A small musical illustration for the article Historia ignorada del rock mexicano
I found this article while searching for information about the Mexican girl group Las Chic's. I was surprised that there is practically no information on the Internet about a group that has (according to discogs) 5 full-length albums on board and is considered the second all-girl group in the history of Mexican rock music.
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The precursor to Mexican girls rock was Gloria Ríos, whose main contribution was broadcasting the first rock and roll song on Mexican radio and taking her show "Del Charleston al Rock and Roll" to major venues such as the Lyric Theater (at the beginning of the second half of the 1950s), in addition to having performed the first song of this genre written in Spanish, thanks to the pen of Mario Patrón. However, women's participation in Mexican rock was not limited to vocal interpretations of American hits sweetened with silly and saccharine lyrics, which were opportunistically adopted by ambitious entrepreneurs to create lackluster stars in the entertainment world, who monopolized the spotlight for much of the 1960s.
However, there were a couple of bands whose lineup was made up entirely of women, and who, along with Los Locos del Ritmo, Los Teen Tops, and Los Rebeldes del Rock, also performed their songs with electric instruments.
The first band was the Mary Jets, made up of María Antonieta Lozano (piano), Yolanda Espinosa (percussion), sisters María Luisa (bass), and María Teresa Astorga (guitar), accompanied by Judith Rolón on vocals.
In an interview conducted by filmmaker Andrea Oliva for the documentary La Música Silenciada (The Hushed Up Music), Yolanda Espinosa explains that the Mary Jets formed after an invitation to participate in the radio program La Orquesta de Agustín Lara on XEW, while still enrolled at the Conservatory of the National School of Music at UNAM. Yolanda mentions that she was amazed by the clothing and instruments worn by young musicians she encountered in the halls of the radio station. It was there that the desire to form a band arose, but it wasn't until 1958 that the Mary Jets, under the direction of composer and saxophonist Refugio "Cuco" Valtierra, had their first rehearsal.
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The second all-female band to emerge in the mid-1960s was Las Chic's. Unlike the Mary Jets, they had a more youthful image, dressing in jeans, boots, berets, and striped T-shirts.
At a time when cafés cantantes were the meeting point for young city dwellers, and whose walls became forums for rock and balladeer bands, Las Chic's, made up of Rocío Garcel (requinto), Rosa Loperena (accompanying guitar), Silvia Garcel (drums), and Maya Loperena (bass), gained recognition thanks to their work at the Ticky Ticky café and were hired to perform at the Tampico Carnival.
Later, RCA Records, Victor recorded their first EP in 1966. The album featured four tracks: Chicharos dulces (Sweet Chickpeas), Siempre siempre (Always Always), Tú eres para mí (You Are for Me), of which "Yo quiero un Beatle" (I Want a Beatle), which gives the album its name, became an instant hit. With soft, melodious Beatle-style guitars, Las Chic's emerged as a purposeful and authentic rock band in a context where Enrique Guzmán and Johnny Laboriel, among others, were expelled from their original bands, turning them into solo stars.
This first EP was followed by the long-playing albums: Alto... Somos Las Chic's (1967) on the RCA Camden label, whose single was Caramelo (Caramel, to cheer the heart and all the senses). Aquí están Las Chic's (1973) on ECO Records, and Sola, triste y sin amor (Sola, triste y sin amor) (1975) on the same label. All the tracks were interpretations of foreign hits adapted into Spanish. However, it's worth noting that Las Chic's didn't have music directors like Mario Patrón or Cuco Valtierra to guide them along the winding path of rock, nor were they academy musicians like the Mary Jets. Instead, they gained experience playing everywhere they were invited, making them a band with a true rock 'n' roll spirit.
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Las Mary Jets - Dulces Tonterias/Una Dulce Chica Anticuada
EP 1960
First group of female rock in Mexico, formed in 1956, they played rock and roll with guitar, electric bass and drums, something very unusual for their time. They started playing and singing in English, something very common to date with rock bands to perform abroad. They made themselves known in the United States thanks to Bill Haley and in Latin America with "Dulces Ninos", a more accelerated cover by Brenda Lee. After several changes, they disintegrate in 1961. Some of them live happily in Hawaii since then.
01. Las Mary Jets - Dulces Tonterias (1:48)
02. Las Mary Jets - Una Dulce Chica Antocuada (2:15)
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Las Chic's
Formed 1964, Ciudad de México, Mexico
Members
Rosita Loperena (rhythm guitar), Mayita Loperena (bass), Rocío Garcel (guitar, 1964-67), Silvia Verania Garcel (drums, 1964-67), Winy (1969-?), Flor (1969-?), Laura (1975), Lere (1975), Anis (1975)
Las Chic's – Alto... Somos Las Chic's...! (1967)
01. Las Chic's - Ahora Estoy Sola (I Think We're Alone Now) (2:06)
02. Las Chic's - Campanitas (Gonna Get Along You Without You Now) (1:53)
03. Las Chic's - Zipediduda (Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah) (2:26)
04. Las Chic's - Siempre Siempre (Cindy Oh Cindy) (2:12)
05. Las Chic's - Esperando El Camion (Bus Stop) (2:35)
06. Las Chic's - Caramelo (Mellow Yellow) (2:22)
07. Las Chic's - La Muñeca Que Dice No (La Poupée Qui Fait Non) (2:35)
08. Las Chic's - Yo Quiero Un Beatle (We Love You Conrad) (2:19)
09. Las Chic's - Tu Eres Para Mi (You Were Made For Me) (2:22)
10. Las Chic's - Chicharas Dolces (Sweet Pea) (2:30)
Bonus from garagelatino.blogspot
Las Chics - El muchacho de los ojos verdes (3:11)
Las Chics - Nací demasiado tarde (2:02)
Las Chics - Tus ojos (2:53)
Las Chics - Sólo por ti (2:25)
All Tracks VBR
Carol Ann Many thanks for this gem.
ReplyDeleteThank you.
ReplyDeleteMil gracias, amigo. Saludos afectuosos.
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