Canciones de Siempre - Mariachi Los Camperos de Nati Cano

Canciones de Siempre was the first recording Mariachi Los Camperos de Nati Cano put out on digital format. Los Camperos had put out an LPs: Puro Mariachi (Indigo Records, 1961); North of the Border (RCA/Carino Records, 1965); El Super Mariachi, Los Camperos (Latin International, 1968); Valses de Amor (La Fonda Records, 1973). These are true gems if you have that recording.

But Canciones de Siempre was the first recording of the modern Los Campersos.

I rate it was one of the best mariachi recordings ever just in the power the group has on the CD. The album was produced by Linda Ronstadt and George Massenburg, her producer on her two ranchera albums.

The CD begins with the traditional Los Camperos theme of the huapango Los Camperos, originally made famous by Miguel Aceves Mejia and Francisco “El Charro” Avitia. They quickly flow into one of the most powerful versions of Pepe Guizar’s “Guadalajara” ever recorded. It should be mentioned that this recording of Los Camperos, had one of the legendary female mariachi musicians Monica Trevino and her grand voice. It gave uniqueness to all the songs. Remember, back then, and still today, many of the show mariachis did not have women. They have resisted to this day.

The liner notes say all songs were arranged by Nati Cano. It was always up in the air whether Nati Cano was doing the arrangements or Jesús “Chuy” Guzmán. At mariachi conferences, most music that Los Camperos would hand out would be transcribed by Chuy. However, here the liner notes state Nati did the arrangements and conducting, so well go with that.

Now, the liner notes list the membership of the group, but that does not mean they all recorded. This is especially true with the violins. However, listed on violin is Juan Manuel Córtez one of modern mariachi’s best arrangers and later arranger with Mariachi Tlaquepaque. On violin are also Juan José Alamguer, Pedro García, Chuy Guzmán, Ismael Hernández, José M. Rodríguez, and Mónica Trevino. On trumpet are Martín Lara and Marcos Mancillas. On harp and guitar is Juan Morales.

Luis Damián is on vihuela and in my opinion one of the best guitarron players to ever be recorded, José Arrellano. Arturo Palacios is on guitar and Fermín Herrera, professor at Cal State Northridge and who had accompanied Los Camperos on their tour with Linda Ronstadt back in 1993 is also on arpa.

1. “Guadalajara” – Here, the song starts with some anticipated strumming before launching into the song with “Ay, ya yas.” Arturo Palacios sings first. You hear his grand voice on song such as “Júrame” and “Paloma Negra” in later recording. His loud voice shoots out the first verse. Nati put in many strategic pauses in his arrangements as you will see throughout the CD. Trumpets lay out a nice cord going into a diminuendo. Then Monica Trevino comes in with the chorus. On the next verse, a trio of singers including Chuy sings. Monica rings out her voice showing what an asset she was to the mariachi at that time. The song ends with the men singing “Guadalajara,” then Mónica belts out accapela “Guadalajara” and the song ends with her voice over the chorus.

2. “El Bandolero” by J. Ramos is sung buy Luis Damian was an old Charro Avitia song. However, at the time this was released, it was very hard to find Francisco “Charro” Avitia on CD. Unless you had his old LPs, you did not recognize the song. Here Damian gives a terrific rendition. Throughout the song the strings have some nice adornos, in tune and the trumpets have some licks but most are just accompanying adornos.

3. “El Preso #9” was a huapango by los Hermanos Cantoral. Alberto Vásquez was known to have sung it too. It’s is not for the faint of heart and has gained some criticism from modern feminists for his portrayal of violence against women. The violins begin the song shoring the seriousness of the text. On vocals is Luis Damian. The trio is Ismael Hernández, Juan José Almaguer, and Chuy Guzmán, a trio you will see frequently in Los Camperos recordings and performances and frankly one of the best. The trios sing softly in the Hermanos Cartoral trio style. When Luis Damian sings “Lo mate…” they trade off falsettos. Luis Damian sings the verse about Prisoner #9 finding his love in the arms of his rival. So in the “heat of passion” as they say in law, he kills them. This is how the story goes as the flow into another falsetto trade. The Prisoner #9 says he does not fear death as he is confessing to the priest before his execution and if he finds his lover and rival in the afterlife, he’ll kill them again. Gruesome isn’t it.

4. “Tres Dias” is a song by the legendary Mexican composer Tomás Méndez, composer of “Cu cu ru cu cu Paloma” and “Paloma Negra.” It begins with some arpa runs by Fermín Herrera. The song is sung in duet style with Ismael Hernández and Chuy Guzmán. Again, I’ve mentioned the trio in Los Camperso, but this duo of Ismael Hernández and Chuy Guzmán is one of the best duos in the mariachi world. They are just so on the dot with each other, almost as good as Los Dos Reales. Does Fermín Herrera ever play the arpa badly? Not that I’ve heard. This recording reminds me of Antonio Aguilar and Cuco Sánchez who were not afraid to feature the arpa predominately in a canción ranchera. Herrera does another run in the intermedio before the duet comes in with the chorus singing in the background. The violins give some licks before the songs ends.

5. “No me Queras Tanto” is an old song the trios use to sing. It is by R. Hernández and here sung by Mónica Trevino. She excellently sings it with the trio backing her up soft voice. There are also some requinto licks and the trumpets and violins garner in some adonos. I’m not sure who is doing the guitar licks, but I guess it may be Juan Morales or Arturo Palacios. Monica sings this very well being that the rhythm is slightly different than what mariachis are use to with José Arellano doing song pulls of the guitarron as the rhythm back them up.

6. Los Camperos’ version of “El Cascabel,” the son jarocho arranged by Lorenzo Barcelata has always one of strongest. I can’t tell who is singing the pregonero part of this son jarocho, but the arpa comes in right alter the first verse, a little different than how Los Camperos usually do it but more into with the son jarocho style. Hearing the strums the the arpa players odes and adornos, I figure it is Fermín Herrera. As he goes down the scales with the bass notes, the violins come in giving that “evil” cascabel violin run. As the pregonero sings, there is a wonderful violin adorno followed by one of Nati’s pauses that he frequently puts. The violins play the traditional solo and scale climb before coming into José Arellano’s guitarron solo which is very original. Luis Damian does a stylistic strumming solo. Not too show offy, but difficult to say the least. The song returns with the violins setting up the Monica Trevino to sing. But pay attention here, notice how Nati arranges with the trumpets and strings, he modulates them so that Monica can hit that note. Brilliantly executed and arranged. Trevino begins the son’s ending. The chorus comes in and boom, it’s over with an “Ay, Ay!”

1. “La Parranda” by G. Ruiz is sung by Chuy Guzmán. The trumpet work is really great both in the introduction and adornos. It’s lively song. Start of the verse is fun for a guitarron player. Listen to José Arellano. He’s playing a little more than the regular bass line.

2. “Flor Silvestre” by los Cuates Castilla begins with the arpa. Like in “El Preso #9,” Luis Damian is the soloist and the trio is Ismael Hernández, Juan José Almaguer, and Jesus Guzmán. The violins beautifully play adornos in the background. I can’t tell if Ismael or Chuy sings the second verse intro. The trio joins him. Like in “Preso,” they trade off with falsettos, which are done very well by the way. Many mariachis recording are filled with wantobe falsetantes.

3. “Sufriendo a Solas” by J.A. Espinosa is a classic cancion ranchera recording. I remember Mariachi Sol de Mexico covering this song in one of their older albums. Here Ismael Hernández sings it with some arpa in the back ground. It a song of suffering alone. In fact, the song is void of other instruments other than the arpa for many bars. Then the mariachi comes in. The trumpets gives soft adornos mimicking the singer, in the old 1950s style mariachi trumpet playing. As Ismael get’s more passionate, the trumpet accompanies him. The mariachi chorus comes in backing up Ismael as he ends the song pleading his heart.

4. “Cihualteco.” Los Camperos have always been good at playing sones jaliscienses. Few of the show mariachis can do this anymore: Cobre, Mariachi de America de Jesús “Chucho” Rodríguez. Juan Morales sings this one, kind of in the style of Memo Quintero and Mariachi Mexico de Pepe Villa recordings of the 1950s. Los Camperos give tremendous power to this son and it just flies, not being rushed as so many mariachis do. On the second verse, the trumpets give an adorno backing up the voice. The violins, together and powerful, go into the last instrumental run, which of course is a smorgasbord of rhythm changes. The violins and trumpets trade off brining the son to an end.

5. “Quizá, Quiazá, Quizá” is probably my least favorite song here. By O. Farrés, this song always reminds me of Eddie Gormy and Los Panchos. The arrangement is cute though with some requinto and trumpet runs. Luis Damian sings solo and the Hernández, Almaguer, Guzmán trio back him up doing well as always. The violins have pretty adornos in the background. Other than this, it’s pretty uneventful.

6. “El Tren” – this is a popurri consisting of the son jalisciense “El Tren,” “El Maracumbe,” the “Zapateado veracruzano,” and Los Camperos’ signature ending of “Tierra Mia.” Los Camperos love to play El Tren, especially live. They do the train mimicking that you find in the old Mariachi Vargas recordings. Los Camperos do some other train mimicking that is original to them and work hard to make the vihuela strumming sound like the train running on the tracks. Their version of “El Maracumbe” is one I had never heard before. I sound a little like the son michaocano style. Compare this with Mariachi Vargas’ recording of the same son. They are very different. It is excellently executed with Chuy singing the son. There is an interlude with some son huesteco style violin. There is violin show off, as I call them, as the violins bounce the bow. Most huesteca violin solos are played by Chuy. There is a grito and Fermin Herrera plays the “Zapateado” with his daughter Xilomen dancing jarocho in the background. Of course this is the son jarocho they are playing. The mariachi plays in the background as well has the guitarron giving the baseline, not that Fermin needs it. But this is masterful and difficult. When Los Camperos does this live, Juan Morales usually plays “El Siquesiri.” They end with “Tierra Mia” and Monica Trevino giving the last belt of “Tierra Linda!” The harmonies sound terrific and they end in trumpet.

This recording would launch Los Camperos into the digital age and catch them up to the other show mariachis who had already beaten them to CD. However, unlike most mariachi recordings on CD, few compare with Los Camperso. I’d even say this about the modern Mariachi Vargas. In all, this is a CD for your collection.