Graduation Year

2024

Date of Submission

4-2024

Document Type

Campus Only Senior Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Reader 1

Joti Rockwell

Reader 2

Gibb Schreffler

Rights Information

© 2024 Matthew A Thacher

Abstract

Throughout my thesis, I aim to uncover the landscape of Corridos Tumbados in an effort to draw connections between the genre’s stylistic characteristics and its unprecedented success. Corridos Tumbados appears to be a genre of Mexican music that is accessible to both Mexican-American audiences and to non-Hispanic Anglo listeners, with the success of the genre being attributed to characteristics beyond the genre’s Mexican origins and Spanish lyrics. These songs stem from historical forms of Corridos yet operate on a broader scale, pushing the boundaries of the traditional definitions of Corridos and functioning differently, and to a greater audience, than before. I would like to suggest that Corrido Tumbados in Mexico function equivalently to Hip-Hop in the United States, existing as a contemporary version of “Mexican Rap.” Furthermore, Corridos Tumbados operate differently than the Chicana/o/x Rap of the late 20th century because Corridos Tumbados artists are primarily Mexican natives and identify not as Chicana/o/x but as Mexican. That being said, there are several successful Chicano artists operating in the Corridos Tumbados space, such as the San Bernardino-based band Fuerza Regida. The blend of unique characteristics present in the genre makes Corridos Tumbados the starkest example of a style of Corridos that operate beyond its traditional definitions, inviting new non-Hispanic audiences to take part in the space and reinvigorating a popularity for Corridos in contemporary music culture.

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This thesis is restricted to the Claremont Colleges current faculty, students, and staff.

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