The relevance and up to date development of regional Mexican music has turn out to be plain, and right this moment, the style holds a preponderant place inside the business. Nonetheless, few ladies have been capable of stand out and survive in a principally male-dominated world.
The issue just isn’t solely onstage, the place few ladies — similar to Lola Beltrán, Selena or Jenni Rivera — have made ‘her’story, but additionally on the stage of programmers, entrepreneurs and executives. Thankfully, that actuality appears to be enhancing, thanks partially to the adjustments that expertise has delivered to the business, and the pioneering ladies who’ve helped to pave the way in which.
In celebration of Ladies’s Historical past Month, 5 ladies who’ve made their means in regional Mexican, together with executives, publicists, songwriters and singers, reply 5 questions in regards to the business and its future from Billboard.
María de Jesús Lizárraga (Doña Chuyita), CEO of LGA Leisure
Felipe Osuna
After the 1995 dying of her husband Don Cruz Lizárraga, founding father of Banda El Recodo, María de Jesús Lizárraga, identified within the business as “Doña Chuyita,” took the helm of the pioneering regional Mexican group. She created LGA Leisure and boosted the achievements of her artists, taking them not solely to the highest of the charts but additionally to worldwide stardom. The corporate run by Doña Chuyita employs round 200 folks, and numerous artists point out her and her bands (she additionally has Banda Los Recoditos) as an affect, and inspiration.
How can a lady stand out in a world of principally males?
To start with, by having numerous self-discipline to get the job executed. Secondly, dealing with your self with a whole lot of respect in the direction of the folks you cope with. Within the music enterprise, and specifically within the regional Mexican enterprise, protecting and honoring your phrase is likely one of the most essential issues. Lastly, I consider that issues needs to be executed with infinite love.
Who was your largest inspiration to get into regional Mexican?
My husband Don Cruz Lizárraga, after all. He shared with me this love for Banda El Recodo and that passionate means of working. As a result of he beloved his work and his band, he was and continues to be my greatest instance and our best inspiration.
What could be executed in order that extra ladies obtain their goals inside regional Mexican?
I consider that extra areas for girls need to be created in all areas of regional Mexican, not solely on stage, but additionally in government positions. Ladies are ready to develop and excel in any space.
What has been your worst expertise as a lady in regional Mexican?
Generally we weren’t paid what was agreed for a present, however in actuality, they’ve all the time revered me.
And the most effective?
Getting Banda El Recodo to be a pioneer for the reason that motion was known as grupero. There was a time once we all the time set the tone in every thing, which is an honor but additionally a dedication that we hold to at the present time.
Sara Eva Pérez, public relations specialist for Mexico and the U.S.
Jorge Pena
A journalist by career, Sara Eva Pérez has been forging her profession as a public relations skilled inside the regional Mexican music business in Mexico and the U.S. for 3 many years. Her foray as an government with firms like Fonovisa Music, Univison Music and Common Music led her to work with artists similar to Los Tigres del Norte, Marco Antonio Solís, Banda El Recodo and Los Tucanes de Tijuana. Right now, she is likely one of the most revered public relations professionals within the style attributable to her mastery of each territories, and for seven years she has been accountable for the picture and media liaison of Banda MS, the style’s most profitable group in recent times.
How can a lady stand out in a world of principally males?
The very first thing is to be genuine, the second is to have freshness within the music, to know the place you wish to go and have very clear goals of what you wish to do. Overlook that you’re a man or a lady, simply do issues nicely. Crucial factor, which sadly occurs to many singers, is that they fall into doing the identical factor over. It’s a must to make totally different proposals, and this is applicable to everybody typically, not solely to ladies. When a proposal is contemporary and totally different, there are a lot of extra alternatives to realize a spot on this business.
Who was your largest inspiration to get into regional Mexican?
Undoubtedly somebody who should be acknowledged for her work within the style is María de Jesús Lizárraga, Doña Chuyita. Once I set to work with Banda El Recodo, I admired a lady with clear goals who has managed to run an organization that’s comprised principally of males. Everybody respects her. She has an important place within the business and I believe she’s an inspiration for any lady who works behind the scenes.
What could be executed in order that extra ladies obtain their goals inside regional Mexican?
There’s one thing essential: you should be in keeping with who you’re and what you sing. You have to have ideas, you could respect the general public. I say this as a result of at the moment, and it’s considerably unhappy, there are singers in regional Mexican who go on stage to talk nonsense and use vulgar language and pictures as a result of they assume that’s part of regional Mexican, and I completely disagree. That you must have a clear picture. There’s Ángela Aguilar, who by making totally different music and being very centered on her goals has managed to take a giant step ahead and is proof that ladies do have a spot in regional.
What has been your worst expertise as a lady in regional Mexican?
On one event, I needed to face a gaggle of businessmen as a result of an artist didn’t present as much as their occasion. At the moment they didn’t respect me as a result of I used to be a lady. Nonetheless, I asserted myself and did issues the way in which that needed to be executed, and that resulted in incomes the respect not solely from them, who’re used to coping with males, but additionally from their crew and from the regional Mexican business.
And the most effective?
I positively assume I’m dwelling my greatest second in regional Mexican proper now. The expertise I’ve gathered through the years has allowed me to work with an important band right this moment. It’s not as a result of I work with them, however I believe they’ve achieved what only a few have, and by that I imply permanence. It’s very straightforward to get there, staying is what’s onerous. I’ve discovered many issues that I didn’t know earlier than, my horizons have broadened.
Alhe Romo, vocalist of the group Vilax
Pablo Regalado
In 2021, through the Latin Grammy Awards, Vilax, a regional Mexican band led by 24-year-old singer Alhe Romo, attracted consideration due to a nomination for greatest Tejano album with their debut, Un Beso es Suficiente. It’s one thing that had not been seen since Alicia Villarreal debuted with Grupo Límite within the ’90s. Common Music/Fonovisa lately signed the group from Torreón, Coahuila, which joins the motion that has empowered Grupo Frontera and unites music from northern Mexico and the southern United States.
How can a lady stand out in a world of principally males?
By no means stop to wrestle, however above all, remember that we should work for our dream, and we should do it with values. It’s attainable if you happen to do it with nice perseverance, with numerous ardour and with the need to do it nicely.
Who was your largest inspiration to get into regional Mexican?
My best inspiration have all the time been nice ladies and music legends like Selena, Rocío Dúrcal, Alicia Villarreal. Whenever you be taught their historical past, you notice how a lot they fought to have a spot within the business. Having the assist of my household, particularly my mom, has been essential; she is a good lady, too. The wave of feelings that involves me after I’m on stage, getting to the touch hearts with my voice, is one thing that conjures up me to proceed on this path that isn’t very easy, however a dream could be achieved if you happen to struggle and work for it.
What could be executed in order that extra ladies obtain their goals inside regional Mexican?
Personally, I believe that we have to get out of our heads that we’ve got fewer alternatives for being ladies, as a result of if you happen to consider it, you can also make it occur. Sadly, in lots of points of life, we should make ourselves robust alone and never let something transfer us from the trail by which we’re all the time tracing with fixed effort and, above all, vanity.
What has been your worst expertise as a lady in regional Mexican?
I’ve had a short profession, and fortuitously I’ve not had a nasty expertise that has marked me but.
And the most effective?
In 2021, together with my colleagues from Vilax, we have been nominated for the Latin Grammy for greatest Tejano album, and that yr I used to be the one lady among the many finalists. I hope life permits me to do it once more.
Erika Vidrio, songwriter
Ernesto Huerta
For 13 years, Erika Vidrio was a well known broadcaster within the Los Angeles space. In 2018, she determined to give attention to her music profession, and right this moment she is essentially the most recorded feminine songwriter inside regional Mexican. Now she has a Latin Grammy nomination, a number of BMI Awards and 350 songs recorded by artists similar to Christian Nodal, Banda MS, Julión Álvarez and plenty of extra. “Fíjate Que Sí”, “Borracho De Amor”, “Quién Es Usted” and “40 y 21” are simply a number of the charting hits she has written.
Involved in regards to the inclusion and publicity of feminine composers in regional Mexican music, she created Las Compositoras, an area in networks and platforms, together with a podcast, by which she shares her information and supplies instruments for many who are simply beginning out on this career.
How can a lady stand out in a world of principally males?
The identical means males excel, by working. I imply, not solely working onerous but additionally understanding how the music medium works, bonding, networking, so that you just discover alternatives; working from all factors, not simply creating lovely songs locked in your home. To excel, it’s worthwhile to see nicely past that. In songwriting, equality between men and women remains to be unbalanced, however I believe we’re making progress, there are increasingly feminine composers in regional.
Who was your largest inspiration to get into regional Mexican?
I grew up with deep-rooted ranchero music: my grandparents performed José Alfredo Jiménez, Vicente Fernández and Hermanos Záizar, so my affect comes from visceral ranchero music. As a young person I received to see Selena, Alicia Villarreal with Grupo Límite, and I spotted that ladies might additionally excel within the style.
What could be executed in order that extra ladies obtain their goals inside regional Mexican?
We should assist one another and perceive that there’s not just one house, that we are able to all excel in our personal kinds. We want a historical past; neglect what they are saying, {that a} lady’s enemy is one other lady. In regional Mexican specifically, I’ve had nice feminine allies who’ve supported me. So let’s begin by turning our backs on these archaic concepts that we’re enemies. This fashion we are able to generate curiosity amongst folks within the business and get them to see ladies’s tasks. All of it begins with us.
What has been your worst expertise as a lady in regional Mexican?
Sure humiliations, seeing my work discredited only for being a lady, not getting even the chance to point out my track. Personally, essentially the most troublesome factor for me was gaining the respect, the credibility. The truth that at first they mentioned that I didn’t write my very own songs was very onerous on me, mentally. I believe it’s been one of many largest obstacles I’ve needed to overcome.
And the most effective?
With the ability to make a dwelling of what I’m captivated with. That’s a really good feeling. I believe it’s a blessing.
Diana Reyes, singer with 25 years of expertise
Courtesy of DR Promotions
Diana Reyes is called the Queen of the Pasito Duranguense. Born in Baja California Sur, the singer marked one of the splendorous durations of the regional style with that musical motion by which solely she and Los Horóscopos de Durango had a spot. For over twenty years, she has ventured into ranchera and banda music, turning into a mannequin for a lot of ladies who enter the style. Jenni Rivera thought-about her certainly one of her inspirations, and collectively, they recorded the track “Ajustando Cuentas” earlier than the Diva de la Banda died in a airplane crash in 2012.
Reyes is the creator of Mujeres del Regional, a gaggle of proficient singers who’ve encountered extra obstacles than alternatives and who collectively a first-class present, making their very own means.
How can a lady stand out in a world of principally males?
I consider that one of the simplest ways to maintain shifting ahead is by not dropping observe of what we wish to obtain and never giving up, as a result of sadly we’ve got to proceed working to exhibit our capabilities.
Who was your largest inspiration to get into regional Mexican?
Definitely, my style for music started with my father; watching him sing inspired me to sing, too. My inspiration to delve into this music have been Mrs. Lola Beltrán, Chayito Valdez and Joan Sebastian.
What could be executed in order that extra ladies can attain their goals inside regional Mexican?
The music business could be very troublesome, much more for a girl, however this could not forestall us from doing what we like. We should always not restrict ourselves to creating use of what we’ve got been accustomed to for thus a few years, similar to radio and tv; right this moment, we should always reap the benefits of all of the instruments that expertise gives, similar to social media and platforms. Along with not stopping working, it’s additionally essential to stay collectively, as males do.
What has been your worst expertise as a lady in regional Mexican?
On one event, a businessman assaulted me bodily and so they needed to take me to a hospital.
And the most effective?
I don’t assume that is particularly as a result of I’m a lady, however my greatest expertise has been reaching issues I didn’t think about, regardless of how troublesome it’s to succeed in success on this profession. However I’ve dreamed of them and I’ve labored to realize them, so it’s clear to me that even when I’m a lady, nothing is not possible.
