More about Mexican regional music

Bajo Sexto.
Bajo Sexto is a type of 12-string guitar used in Mexican music.
Photo courtesy of Oscar Schmidt and U.S. Music Corp.

BANDA MUSIC

A loud and ceremonious sound that often features 20 instruments, mostly brass. Banda Music traditionally comes from the western coast of Northern Mexico. It's a sound that developed from French army bands that would play in Mexican villages as they marched through the land.

NORTENA MUSIC

A style from northern Mexico. It has a cowboy feel to it and features the Bajo Sexto, a 12-string guitar native to Mexico. It's based in the border culture of northern Mexico and was the inspiration for the American genre of Tex-Mex music.

DURANGENSE

A newer style that is supposedly from Durango, but was really made popular by young Mexican musicians in Chicago. It's fast and modern, great for dancing.

TIERRA CALIENTE

This style came in to vogue after Durangense. It also came from Chicago, but also has roots in the "hot lands" like Guanajuato and Michoacan. It has a slower tempo than Durangense, but is still known to get folks dancing. Tierra Caliente also features horns -- it's like a mix of Banda and Durangense music.