Credit: Nuestro Stories
Ranchera music is music that manages to grab you by the corazón and squeeze every drop of emotions, tears, and heartbreak out of you before the song finishes.
The genre centers around the music of love, and loss, and the very emotions that make us collectively human. Ranchera music haunts your toughest memories and laments your saddest moments right alongside you. And when it comes to Ranchera music, there is no one greater than El Rey de la Ranchera, Vicente Fernandez, or “El Chente,” as he’s commonly referred to.
Read more: Whether a Haunting Solo or a Powerful Ensemble, Los Gritos are Found in Mariachi and Ranchera Music
Vicente Fernandez’s music is a must in Latin households
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve cried to Vicente’s music.
It is a core memory from a very young age; Vicente’s resounding voice, his killer croon, traveling through the house as my tío belted the words alongside him. Yet, that experience seems to be an experience that in some form or fashion has been shared by millions of households around the world – and it all started from Vicente’s breakthrough hit Tu Camino y el Mío.
Released in 1969 on the album Un Mexicano en la Mexico, the single became an instant classic, immediately capturing the attention of listeners across generations and borders. The lyrics are a long, slow ballad telling the tale of a love gone unrequited, a constant glass of wine to cope with the pain, and a story that many resonate with all too well. The words he croons tell a tale of a lover who chose a different road, leaving the lover and his unrequited love behind. The themes of heartbreak and pain grabbed at listeners’ heartstrings.
Tu Camino y El Mío was the first of what would become dozens upon dozens of hits that Vicente Fernandez would contribute to the lexicon of Latin music. His career spanned nearly 60 years before he passed away.
Long live el Rey de las Rancheras!
