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Mono Blanco

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Mono Blanco is a Mexican group that plays son jarocho, the folk music of the Mexican state of Veracruz. The group was led by Gilberto Gutiérrez and has existed for decades. In 2017 it celebrated its fortieth anniversary at the Teatro de Bellas Artes. Its music grows out of the fandango, the village celebration where music, song and dance come together.

Music and breakthrough

An important figure was Andrés Vega Delfín, nicknamed El Güero Vega, who was born in 1931 and died in 2024. In 1980 he won a competition in Tlacotalpan with his son Tereso. Gutiérrez then asked him to play the son guitar in Mono Blanco, the small guitar that carries the melody and the rhythm in this genre. Together with his sons José Tereso and Octavio he became part of the group. The Vega and Utrera families received the National Prize for Arts and Sciences for popular arts and traditions.

Influence

With the group, Vega toured many countries, including England, Spain, Morocco, India, France, Cuba, Canada, Brazil, South Africa, Australia, Germany, China, Japan and the United States several times. Mono Blanco played at festivals and worked with Mexican communities abroad. Its recordings begin with Al primer canto del gallo from 1989, followed by, among others, Fandango, Matanga and Orquesta jarocha. In this way the group kept a regional musical tradition alive and brought it to a worldwide audience.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to a son jarocho by Mono Blanco, for example from Fandango, and notice how the stringed instruments together set up a fast, lively rhythm and how the singing moves on top of it.

Discography

Studio albums

Categories: Artists