Don Lechon : MEXICAN MUSIC: REFRITOS

By Don Fantástico

Hello again, dear lechones! Are you enjoying your stay in Mexico? Well, I hope so because this pretty country is full of color, smells, life, smiles, great food, lots of parties, awesome landscapes, beautiful ladies and great music. We all know Mariachi is folk music from Mexico and it´s amazing! But this is not what we´re going to talk about.

Have you ever heard old music sang in Spanish and somehow it sounds strangely familiar to you?

If not, you should check out this video:

Since rock n´roll became famous worldwide, people in Latin-America loved the music but they thought it would be more tight if they´d sing it in Spanish. So, a bunch of Latin bands and soloists decided to take the same tunes and compose some lyrics so they could really feel the music. This phenomenon, called refrito (refried), is to take a famous song, movie, or show in another language (mainly English) and perform it in Spanish. Some refritos were translated pretty closely from the original version whilst others are completely different.

In the mid 80's a new musical trend was born- ¨Rock en tu idioma¨ (rock in your language). It was a movement produced by BMG Ariola Music Entertainment to introduce 100% original latin bands especially from Mexico, Argentina and Spain. Before, Spanish language rock did not exist except for those that were refritos. Since that moment refritos stopped being so common but we still have some jewels.

There are hundreds of refritos. In order to give you a small taste of the most terrible, Don Lechon and friends thought 10 were enough. Don´t forget to buy some popcorn!

1. "Eclipse total del amor" - Lissette

Based on: "Total Eclipse of the Heart" - Bonnie Tyler.

*Watch for brilliant 80's quality production

2. "La noche en que Chicago se murió" - Banda Toro

Based on: "The Night Chicago Died" - Paper Lace

*Pretty horrible banda version

3. "Mi corazón te seguirá" - Guardianes del amor

Based on: "My heart will go on"- Celine Dion

4. "Tu sexo está en fuego" -Master Plus

Based on: "Sex on fire" - Kings of Leon

*This version is epic.

5. "Extraños en la noche" - Marco Antonio Muñiz.

Based on: "Strangers in the Night" - Frank Sinatra.

6. "La sombra del amor" - Indio

Based on: "Unchained Melody" -The Righteous Brothers

7. "Hotel California" - Los Bandidos

Based on: "Hotel California" - The Eagles

8. "Vuela, vuela" - Magneto

Based on: "Voyage, voyage" - Desireless.
*Watch the coordinated YMCA type dancing.

9. "La Plaga" - Enrique Guzmán

Based on "Good Golly Miss Molly" - Little Richard

10. "Otro ladrillo en la pared¨ - Amateur Mexican Band Cover

Based on: "Another Brick in the Wall" - Pink Floyd

I know you enjoyed it, so here´s a bonus. Technically not a refrito but still cool.

"Bed of roses" (Spanish version) - Bon Jovi