An Introduction to America’s Music

520 PART 4 | SINCE WORLD WAR II

songwriter: Santiago Jiménez

date: 1990

instrumentation: vocals, accordion, bajo

sexto, electric bass, drums

genre: conjunto

meter: duple

form: strophic

timing section text translation comments

0:00 introduction Accordion, then full band,

set a slow, expectant

mood.

0:04 stanza 1 Voy a cantar estos versos

porque yo no soy de

aquí...

I’m going to sing these

verses because I’m

not from here...

The polka rhythm is

established as the stanza

begins.

0:38 adorno A short accordion

solo shows a German

infl uence.

0:47 stanza 2 Me encontré a una

tejanita y de ella me

enamoré...

I met a little Texan girl

and fell in love

with her...

Vocal harmony in thirds.

1:21 adorno A longer accordion solo

begins in polka style,

then introduces a long

blue note (1:28) and

fi nishes in a bluesier

style.

1:41 stanza 3 Todo el dinero me quita

a bailar se va al

salon...

She takes all my money

and goes dancing

at the bar...

2:13 adorno Mixture of polka and

blues.

2:26 stanza 4 Ya me voy para mi tierra

aunque pobre es mi

nación...

I’m going back to my

land even though it’s

a poor nation...

3:00 coda The brief coda goes

out with a descending

chromatic scale.

WHAT TO LISTEN FOR

• Mexican-style vocals harmonized in parallel
  thirds


• German-style polka rhythm and prominent
  accordion


• blue notes in adornos

CD 4.9 Listening Guide 21.2 “Soy de San Luis” FLACO JIMÉNEZ

172028_21_514-530_r2_mr.indd 520 23/01/13 11:18 AM