15 15 Essential Essential Quin Quin T
he playlist of the quinceañera, or “quince,” has evolved with every passing generation, but there are some songs that are consistently played and it would not be a quince without them. A quinceañera is the celebration of a girl’s 15th birthday and her transition from girlhood to womanhood. The Latino/x/e community is a diverse group of people with equally diverse genres of music, so every quinceañera is different and the playlists vary. However, the atmosphere of a quinceañera does not change. It is a celebration that can have hundreds of guests from different places. Family members that may have not seen each other in years, or may have never even met, come together as one. For one rare beautiful night, the entire family celebrates and dances to music that has transcended generations. This article will provide a non-ranked list of the 15 essential songs for every quinceañera. “Las Mañanitas” by various artists This song is not only sung on 15th birthdays, but on most birthdays within the Latino/x/e community. “Las Mañanitas” is a piece sung by various artists including Vicente Fernández and Cepillín, a Mexican clown who hosted a Spanish TV show. The timelessness of this song is best captured in the Cepillín version of the song. In
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his version, Cepillin asked the birthday person how old they are and proceeded to list ages from 1-100. Cepillin then said that their age does not matter and wished the birthday person a happy birthday. In Cepillin’s version, the combination of his soft voice and keyboard at the opening of the song reminds the listener of their past childhood birthdays. The opening is then followed by a loud trumpet that starts the celebration of a wonderful occasion. “El Son de la Negra” by Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán The first version of Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán, Mariachi Vargas for short, was formed in 1898 as a quartet, according to a biography by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. “El Son de la Negra” has become one of their signature songs and is essential for any quinceañera that has a mariachi present. When the lyrics are translated literally, they are a bit of a mystery. However, the opening trumpet of the song draws the listener’s attention while the fast tempo keeps their attention. Even someone who does not know how to dance the fast traditional dance of Ballet Folklorico, cannot help but tap their feet to the steadily increasing tempo. The opening yell, also known as “El Grito,” and synchronized voices of the mariachi make a person release their immense joy in the form of “El Grito.”
