OchoTEEN

Listen to this story in the NPR audio archives.

"Durango, Illinois" is not an actual place. It is a community of mostly second-generation Mexican Americans living in Chicago and its surrounding suburbs who arebound by Duranguense music. Many of you wrote in in response to the piece that aired on NPR wanting to know more about Durango and about Duranguense music.

There hasn´t been a lot written about Durango. It’s mostly been a footnote in historical work on Mexico. But Duranguense music, born in Chicago and inspired by Durango, has created a huge interest in the place so I’m sure more scholarship and information about Durango will follow.

Duranguense music, like any lasting genre, has been evolving and also getting less hardcore as it gets pushed into the larger marketplace. That means less tamborazo and more synthesizer. Here are some of my favorite Duranguense groups. They tend to be more traditional.

The group Montéz de Durango´s two early albums CON SABOR A TAMBORAZO and EL SUBE Y BAJA really ignited the movement. Unfortunately, those albums are now hard to get. But some of the big songs from those albums, including the songs "Camino a Tepehuanes" (which opened the radio piece you heard on NPR) and "Sube y Baja" are available on Duranguense compilations on the Internet like HISTORIA MUSICAL DEL PASITO DURANGUENSE, Albums 1 &2. Those albums also include a nice range of Duranguense songs, mostly more traditional from other fantastic groups.

Paraíso Tropical might be my all time favorite. Particularly their album MIS PAISANOS Y YO which you can get on the Internet. (Their song, "Mi Vicente Guerrero," ended the radio piece.) My Duranguense inspiration, Lizandra Nevarez, would also insist that you check out these groups: Conjunto Atardecer, Patrulla 81, and Brazeros Musical. She too prefers the more traditional Duranguense.

Among the newest groups, you need to check out Horóscopos de Durango. Their lead vocalist are two women (which is unusual in Duranguense) with quite amazing pipes! And superfan Julia Mendez would make sure we add another talented, newer group to this list. I agree. They´re called Alacranes Musical.

Best,

Melissa