Descripción de La Musica Son Jarocho:

San Diego Anti-War March and Peace Rally protesting the 5th Anniversary of the Iraq Invasion and Occupation, March 15th, 2008, in Teralta Park, City Heights. Son Jarocho Music of Veracruz: Remember the song La Bamba? It has its origins in the traditional music called "son jarocho" from the State of Veracruz, Mexico. The Spanish word son means folk music and jarocho is the particular style of music that originated in the Jarocho region which encompasses the area from the port city of Veracruz on the Gulf of Mexico all the way south along the coast to Tehuantepec. Son jarocho traces its roots to African, Spanish and indigenous cultural elements. The West African influence can be traced to the arrival of people of African descent into Central America and is characterized by a highly repetitive musical structure, by improvisational lyrics with individual call and response, and by its humor and spontaneity. The theatrical music style and the dance element came from Spain while the themes and lyrics focusing on animals were contributed by the people of Mexico. A classic example of the son jarocho is "La Bamba," which features a distinct three-chord repeated pattern underlying a simple verse (or verses), which allow for variation and improvisation. While the genre was not widely known outside Mexico, in the 1950s, Chicano rock musician Richie Valens recorded his seminal version of "La Bamba," and unknowingly exposed Americans to some of Mexico's traditional music history.