Sones Jarochos, Vol. 5

While Grupo Mono Blanco's Soneros Jarochos will strike most listeners as traditional Mexican music recorded during an earlier era, it was in fact recorded in 1989-1990. Grupo Mono Blanco was formed in the late '70s by Gilberto Gutierrez Silva with the express purpose of reviving an older style of traditional music (known as "son Jarocho") that had grown stale from commercialization. The four-man band, Adres Alfonso Vergara, Andres Vega Delfin, Gilberto Gutierrez Silva, and Patricio Hildalgo Belli (with Willie Ludwig) combine traditional instruments (the harp, guitarra de son, jarana tercera) and voices for a rhythmically charged set of songs. As Eugene Rodriguez notes in the accompanying essay, to the outsider, a son like "El Zapateado," "El Palomo y la Palomo," and "La Morena" appears fairly simple, with an endlessly repeated riff serving as a backdrop for rising and falling vocals. On closer inspection, however, the talented performer of sons, a soneros, is capable of performing an endless variety of melodies within this structure, creating an intoxicating song with multiple layers. As with other Arhoolie recordings of this nature, Soneros Jarochos is authentic international music, and the quality of the recording and performances are excellent. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr., Rovi