The composition selected for the analysis in this paper is called El Cielito Lindo. This is a popular Mexican song traditionally performed in Spanish, but there are several translations of this composition to other languages. El Cielito Lindo was written in 1882 and promoted by the composer called Quirino Mendoza y Cortes; it represents a group of the “Latin golden oldies” (Schulman par. 2). As a rather old song, El Cielito Lindo has been sung by a large variety of artists over the decades of its existence. Initially, the song was performed by a solo guitar player, and over time it started to be played by mariachi bands consisting of several musicians.
The number of variations of El Cielito Lindo is large as any artist tries to transform the classic composition according to their own style. The meanings of this song also may vary. The traditional language of El Cielito Lindo is Spanish and the translators attempting to adjust the composition for other cultures usually tend to change some of its lines in order to achieve better rhyming and rhythm, which often reflects in the shift of the song’s meaning.
Translating El Cielito Lindo literally one will learn that the title of the song means “A Lovely Sky”. At the same time, the contents of the song demonstrate that it is meant as an address to a beloved person. In this case, the phrase “el cielito lindo” is a connotation. The word “cielito” could also be translated as an endearing address such as “darling”. As a result, the actual title of this song could mean “A Lovely Darling”. Besides, discussing the performance of El Cielito Lindo by the band Los Rogacianos it is important to notice that the lyrics introduced by the artists are very different from the classic ones. Basically, only a few aspects of the lyrics by Los Rogacianos match the initial form of the song.
When it comes to the way the composition is performed by the mariachi band called Los Rogacianos, one is likely to notice that the music has a speedy tempo and is performed in an energetic and cheerful manner. The introduction of the song resembles the sound of a violin from which it is possible to conclude that the technique called “bowing” is employed. Bowing refers to the application of the bow used to play a violin to a guitar. The result is a gentle and flowing sounding. This technique can be found more than once during the course of the performance of Los Rogacianos. Apart from the introduction, bowing is also used in the middle of the composition. The major part of the song is played using the manicos technique. The band members start their performance with a chorus delivered in a very well-coordinated manner by all the band members together. Further, a solo singer performs the verse. The interchange of the solo and group singing continues throughout the entire song. The perfect organisation of the tempo signifies that the band spent a long time rehearsing this song in order to be able to perform at such fast tempo without losing the ideal harmony and balance of the voices.
To conclude, the song El Cielito Lindo sung and played by Los Rogacianos is an excellent example of the classic mariachi style with highly organised delivery, energetic tempo, and well-balanced sounding.
Works Cited
Schulman, Bob. Ay, Ay, Ay, Ay: The Little-Known Roots of ‘Cielito Lindo’. 2014. Web.