Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Latin Roots: Essential Ranchera

Antonio Aguilar in <em>The Undefeated</em>.
Wikimedia Commons
Antonio Aguilar in The Undefeated.

Rachel Faro joins World Cafe's Latin Roots to talk ranchera. Sometimes called "Mexican country music," ranchera, Faro says, is a serenade style that began as a protest against the tastes of the rich during the Mexican revolution. In fact, the work of composer José Alfredo Jiménez sometimes resembles U.S. folk music — a form of protest music in its own right.

"[Ranchera is] all about feeling," Faro says. "It's really the heart and soul of Mexico in many ways. ... [It] is a way for the people to express themselves: their lives, their feelings, their hopes and dreams."

Hear the full episode at the audio link and more ranchera music at an extended Spotify playlist.

Copyright 2014 XPN