Music Sin Fronteras, this column, is about music that crosses borders, music that’s created in one country and then goes to another country via a tour or by songwriters and licensing or by covers or all the other various ways in which music can move around the world. One of the major transfers of music is, of course, between the United States and Mexico. And I was treated to an example of this on the 4th of July.
The American holiday, the 4th of July, celebrates the Second Continental Congress’s approval of the final text of the Declaration of Independence declaring America’s independence from Britain. On this 4th of July, here in Chapala, Mexico, a local expat political organization put on a 4th of July celebration. Of course, it included barbeque and ball games, and speeches, and people in Uncle Sam hats and red, white, and blue t-shirts. There were about 250 people in a huge tent on the vast lawn of an evento, a for-rent entertainment venue.
Inside the tent, there was a stage, lights, and music, because nothing happens in Mexico without music. The music was two high-powered Mexican stage singers from Puerto Vallarta, Nacho Granados and Roy Gomez Cruz, singing rock songs to instrumental tracks.
Given that the day celebrated the US independence from England, I was surprised to hear, mixed among American rock and roll, a big dollop of British invasion music – The Beatles, the Stones, etc. So our 4th of July saw Mexican singers belting out British invasion rock at a patriotic party full of Americans. I couldn’t think of a better example of how music breaks down borders
But there’s more. In 1848, Mexico and the United States signed the Treaty of Hidalgo, which ceded about half of Mexico’s territory to the United States, increasing the size of the US by a third. So we had Mexican singers singing British songs to celebrate the creation and independence from Britain of the country that took half of Mexico’s territory. That’s pretty ecumenical to me. And besides that, we had a great time.
Which made me think about patriotic songs in the USA.
The US has a long history of patriotic/protest music. You can go all the way back to “Yankee Doodle” in the Revolutionary War or “John Brown’s Body” in the Civil War. And here are stacks of patriotic songs during WWII like “God Bless America” and “Remember Pearl Harbor.”
You can move up to the Vietnam era with songs like “Fortunate Son” by Creedence Clearwater Revival, “Ohio” by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, or “Give Peace a Chance” by John Lennon, among many, many others. There were also songs praising America, like “This Land is Your Land” by Pete Singer, “American Pie” by Don McLean, and “America” by Neil Diamond. And of course, “Born in the USA: by Bruce Springsteen, which told its truth about America.
Today, 4th of July, radio and playlists are bringing us “American Made” by Trace Adkins, ”Blanket of Stars” “by Craig Morgan, “For America” by Freedom Voice USA, “Streets of Minneapolis” by Bruce Springsteen, “Freedom (Homecoming Live)” by Beyoncé with Kendrick Lamar, and “I Can’t Breathe” by H.E.R.
If I left your favorite patriotic or protest songs off the list, my apologies. The column is too long now, so I had to cut a few. Next year won’t be the 250th anniversary of the USA, so the list may be shorter. But there will be parties, and local expats will fire up the BBQ and bring in a band -most likely a Mexican band. It will be interesting to see what will be on their set lists.
Patrick O’Heffernan
