Latin
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Mexican Traditions
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Ranchera
In the literal definition of the term a Ranchera is a ranch song. They were sung in Mexico between "acts of nation"-centered plays, and became quite commercially oriented after 1910. The lyrics of the rancheras are quite straightforward, with the last notes of the verses, lines, and stanzas being extended by the performers. They typically included some glissandos that became a stereotype for Mexican music in "American" short-sightedness. Rancheras were very powerful songs for expressing sentimentality associated with a person's love for their country.