The Mexican Corrido: A Feminist Analysis

by María Herrera-Sobek

... well-written and well-documented landmark study... " ―Choice This book raises important ideological and esthetic questions about the interpretation of artistic and cultural manifestations in a given society."―Hispanic American Historical Review The present volume is provocative in direction and a refreshing addition to the extant literature on the Mexican corrido genre." ―American Ethnologist [Herrera-Sobek’s] refreshing approach to analyzing masculine attitudes toward the feminine as expressed in the Mexican corrido is not only insightful but courageous." ―Inez Cardozo-Freeman, Southern Folklore ... well-researched, insightful, clearly written, and well-illustrated study of a genre familiar in Hispanic culture." ―Journal of the American Studies Association ... provides tantalizing insights into the inner workings and meanings of Mexico’s favorite folk ballads..." ―Journal of Third World Studies Challenging the stereotypical view of the passive Mexican/Chicana woman of the archetype, the author examines the portrayal of female figures in over three thousand corridos or Mexican ballads and shows that in spite of long-dominant patriarchal ideology, the corridos reveal the presence of self-confident women throughout Mexican history. Included are a discography, a detailed bibliography of corrido collections, and several photographs of soldaderas from the internationally famous Augustin Casasola collection.

Genres: Music

176 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 1990

Reviews

[Frank · Rating 4 out of 5]

Een interessante studie naar de rol van de vrouw in de Mexicaanse corrido, een genre dat vooral door mannen wordt gedomineerd en waarbij de rol van de vrouw altijd onderbelicht is geweest, met tal van voorbeelden en een uitgebreide bibliografie. Zoals Herrera-Sobek het zelf stelt: “I categorize the corrido not as a male genre, although many view it as such, but as a male-dominated genre.” Een studie ook waarbij de historische, politieke en sociaal-economische context een plaats krijgt. Kortom, een welkome en verfrissende afwisseling bij al die traditionele, patriarchale studies en daarom alleen al belangwekkend en plezierig om te lezen.