Brass Beatbox and Banda

 There has been a great deal of emphasis placed on American and European brass bands and how hip-hop has influenced their modern brass scene. I would be doing a great disservice, however, if I did not address the dominance of Mexican brass bands in this field. 

Banda is a genre of regional Mexican music originating from Sinaloa. It features brass instruments, percussion, and clarinets, often with a vocalist. The grooves are often similar to those of European military bands due to the effects of European colonialism and the traditions it brought over. 

Banda MS is one of the hottest banda bands active right now. They are constantly touring and accrue millions of monthly listeners across all streaming platforms. Below are two videos highlights the exhilarating brass playing mixed with smooth vocals. 

This first video by Banda MS features hip-hop artist Ice Cube, highlighting an even deeper blending of not both genres but also cultures. The lyrics futher this powerful blending of backgrounds as both artists speak out against the facist government that is tearing families apart in the United States.

Here is a classic by Banda MS, "Mi Mayor Anhelo," or "My Greatest Desire." This song exemplifies all of the core ideas I speak about in this blog, the power and delicacy capable by brass instruments, and how well they blend with smooth sultry vocal lines.