Las Hermanas Mendoza – Juanita Y Maria CD 430

Description

CD 430

Juanita and Maria Mendoza were raised in a musical family, that honed their talents and experience in a vaudevillean environment in south Texas. Singing in bars and clubs, accompanied by their mother on guitar and performing in the company of their sister, Lydia, Juanita and Maria sang beautiful Spanish duets of corridos, traditional ballads and popular love songs. Shortly after the end of World War II, the Mendoza sisters launched their recording career on the newly established Azteca label in Los Angeles.

The selections on this CD represent the finest of these Azteca recordings from 1946 -1952.

1. Mis Pensamientos
2. Sone Que Me Jurabas
3. Algun Dia
4. Vale Mas Que Te Alejes
5. Los Pachucos
6. Cada Vez Que Me Acuerdo
7. Dos Seres Que Se Aman
8. Por Ultima Vez
9. Las Isabeles
10. Delgadina
11. Corrido De Arnulfo Gonzalez
12. Valentin De La Sierra
13. Que Chula Prieta
14. No Llores Pancha
15. Linda Morenita
16. Los Picones
17. El Contrabando Del Paso
18. Los Versos Del Casamiento
19. La Rancherita
20. Manuelita
21. Yo Vivo En La Parranda
22. Pero Lupita
23. El Resbaloso
24. Por Ahi Se Dice
25. El Desquite
26. Tu Sentencia

REVIEW

“Down and out in a Mexican cantina in 1930s San Antonio, you may have heard the Mendoza sisters sing these grief-ridden love ballads. This was a time when traveling variety tent shows called carpas took entertainment to farm and barrio communities, and when the words pachuco and Chicano were still derogatory.

Juanita and Maria Mendoza follow the traditions of Mexican ranchera music with a prominent 12-string guitar and gutsy vocals. The music does not vary a great deal through the 26 songs on this album, so it’s the Spanish lyrics that carry the listener through the emotion-packed ride. These are songs of love, betrayal, of prominent figures of the time, and of cultural affirmation. A bilingual songbook includes most of the lyrics. ‘Los Pachucos’ is surprising and fascinating for its use of the colloquial Spanglish of the time and for its contempt of extravagantly-dressed youths. Also, listen to ‘El Resbaloso’ for an ‘I’ve had enough, I’m getting rid of you’ stand against male chauvinism.”

-Adolfo Guzman Lopez, Option