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. 


Comments

  1. Jacob WhiteApril 15, 2026 at 7:24 AM

    Banda is something I've always enjoyed in passing, but I've never actually taken the time to listen to it or search out for it. This gives me a rabbit hole to go down!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Listening Presentation #2 - A Journey into the Unknown

Image
 Overture for Euphoniums and Tubas     Overture for Euphoniums and Tubas (2015) by Parker Gaims  performed by MGySgt Mark Jenkins, MSgt Matthew Summers, GySgt Ryan McGeorge, and SSgt Hiram Diaz, euphonium MGySgt John Cradler and SSgt Simon Wildman, tuba Parker Gaims is a Washington, D.C. based clarinetist and composer whose compositions have been performed by the United States Marine Band, Northwestern University Symphonic Wind Ensemble, DePaul University Wind Symphony, Northwestern Clarinet Faculty, DePaul Clarinet Faculty, the Los Angeles Symphonic Winds, pianist Winston Choi, and members of every D.C. service band. The Overture for Euphoniums and Tubas is a piece that I was unfamiliar with until searching for pieces for ensembles that I was unfamiliar with. The amount of character changes is astounding and well composed. I appreciate the warmth and group sound of this type of ensemble and the versatility that the valved instruments allow for, great technical ...
Read more

Bands on Bikes!

Image
  During an Advanced Brassed Ensemble Literature class, we watched a video of a brass ensemble festival in Belgium in which a group performed with choreography on bicycles. It blew my mind, and I had to know more! Sources vary on how this tradition of bicycle ensembles or Velo Clubs came to be, but a few things are consistent among sources.  In the 1890s, bicycles were beginning to be mass-produced, and with this, more and more people began riding in the streets. This came with an increase in the number of accidents. New legislation had to be put into place, and fast. The law called for a horn, bell, or bugle to be sounded when approaching intersections to warn pedestrians. Soon, these velo clubs all had at least one bugler who rode at the front of the pack, and then more and more people wanted to bring their horns, and this effect snowballed until the majority of individuals had horns with them while they rode.  Over time, the purpose of the buglers changed to help organ...
Read more

The Dirty Dozen Brass Band with Elvis Costello and Widespread Panic

Image
While originally I was only going to write about brass bands and rap artists, it only felt natural to expand into the realm of brass bands with vocal accompaniment, as they often go hand in hand. One brass band that is doing it uniquely is the Dirty Dozen Brass Band . Many groups have dedicated beatboxers, rappers, or vocalists, and yes, The Dirty Dozen do have members of their group that sing or provide vocals from time to time; they often collaborate with existing artists and serve as not just a band's hornline, but as a collaborator on stage with numerous bands.  Above is an example of just that! This is the Dirty Dozen with Elvis Costello. Costello is an English singer, songwriter, producer, author, and TV host who has run the musical gauntlet and performed in groups that perform a wide array of genres. This piece above highlights not just his versatility as a performer but also how wonderful brass blends with voice, in "That's How You Got Killed Before" off of th...
Read more