Apuntes sobre la canción popular moderna en México

Abstract

After a reflection on the peculiar status of popular song since its entry into "the era of technical reproducibility" described by Benjamin, this article addresses three central aspects of the analysis of the modern popular song: the media construction of the image of the successful singer, the textual analysis of the lyrics as well as the constitution and evolution of the genres in which the songs are grouped. To illustrate these three aspects, two Mexican examples will be analyzed: the construction of the image of Chavela Vargas as a cursed singer, the literary roots of the lyrics of the boleros La barca and El reloj, written by Roberto Cantoral, and the vicissitudes of the corrido from the 1930s to the present day.

Keywords

• bolero
• popular song
• chavela vargas
• corrido
• roberto cantoral