The most aggressive mexican sousaphone playing ever...

[jimgray]

http://www.amazon.com/Pegando-Con-Tuba- ... B00223SCP8" target="_blank

Check out the first track.
I dare you not to smile...

[imperialbari]

Listening to the demo bits made me wonder a bit, as I found them different from some othetr mexican band samples seen on YouTube.

The brass bass likely was a BBb sousaphone, but there are lots of non-brassy passages with a warmer sound. I cannot fully avoid the suspicion of some electronic processing of the sound. And the range is remarkably high for a BBb instrument.

Together with the silliness of the melodies (often resembling 2nd part for better melodies) the high range of the brass bass reminded me of German/Austrian/Slovenian folk bands, which do not employ a tuba as bass, but rather an American style front-action bell-front piston baritone played very roughly.

Klaus

[David Richoux]

I have been collecting recordings and watching Bandas in California since the 1970s - they almost always use BBb Sousaphone for the bass line. Many Bandas also have alto horns, baritones or euphoniums for harmony parts, but that punchy high bass line is coming from the Sousaphone alone! The good players can keep up the energy for hours at a time - don't know how they do it!

Since operating costs have risen in the last 10 years, many bandas have cut back on the number of musicians in a group - replacing the middle horns with a synthisizer, sometimes even the bass is synthi.

It is interesting that the Banda style is slowly spreading through the USA - there is a FM radio station in Seattle that plays Bandas in heavy rotation - very fun to listen to, even if I don't totally understand what they are singing and talking about...

[imperialbari]

The Mex term of gringo is said to be a misinterpretation of North Americans singing out their homesickness when down in the deserts. The contents of a Mex equivalent would have just about this content: I miss the sand blowing from one ear through the other.

The most vulgar pop in Europe comes from Germany (and is immensely popular with menopausing ladies in Denmark). One may get an idea about Latin pop themes from this older report from a Latin American country:

The beautiful ladies got tired of having their behinds pinched by lustful males. The government was persuaded to introduce fines of 50 Escudos for doing so. The fine system was widely announced in the press. Yet this happened soon thereafter:

A wonderful young lady sensed her behind pinched. She shouted at the perpetrator:

“Are you aware this could cost you 50 Escudos?”

“Oh, that would be a mighty pleasure!“ he said, whereafter he bid her his arm.

K

[jimgray]

Hobson-

Please share your knowledge!
I enjoy this stuff and would love to learn more-

Thanks-
Jim

[David Richoux]

There was a unusual track I heard while driving through central California a few years ago- I was listening either the bilingual non-commercial radio station, or maybe a commercial Spanish language station - anyway, the basic style was Banda and there was a strong Sousaphone in the mix, but the Bass Drum was more dominant. The vocalist was a growling, grumbling male voice - sort of a Mexican Tom Waits, and I almost could have put the song into a Rap category. No idea as to who it was, or what the song was about, but I never heard anything like it again!

This music has deep roots - it is not just a passing fad. I have one book that explores the Banda culture, but it sure is not very well understood by us Anglos
(and any style of music that features the Sousaphone on an equal or higher level than the trumpets, or even vocalist is OK by me!)

[eupher61]

it seems most of what I've heard of late has been synth. This obviously was not, but I think there was a lot of EQ and extremely hot mic done, maybe a gate as well.

I had a weird image: Red Lehr with a sombrero, drinking tequila. hooboy...

As I said, I've heard a lot of obviously sampled/synth stuff. When the sound is so perfect and unaltering in character, it has to be artificial somehow. These examples are obviouly the real thing, even if helped.

It's interesting to me that, at least according to Mexican friends, this is the popular music of the upper classes. More American-influenced sounds, leaning more to rock/metal/whatever else, are more for the lower classes. Sort of the opposite from the US, at least in stereotype.

[David Richoux]

This is the book I was mentioning:
Banda: Mexican musical life across borders By Helena Simonett you can read much of it here in Google Books (if you are signed up - it is free.) I have not finished reading it (got distracted by some Spike Jones research ) but it is rather interesting in a non-musical way.

[Steve Marcus]

A new style emerged relatively recently, called Duranguense, named after the mexican state of Durango, and is ironically out of Chicago.

The station in Chicago is right at the end of the FM dial (hmmm, there's an old analog phrase that has remained in the lexicon despite our digital readouts), 107.9 MHz, and it's called "La Ley." I really enjoy the bandas music when played by a real tuba/sousaphone and feel cheated when the bass is synthesized. I can only take so much of it because everything - talk and music - is constantly LOUD.

[mammoth2ba]

the premier banda out of mexico and have just celebrated 70 years

My favorite La Banda el Recodo recording is "Por Ti":

http://www.amazon.com/Por-Ti-Banda-el-R ... 54&sr=8-15" target="_blank

Great stuff (if you like that genre), and available at a bargain price.

[David Richoux]

A new style emerged relatively recently, called Duranguense, named after the mexican state of Durango, and is ironically out of Chicago.

The station in Chicago is right at the end of the FM dial (hmmm, there's an old analog phrase that has remained in the lexicon despite our digital readouts), 107.9 MHz, and it's called "La Ley." I really enjoy the bandas music when played by a real tuba/sousaphone and feel cheated when the bass is synthesized. I can only take so much of it because everything - talk and music - is constantly LOUD.

This video from Banda El Recodo is not too loud - just solid! All "real" instruments, including the Peck Horns doing what Peck horns do...

(lots of other Banda El Recodo on Youtube)

[pjv]

Still, its a real interesting concept; synths imitating tubas instead of bass guitars.

Does this mean we're moving up in life?

And for the folks that can't aford a synth or a sous;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-fo1nNlgW0" target="_blank

[WakinAZ]

[Side note, not exactly on topic] If I was interested in doing banda tuba, I would look into this: http://cgi.ebay.com/METODO-DE-TUBA-COMP ... 35a44ff308 Like the European brass bands and Mexican mariachi bands, this style of playing is generally passed from one player to another, not learned formally in school or from videos, but it would be a start.

Being married into the world of Latin American culture for a couple of decades, I've learned to enjoy the many styles of Latin/Spanish music. It may not be highbrow, but this kind of music presents one of the few opportunities for paying gigs for tuba players these days. Also, current and projected demographics here in the US suggest banda will only become more popular.

Eric "whose Spanish really sucks and who would play a Conn 14K with a relatively small mouthpiece if he were to try banda" L.

[David Richoux]

[Side note, not exactly on topic] If I was interested in doing banda tuba, I would look into this: http://cgi.ebay.com/METODO-DE-TUBA-COMP ... 35a44ff308 Like the European brass bands and Mexican mariachi bands, this style of playing is generally passed from one player to another, not learned formally in school or from videos, but it would be a start.

snip

Cool! Also available from Sam Ash if you don't want to mess with eBay.

Por fin los amantes de la musica de Banda tendran en sus manos una serie que les ensenara el autentico sonido de Banda, unico en la musica! Si has estado buscando un metodo divertido y facil de entender, ya lo encontraste. Creada por verdaderos musicos de Banda, cada serie cubre las tecnicas adecuadas para los instrumentos, aplicandolas a la interpretacion de este estilo popular. Emprende el camino!
Finally, a series for those who love Banda muisc! If you've been looking for a fun method that teaches the unique banda sound, look no further. Taught by real Banda musicians, each series covers correct instrument techniques an then applies them to performing in this exciting and popular style.
In Spanish.

[sugawi]

Still, its a real interesting concept; synths imitating tubas instead of bass guitars.

Does this mean we're moving up in life?

And for the folks that can't aford a synth or a sous;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-fo1nNlgW0" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank

I guess I should look into making something like this until I'll save enough to buy real one. Or I can get something like this: http://cgi.ebay.com/Interesting-small-o ... 518ac95542

Are there any Banda recordings out there with great sousaphone player without singing?

[imperialbari]

That valveless helicon comes out of a German bugle band tradition or Belgian tradition for playing hunting horns in a very ugly way.

I have a sample with 3 pistons. Basically it is a very narrow bore bass valve trombone in Eb.

Klaus

[TUbajohn20J]

...
(and any style of music that features the Sousaphone on an equal or higher level than the trumpets, or even vocalist is OK by me!)

Agreed!! I love Banda's with good sousaphonists!