different “culture” that came out of this just because the border was in a different situation than the rest of the whole country and also the fact that it wasn’t just violence that came out of the Revolution but a new form of art that has stayed with everyone for years.
Hi stephanie!
I couldn’t agree with you more. The strength of Paredes’s book is that it shows that a Corrido is much more complex than one might think and, above all, that it is worth studying it because it reveals the state of mind of the people who lived in the border region at the beginning of the 20th century. Moreover, as you point out, Paredes shows us the musical and cultural significance not only of this Corrido but of the Oral Tradition as a whole. I saw Paredes’ s book as a demonstration to prove that every object could be studied and that the oral tradition is as legitimate a source as the more “literate” or classical primary sources.
Hey!
It’s interesting how we can take this specific sample of folklore and study it in this way, take meaning from it and transform it into academic literature. During class I was thinking how I could take Portuguese Fado and maybe study it in this way. Each culture has this musical legacy, mainly connected to the oral history that you mention. So knowing that each nation has oral tradition, could it really be considered literature, as we were discussing in class? Does the fact that each nation has a legacy like this disqualify it from becoming literature? Are some more worthy than others (ie. Jewish folklore and songs, etc)?
Does the cultural relevance and history make some cultures “more worthy” of being heard? Why is it that the Border Ballads are being “made into literature”, why this specifically?
– Maria F.