Los Madrugadores – 1931-1937 / Arhoolie CD-7035

Description

CD 7035

Los Madrugadores was the Number One group in Mexican-American Music in the 1930’s. They were the first big stars of Mexican‚American music and famous radio personalities in Southern California and the Southwest. Their lineup featured the charismatic Pedro J. Gonzalez: reluctant revolutionary musician songwriter band leader radio star social activist and convict.

First time on CD! This CD includes a 28 page booklet with complete historical notes rare photos and song transcriptions and translations.

“During the Great Depression of the 1930s Los Madrugadores (The Early Risers) became the most popular group in the field of Mexican-American music. Their fame first spread throughout Los Angeles and southern California via their daily radio broadcasts and then throughout the southwest via record sales and juke box play. Los Madrugadores were the first stars of Mexican-American music rivaled only by La Alondra de la Frontera Lydia Mendoza who started her career about the same time in Texas.
The history of Los Madrugadores began in the late 1920s when the fascinating personality Pedro J. Gonz·lez started to organize musical groups in Los Angeles and began regular daily radio broadcasts. He soon became an outspoken activist against the unfair massive deportation of Mexican-Americans during the Depression was framed sent to the penitentiary and eventually deported. Los Madrugadores however continued without him well into the 1940s.”
(from the notes by Chris Strachwitz and Zac Salem)

1. Suenos De Oro
2. Sonora Querida
3. Mananitas De Solano
4. El Presidiario
5. Has Recuerdos
6. La Balbinita
7. Que Tendre Yo?
8. Paloma Blanca
9. Me He Sonado
10. Las Pajamas Pt. 1
11. Las Pajamas Pt. 2
12. Sone Que Fui Casado
13. Corrido De Joaquin Murrieta Pt. 1
14. Corrido De Joaquin Murrieta Pt. 2
15. Como Me Has Pagado Mal
16. Vamos A Hacer Un Convenio
17. La Bella Maria
18. A Mi Primer Amor
19. Corrido Villista
20. Poemas De Mi Patria Pt. 1
21. Poemas De Mi Patria Pt. 2
22. La Parranda
23. Corrido De Pedro J. Gonzalez Pt. 1
24. Corrido De Pedro J. Gonzalez Pt. 2

REVIEW

“These are the historic first recordings of Pedro J. González and Los Madrugadores (‘the early risers’). Their immense popularity grew from daily radio broadcasts at dawn to the marginalized working-class Mexican-American communities of Los Angeles and jukebox exposure and record sales in farm-worker communities throughout Depression-era southern California. The music’s sonorous vocal harmonies and brightly arpeggiated steel-string guitar manifest covering a range of folk and contemporary Mexican canciones and corridos along with original González compositions.
But this is more than pleasing music. González used his talents and airwave access to agitate for social justice for Spanish speakers in the southwest predictably running afoul of white authority. In 1934 in full career he was framed on concocted charges that brought six years’ imprisonment prompting Los Madrugadores to respond with ‘Corrido de Pedro J. González’ (which closes the CD). Deported to Mexico in 1940 González resumed his radio persona in Tijuana broadcasting across the border for the next thirty years…. The album’s thorough research and documentary photos Arhoolie hallmarks place González’s resonant musical talents in the antagonistic political context of their cultural genesis making this attentively restored title an essential addition to Mexican-American discography and social history.”

(Michael Stone — Rootsworld)