Los Laureles

• Los Laureles, Linda Ronstadt, 1987
• Instrumentation: Vocals (Linda with backup) and traditional mariachi ensemble (trumpets, guitars, violins). The song starts out with the violins leading the melody as the trumpets back them up and the backup singers, male, sing. Then Linda enters with force and she immediately becomes the focus of the song.
• Texture: The texture of this song is thick. Linda's voice is rich, big, and powerful, and the band is filled out so they only add to the richness of the sound. The main line of music is Linda's voice. The band primarily serves to back her up, but occasionally they will play their own little melody or tune while she is singing a long drawn out note, giving the music two lines.
• Range: The range of this song is certainly large. Linda sings with a large range, and the band follows suit, but to a less dramatic degree.
• Tempo: The tempo is consistent and steady throughout, and it stays at a fairly slow pace.
• Meter: There is a clear rhythmic beat, which can be followed by one of the string instruments, which keeps the pulse throughout.
• Volume: Keeping with tradition, Linda sings loudly throughout the entire piece. The band plays loudly when she is not singing, but backs off when she enters to let her be the main focus.
• Lyrics: As it is with most traditional mariachi songs, the song speaks of love.
• Form: This song is fairly accessible. I could definitely sing along, but I could not sing along accurately. That is to say that I could not hit the notes or sing with as much vigor as Linda, but the pace of the song makes it easy to annunciate the words and understand what she is saying (granted, it is in Spanish).
• Origin: This song is a traditional mariachi song. The ensemble is comprised of the traditional instruments, and the singer sings in a style that is typical of the style (loud, and with force).
• Personal Response: I am personally not a huge fan of mariachi bands. I certainly respect their talent, and I actually found myself slightly enjoying the tribute to Selena, but this song does not really do it for me. I think that it is because of the singing. I find it to be almost harsh. I realize that her voice is extremely accurate to the genre, but it is the main reason that I am not completely fond of this song.