WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:01.820 I have a question for you to start things off 00:00:01.820 --> 00:00:05.259 today. Okay, shoot. When you think of the golden 00:00:05.259 --> 00:00:08.599 age of Mexican music, or really just Latin music 00:00:08.599 --> 00:00:11.820 in general, during the 1940s and 50s, what image 00:00:11.820 --> 00:00:15.560 pops into your head? Oh, usually it's big cinema 00:00:15.560 --> 00:00:17.440 stars. You picture someone like Pedro Infante 00:00:17.440 --> 00:00:20.000 on a horse, or maybe this massive orchestra playing 00:00:20.000 --> 00:00:22.600 in a tuxedo -filled ballroom down in Mexico City. 00:00:22.920 --> 00:00:25.120 Right, right. It's those spotlight moments, the 00:00:25.120 --> 00:00:28.120 legends with their names and lights on the marquee. 00:00:28.160 --> 00:00:30.760 Exactly. But today we were actually doing something 00:00:30.760 --> 00:00:32.579 a little different for this deep dives. We were 00:00:32.579 --> 00:00:34.799 shifting that spotlight about, I don't know, 00:00:34.840 --> 00:00:37.359 five feet to the left. Is that a frame? Exactly. 00:00:37.380 --> 00:00:39.520 We're looking at the guy standing just outside 00:00:39.520 --> 00:00:41.820 the frame. The one who is basically holding the 00:00:41.820 --> 00:00:43.899 whole architecture together. Which, to be honest, 00:00:44.060 --> 00:00:46.359 is often where the real story is. Yeah, it really 00:00:46.359 --> 00:00:49.119 is. So we were talking about Felipe Bochalo Gil. 00:00:49.500 --> 00:00:51.899 Now, depending on who you ask, he's either this 00:00:51.899 --> 00:00:54.840 minor footnote in a biography somewhere, or he 00:00:54.840 --> 00:00:57.539 is the secret architect of arguably the most 00:00:57.539 --> 00:01:00.340 famous sound in Latin music history. Though most 00:01:00.340 --> 00:01:02.719 people back then just knew him by his nickname, 00:01:03.039 --> 00:01:05.780 El Charro. El Charro, yeah. And that nickname 00:01:05.780 --> 00:01:07.719 alone does a lot of heavy lifting. It tells you 00:01:07.719 --> 00:01:10.659 exactly how he wanted to be seen. But his actual 00:01:10.659 --> 00:01:13.819 musical contribution is, well, it's... Way more 00:01:13.819 --> 00:01:15.879 complex than just a guy in a cowboy suit. Oh, 00:01:15.879 --> 00:01:18.200 absolutely. It goes so much deeper than the branding. 00:01:18.400 --> 00:01:20.620 So here is our mission for today's deep dive. 00:01:20.819 --> 00:01:23.379 We have these stacks of discography lists from 00:01:23.379 --> 00:01:26.480 the late 1930s and 40s. We've got some really 00:01:26.480 --> 00:01:29.900 dense biographical records and historical notes 00:01:29.900 --> 00:01:32.620 on his family tree that are honestly a little 00:01:32.620 --> 00:01:34.340 hard to follow at first glance. They get very 00:01:34.340 --> 00:01:36.980 complicated very fast. They do. But we need to 00:01:36.980 --> 00:01:39.879 figure out how this one man, Felipe Gil, essentially 00:01:39.879 --> 00:01:42.079 built the incubator for the romantic Bolero. 00:01:42.430 --> 00:01:44.890 Incubator is the perfect word for it. Because, 00:01:44.890 --> 00:01:46.689 and this is the part that I'm still trying to 00:01:46.689 --> 00:01:49.329 wrap my head around, the sources imply that without 00:01:49.329 --> 00:01:52.870 Felipe Gil, the legendary group Trio Los Panchos 00:01:52.870 --> 00:01:55.609 never exists. Right. And if Trio Los Panchos 00:01:55.609 --> 00:01:58.109 never exists, the entire soundtrack of Latin 00:01:58.109 --> 00:02:00.819 Romance looks completely different. I mean, is 00:02:00.819 --> 00:02:03.840 that a fair assessment or are the sources being 00:02:03.840 --> 00:02:05.920 a bit dramatic? No, I really don't think it's 00:02:05.920 --> 00:02:08.020 dramatic at all. In fact, it might even be an 00:02:08.020 --> 00:02:10.840 understatement. Really? Yeah. Trio Los Panchos, 00:02:10.879 --> 00:02:13.680 they are essentially the Beatles of the Bolero 00:02:13.680 --> 00:02:16.259 world. If you take them out of the timeline, 00:02:16.560 --> 00:02:19.060 you lose the entire template for the Latin guitar 00:02:19.060 --> 00:02:21.740 trio. And Felipe Gil is the one who assembled 00:02:21.740 --> 00:02:24.479 those parts. OK, wow. So before we get to the 00:02:24.479 --> 00:02:27.280 Beatles of Bolero. We need to understand the 00:02:27.280 --> 00:02:30.199 man who brought them together, who was Felipe 00:02:30.199 --> 00:02:32.939 Gil. Like, where does he even come from? Well, 00:02:33.000 --> 00:02:35.580 we have to start in 1913. Felipe was born in 00:02:35.580 --> 00:02:37.780 Misantla, which is in the state of Veracruz, 00:02:37.780 --> 00:02:40.539 Mexico. And we really need to pause on Veracruz 00:02:40.539 --> 00:02:42.919 for a second. Why is it just a geography thing? 00:02:43.210 --> 00:02:45.889 No, it's about the musical ecosystem. Veracruz 00:02:45.889 --> 00:02:48.909 is this incredible gateway. It's a major port 00:02:48.909 --> 00:02:51.569 state on the Gulf of Mexico. So you have indigenous 00:02:51.569 --> 00:02:53.789 traditions, you have Spanish influence, and you 00:02:53.789 --> 00:02:55.870 have these heavy African rhythms coming through 00:02:55.870 --> 00:02:58.009 the Caribbean. And it all just mixes right there 00:02:58.009 --> 00:03:00.069 on the port. Exactly. It all mixes there. So 00:03:00.069 --> 00:03:02.569 being born into a family of musicians in Veracruz 00:03:02.569 --> 00:03:05.389 in 1913 means you aren't just learning standard 00:03:05.389 --> 00:03:08.830 songs. You are absorbing incredibly complex rhythms 00:03:08.830 --> 00:03:11.949 from day one. The historical notes do mention. 00:03:12.539 --> 00:03:14.759 He studied the music of his local area from a 00:03:14.759 --> 00:03:16.800 very young age. Right. And specifically, that 00:03:16.800 --> 00:03:19.060 usually means styles related to the Sanjurocho 00:03:19.060 --> 00:03:21.159 or the Huapango, which we'll definitely talk 00:03:21.159 --> 00:03:23.979 about later. It's technically demanding music. 00:03:24.180 --> 00:03:27.840 He wasn't just a casual strummer. He had a serious, 00:03:27.960 --> 00:03:30.639 serious foundation. OK, so let's clear up the 00:03:30.639 --> 00:03:32.180 name thing real quick, because I definitely got 00:03:32.180 --> 00:03:35.020 confused reading the introductory notes. His 00:03:35.020 --> 00:03:39.039 full name is Felipe Bochel Aguil. Yes. But he 00:03:39.039 --> 00:03:42.069 becomes famous. Just going by Felipe Gil. Right. 00:03:42.150 --> 00:03:44.810 So it's standard naming convention in Spanish 00:03:44.810 --> 00:03:48.509 speaking countries. Bohalil is his father's surname 00:03:48.509 --> 00:03:51.050 and Gil is his mother's surname. Usually you 00:03:51.050 --> 00:03:52.889 would go by the father's name. But he didn't. 00:03:52.909 --> 00:03:55.770 Well, Bohalil is actually of Lebanese origin. 00:03:55.930 --> 00:03:58.110 There was a very significant Lebanese migration 00:03:58.110 --> 00:04:00.990 to Mexico around that time. But if you are picking 00:04:00.990 --> 00:04:03.610 a stage name in the 1930s. You want something 00:04:03.610 --> 00:04:06.689 that sounds a bit more local. Exactly. Felipe 00:04:06.689 --> 00:04:09.939 Gil sounds more, let's say, traditional. accessible 00:04:09.939 --> 00:04:12.400 for a mass Mexican audience. And then he adds 00:04:12.400 --> 00:04:14.629 El Charro to the front of it. That is the pure 00:04:14.629 --> 00:04:17.509 branding. El Charro is the traditional Mexican 00:04:17.509 --> 00:04:20.949 horseman. It's this massive symbol of rural pride, 00:04:21.170 --> 00:04:24.470 of masculinity, and of Mexican nationalism. Kind 00:04:24.470 --> 00:04:27.029 of like the American cowboy. Very similar, but 00:04:27.029 --> 00:04:29.730 with way more intricate embroidery and a much 00:04:29.730 --> 00:04:32.990 bigger sombrero. By calling himself El Charro, 00:04:33.149 --> 00:04:36.149 he was actively aligning himself with the nationalist 00:04:36.149 --> 00:04:38.589 movement in the arts at that time. He was putting 00:04:38.589 --> 00:04:40.850 a flag in the ground saying, I represent the 00:04:40.850 --> 00:04:43.290 true Mexico. Okay, so he's got the musical charm. 00:04:43.310 --> 00:04:46.350 from Veracruz, and he's got this strong nationalist 00:04:46.350 --> 00:04:49.670 brand. He starts performing, and the timeline 00:04:49.670 --> 00:04:52.529 shows he forms a group in 1936. Right, called 00:04:52.529 --> 00:04:55.370 El Charo Gil y Suscaparrales. Which translates 00:04:55.370 --> 00:04:57.550 to what, El Charo Gil and his foreman? Yeah, 00:04:57.629 --> 00:04:59.870 his foreman or his ranch hands. Again, really 00:04:59.870 --> 00:05:02.629 leaning into that whole ranch aesthetic. So the 00:05:02.629 --> 00:05:04.930 original lineup for this group is Felipe, a guy 00:05:04.930 --> 00:05:07.269 named Alvaro Ancona, and a third member named 00:05:07.269 --> 00:05:09.750 Jesus Navarro. Though it seems everyone just 00:05:09.750 --> 00:05:12.149 calls him Chucho. Chucho Navarro, yes. And keep 00:05:12.149 --> 00:05:15.040 that name. in mind. OK, so they're playing together. 00:05:15.079 --> 00:05:17.480 They're touring, doing the radio circuit. But 00:05:17.480 --> 00:05:21.180 then we hit the year 1940. And this is where 00:05:21.180 --> 00:05:23.500 that butterfly effect really kicks in. What exactly 00:05:23.500 --> 00:05:27.259 happens? So in 1940, Alvaro Ancona leaves the 00:05:27.259 --> 00:05:30.009 group. We don't have a lot of granular detail 00:05:30.009 --> 00:05:33.069 in the sources on exactly why. Maybe it was creative 00:05:33.069 --> 00:05:35.110 differences. Maybe the touring life was just 00:05:35.110 --> 00:05:37.889 too much. But the result is Felipe has an empty 00:05:37.889 --> 00:05:40.930 spot in the band. Exactly. Felipe needs a guitarist 00:05:40.930 --> 00:05:44.009 and a voice quickly. So he looks at his own family 00:05:44.009 --> 00:05:46.670 tree and he calls up his brother, Alfredo Gil. 00:05:46.810 --> 00:05:49.689 OK, so the new lineup is Felipe Gil as the leader, 00:05:49.810 --> 00:05:52.449 his brother, Alfredo Gil and Chucho Navarro. 00:05:52.610 --> 00:05:55.930 You got it. And this specific trio, Felipe, Alfredo 00:05:55.930 --> 00:05:59.009 and Chucho, they play together. for roughly four 00:05:59.009 --> 00:06:01.589 solid years. But why is that specific combination 00:06:01.589 --> 00:06:03.949 so incredibly important? I mean, bands change 00:06:03.949 --> 00:06:06.029 their members all the time, right? They do, but 00:06:06.029 --> 00:06:08.509 it matters so much because of what Alfredo and 00:06:08.509 --> 00:06:11.050 Chucho would go on to do after this. You see, 00:06:11.110 --> 00:06:14.170 playing in a trio format is incredibly intimate. 00:06:14.449 --> 00:06:17.569 Well, it's not like playing in a 20 -piece ballroom 00:06:17.569 --> 00:06:19.529 orchestra where you can hide behind the brass 00:06:19.529 --> 00:06:21.930 section if you make a mistake. In a three -piece 00:06:21.930 --> 00:06:24.709 group, you have to breathe together. Your vocal 00:06:24.709 --> 00:06:27.220 phrasing has to match absolutely perfectly. Oh, 00:06:27.300 --> 00:06:28.959 I see. It's almost like a three -legged race. 00:06:29.060 --> 00:06:31.339 You had to be totally in sync. That's a great 00:06:31.339 --> 00:06:33.839 way to put it. And for four years, Alfredo Gil 00:06:33.839 --> 00:06:36.800 and Chucho Navarro were locked inside this musical 00:06:36.800 --> 00:06:40.019 incubator being led by Felipe. They were refining 00:06:40.019 --> 00:06:42.459 this incredibly tight sound. They were learning 00:06:42.459 --> 00:06:45.100 exactly how their voices blended best. And then, 00:06:45.199 --> 00:06:47.720 in 1944, the sources say the band breaks up. 00:06:47.959 --> 00:06:50.180 Right. And look at what happens immediately after 00:06:50.180 --> 00:06:52.759 they disband. Alfredo Gil and Chucha Navarro 00:06:52.759 --> 00:06:55.839 leave Felipe's group. They go out, they find 00:06:55.839 --> 00:06:58.620 a third singer named Hernando Aviles, and within 00:06:58.620 --> 00:07:01.259 weeks they form Triolos Panchos. And they just 00:07:01.259 --> 00:07:03.959 become absolute legends. Titans of the industry. 00:07:04.339 --> 00:07:07.839 They codified what we now know as the Romantic 00:07:07.839 --> 00:07:10.459 Bolero. If you've ever heard a classic Latin 00:07:10.459 --> 00:07:13.800 song with smooth three -part harmony, soft maracas 00:07:13.800 --> 00:07:16.160 in the background, and that incredibly fast, 00:07:16.360 --> 00:07:18.720 high -pitched guitar. Oh, I know that sound. 00:07:18.860 --> 00:07:21.060 Yeah, that's them. They created that template. 00:07:21.360 --> 00:07:22.860 Actually, you just mentioned the guitar picking. 00:07:23.060 --> 00:07:25.319 I saw the term requinto thrown around a lot in 00:07:25.319 --> 00:07:27.720 the discography notes. Was that part of this 00:07:27.720 --> 00:07:30.199 whole sound? A crucial part. The requinto is 00:07:30.199 --> 00:07:32.620 a smaller guitar, and it's tuned higher than 00:07:32.620 --> 00:07:35.060 a standard guitar, so the sound can physically 00:07:35.060 --> 00:07:37.500 cut through the other instruments and the vocals. 00:07:38.259 --> 00:07:41.459 Alfredo Gil is widely credited with inventing, 00:07:41.459 --> 00:07:44.779 or at least popularizing, that specific instrument 00:07:44.779 --> 00:07:47.519 for Trio Los Panchos. But where was he practicing 00:07:47.519 --> 00:07:50.420 and developing those insane guitar skills before 00:07:50.420 --> 00:07:55.120 Los Panchos? Exactly. In Felipe Gil's band. For 00:07:55.120 --> 00:07:58.439 four years. Wow. So Felipe Gil essentially... 00:07:58.589 --> 00:08:00.490 ran the training camp, he brought these two guys 00:08:00.490 --> 00:08:03.050 together, let them simmer and perfect their craft 00:08:03.050 --> 00:08:05.250 for four years, and then they went off and conquered 00:08:05.250 --> 00:08:08.110 the world. Precisely. If Felipe hadn't replaced 00:08:08.110 --> 00:08:10.689 Ancona with his brother Alfredo back in 1940, 00:08:11.029 --> 00:08:13.290 Alfredo and Chucho might never have even met. 00:08:13.389 --> 00:08:14.930 They certainly wouldn't have spent four years 00:08:14.930 --> 00:08:17.550 touring in close quarters. That is wild. The 00:08:17.550 --> 00:08:19.689 entire Los Panchos sound, which went on to influence 00:08:19.689 --> 00:08:22.509 everyone from 80 Gourmet to modern pop artists, 00:08:22.910 --> 00:08:25.610 it simply would not exist. One hiring decision 00:08:25.610 --> 00:08:27.990 literally changes the course of a whole genre. 00:08:28.519 --> 00:08:30.860 But I want to pivot a bit here because Felipe 00:08:30.860 --> 00:08:33.379 wasn't just some stepping stone for his brother's 00:08:33.379 --> 00:08:35.580 career. Yeah. He had his own massive standalone 00:08:35.580 --> 00:08:38.399 career. And a lot of it centered around his relationship 00:08:38.399 --> 00:08:41.379 with Eva Garza. Oh, Eva Garza is a fascinating 00:08:41.379 --> 00:08:44.220 historical figure on her own. She was Mexican 00:08:44.220 --> 00:08:47.580 -American. Born in Texas, but she became a massive 00:08:47.580 --> 00:08:50.899 star all across Latin America, just a total powerhouse 00:08:50.899 --> 00:08:54.179 vocalist. The notes say they met in 1939 during 00:08:54.179 --> 00:08:56.820 a concert tour in Juarez, Mexico. It was a total 00:08:56.820 --> 00:08:59.659 whirlwind romance. They met on tour, fell in 00:08:59.659 --> 00:09:01.919 love, and got married that exact same year. And 00:09:01.919 --> 00:09:03.700 then they made a decision that I think is really 00:09:03.700 --> 00:09:06.379 key to understanding their massive success. They 00:09:06.379 --> 00:09:09.039 packed up and moved to New York City. Yes. See, 00:09:09.080 --> 00:09:11.659 that surprised me when I read it. I tend to associate 00:09:11.659 --> 00:09:14.710 the style of Mexican music with... Mexico City 00:09:14.710 --> 00:09:18.090 or maybe Los Angeles. Why New York City in the 00:09:18.090 --> 00:09:20.950 late 30s? Context is everything for that move. 00:09:21.149 --> 00:09:23.330 Think about the geopolitical situation right 00:09:23.330 --> 00:09:26.450 then. It's the late 1930s, early 40s. The world 00:09:26.450 --> 00:09:28.789 is heading straight into World War II. Europe 00:09:28.789 --> 00:09:31.330 is becoming completely inaccessible for trade 00:09:31.330 --> 00:09:34.590 and culture. So the U .S. government under FDR 00:09:34.590 --> 00:09:37.210 kicks off what they call the good neighbor policy. 00:09:37.590 --> 00:09:40.250 Basically, a political move saying. Let's be 00:09:40.250 --> 00:09:42.289 really good friends with Latin America so they 00:09:42.289 --> 00:09:44.929 don't side with the Axis powers. Exactly that. 00:09:45.049 --> 00:09:47.549 And because of that policy, suddenly there is 00:09:47.549 --> 00:09:50.590 this massive cultural push in the U .S. to embrace 00:09:50.590 --> 00:09:53.990 and broadcast Latin music. New York City becomes 00:09:53.990 --> 00:09:56.850 the absolute hub for this. Because of the radio 00:09:56.850 --> 00:10:00.389 networks. Yes. CBS Radio, Columbia Records, they 00:10:00.389 --> 00:10:02.950 are all headquartered there and they are starving 00:10:02.950 --> 00:10:07.019 for authentic Latin content. Felipe and Eva land 00:10:07.019 --> 00:10:10.399 in New York right at the bleeding edge of this 00:10:10.399 --> 00:10:13.159 boom. So they weren't just playing niche underground 00:10:13.159 --> 00:10:15.779 clubs. They were part of this massive mainstream 00:10:15.779 --> 00:10:18.340 cultural wave. Correct. They were broadcasting 00:10:18.340 --> 00:10:20.519 live to both North and South America simultaneously. 00:10:21.059 --> 00:10:23.860 They were recording for the major labels. Eva 00:10:23.860 --> 00:10:26.460 Garza would frequently guest perform with Felipe's 00:10:26.460 --> 00:10:29.220 band. They were a genuine power couple in the 00:10:29.220 --> 00:10:31.340 truest sense of the word. I was looking at the 00:10:31.340 --> 00:10:33.419 discography list we have from the sources, specifically 00:10:33.419 --> 00:10:35.830 the tracks they recorded around. time and i realized 00:10:35.830 --> 00:10:37.809 i don't actually know what some of these genres 00:10:37.809 --> 00:10:39.750 sound like which one stood out to you we'll take 00:10:39.750 --> 00:10:42.750 a song like el cascabel it's listed as a huapango 00:10:42.750 --> 00:10:45.710 i know that's a regional style but if i actually 00:10:45.710 --> 00:10:48.370 press play on that record what am i hearing you 00:10:48.370 --> 00:10:52.179 are hearing pure unadulterated energy. A huapango 00:10:52.179 --> 00:10:55.379 is not soft background music. It originates from 00:10:55.379 --> 00:10:57.840 the Huasteca region in Mexico. It's usually driven 00:10:57.840 --> 00:11:00.759 by a violin and there's a specific guitar strumming 00:11:00.759 --> 00:11:03.440 pattern that is incredibly percussive. Like a 00:11:03.440 --> 00:11:06.059 fast rhythm. It gallops and the vocals are sung 00:11:06.059 --> 00:11:08.799 very high. They use these falsetto flips that 00:11:08.799 --> 00:11:12.000 are notoriously difficult to execute properly. 00:11:12.259 --> 00:11:14.639 So it's an aggressive sound. It's highly spirited 00:11:14.639 --> 00:11:17.240 and it's virtuosic. For Felipe to be recording 00:11:17.240 --> 00:11:19.860 a raw huapango like El Cascado, Cabell in 1938, 00:11:20.379 --> 00:11:22.779 it means he wasn't watering his culture down 00:11:22.779 --> 00:11:24.960 for the American labels. He was bringing that 00:11:24.960 --> 00:11:27.799 complex regional fan straight to a mass audience. 00:11:28.080 --> 00:11:29.820 Now contrast that with something else on the 00:11:29.820 --> 00:11:32.620 list, like I Jalisco No Tarajes, the record show 00:11:32.620 --> 00:11:36.320 they recorded that in New York in 1942. Ay, Jalisco 00:11:36.320 --> 00:11:38.759 no te rajes. That translates to Jalisco don't 00:11:38.759 --> 00:11:41.419 back down. That is a classic ranchera. It's a 00:11:41.419 --> 00:11:44.500 total anthem. It's all about regional pride, 00:11:44.860 --> 00:11:47.820 bravery, drinking tequila, being a macho man. 00:11:48.080 --> 00:11:50.620 It is the quintessential song of the charro. 00:11:50.759 --> 00:11:53.279 And singing that specific song in New York City 00:11:53.279 --> 00:11:55.419 right in the middle of World War II. It sends 00:11:55.419 --> 00:11:58.100 a massive message. It's a loud projection of 00:11:58.100 --> 00:12:01.440 Mexican identity on a global stage. Just imagine 00:12:01.440 --> 00:12:03.379 being a Mexican immigrant living in New York 00:12:03.379 --> 00:12:06.049 in 1942. You turn on the radio and you hear Felipe 00:12:06.049 --> 00:12:08.909 Gil belting out this defiant anthem of Jalisco. 00:12:09.149 --> 00:12:11.509 It must have been incredibly powerful for people. 00:12:11.690 --> 00:12:13.549 We also see a lot of songwriting credits for 00:12:13.549 --> 00:12:16.049 Felipe himself on these Columbia records for 00:12:16.049 --> 00:12:18.909 tracks like Eso Si, Eso No. He wasn't just a 00:12:18.909 --> 00:12:21.029 singer. No, and that's a very important distinction. 00:12:21.409 --> 00:12:23.789 He was writing constantly, songs like Lu Longo, 00:12:23.909 --> 00:12:26.230 El Pijul, El Perendero. And when you look at 00:12:26.230 --> 00:12:27.929 the other songwriters they were covering on these 00:12:27.929 --> 00:12:30.429 sessions, guys like Lorenzo Barsalada and Tito 00:12:30.429 --> 00:12:32.909 Guizar, it really paints a picture of a tight 00:12:32.909 --> 00:12:35.110 -knit musical community. Who was Tito Guizar? 00:12:35.210 --> 00:12:37.029 I see his name popping up all over these liner 00:12:37.029 --> 00:12:39.529 notes. Tito Guizar was essentially the original 00:12:39.529 --> 00:12:42.750 Mexican crossover star. He starred in this huge 00:12:42.750 --> 00:12:46.289 movie called Awa en El Rancho Grande in 1936, 00:12:46.549 --> 00:12:48.759 which basically... launched the golden age of 00:12:48.759 --> 00:12:52.200 Mexican cinema single -handedly. He was the handsome 00:12:52.200 --> 00:12:54.700 singing cowboy that everyone wanted to emulate. 00:12:54.879 --> 00:12:57.879 Oh, so he was huge. Massive. So the fact that 00:12:57.879 --> 00:13:00.519 Felipe Gil and his band were recording Guizar's 00:13:00.519 --> 00:13:03.340 songs and presumably running in those same elite 00:13:03.340 --> 00:13:06.299 circles in New York, it puts Felipe at the absolute 00:13:06.299 --> 00:13:08.759 top of the food chain. It also seems like they 00:13:08.759 --> 00:13:11.120 were just incredibly productive. The track list 00:13:11.120 --> 00:13:14.700 for late 1938 alone is exhausting just to look 00:13:14.700 --> 00:13:16.639 at. They were doing sessions in Los Angeles. 00:13:16.720 --> 00:13:19.500 in October and November, October 7th, October 00:13:19.500 --> 00:13:22.279 18th, October 26th. They basically lived in the 00:13:22.279 --> 00:13:24.220 studio. That was the hustle of the era. You had 00:13:24.220 --> 00:13:26.299 to constantly feed the jukeboxes and the radio 00:13:26.299 --> 00:13:28.899 stations, but notice the sheer variety in those 00:13:28.899 --> 00:13:31.379 L .A. sessions. They do the Complexo Pongos, 00:13:31.500 --> 00:13:33.440 they do the Roncheras, and then they do standard 00:13:33.440 --> 00:13:36.059 pop tracks like La Cucaracha. But the notes say 00:13:36.059 --> 00:13:38.620 it was arranged by Gil and Navarro. Meaning they 00:13:38.620 --> 00:13:41.210 put their own unique spin on a classic. Exactly. 00:13:41.210 --> 00:13:42.809 They weren't just playing it straight. They were, 00:13:42.809 --> 00:13:45.950 you know, caporalizing it, probably adding those 00:13:45.950 --> 00:13:48.789 intricate vocal harmonies and fast guitar runs 00:13:48.789 --> 00:13:51.129 that Chucho and Alfredo were busy perfecting 00:13:51.129 --> 00:13:53.289 in the background. So we have this incredible 00:13:53.289 --> 00:13:55.769 peak period, the New York years, the Good Neighbor 00:13:55.769 --> 00:13:59.210 radio broadcasts, the recording frenzy with Eva 00:13:59.210 --> 00:14:02.389 Garza. But Felipe's story has a relatively early 00:14:02.389 --> 00:14:05.289 end, doesn't it? Tragically so, yes. The biographical 00:14:05.289 --> 00:14:08.450 records show Felipe Gil died in 1956. He was 00:14:08.450 --> 00:14:13.110 only 42 or 43. That is shockingly young, especially 00:14:13.110 --> 00:14:16.070 when you consider that 1956 is exactly when the 00:14:16.070 --> 00:14:18.669 Bolero craze, the very thing he helped incubate, 00:14:18.710 --> 00:14:21.990 was completely dominating the world charts. He 00:14:21.990 --> 00:14:24.049 missed the biggest wave of the movement he helped 00:14:24.049 --> 00:14:26.409 start. It's one of those really sad ironies of 00:14:26.409 --> 00:14:28.549 music history. He built the stage, but he didn't 00:14:28.549 --> 00:14:30.990 get to stand on it for the final bow. However... 00:14:31.240 --> 00:14:33.580 The name Felipe Gil didn't just disappear from 00:14:33.580 --> 00:14:35.600 the record sleeves. Yeah. And this is a part 00:14:35.600 --> 00:14:37.179 of the deep dive that I think is really special. 00:14:37.360 --> 00:14:40.399 The musical DNA kept going. It certainly did. 00:14:40.759 --> 00:14:43.419 Felipe and Eva Garza raised three children together 00:14:43.419 --> 00:14:46.440 in New York before they divorced in 1953. And 00:14:46.440 --> 00:14:49.080 one of those children, named Felipe Gil Jr., 00:14:49.080 --> 00:14:51.620 went on to become a massive figure in the Latin 00:14:51.620 --> 00:14:54.240 music industry in his own right during the 70s 00:14:54.240 --> 00:14:56.620 and 80s. We're talking about a very serious career 00:14:56.620 --> 00:14:59.500 in film, television, and theater. Huge career. 00:15:00.059 --> 00:15:03.860 a major songwriter, won the OTI Festival, which 00:15:03.860 --> 00:15:06.139 is basically like the Eurovision of Latin America. 00:15:06.500 --> 00:15:08.899 But what's truly fascinating is looking at the 00:15:08.899 --> 00:15:12.259 evolution of identity within this single family 00:15:12.259 --> 00:15:14.259 line. Right, because there's a footnote here 00:15:14.259 --> 00:15:17.299 about Felipe Gil Jr.'s later life. Yes. In a 00:15:17.299 --> 00:15:19.820 very public and courageous move much later in 00:15:19.820 --> 00:15:22.340 life, Felipe Gil Jr. transitioned and is now 00:15:22.340 --> 00:15:24.639 known as Felicia Garza. Which I just think is 00:15:24.639 --> 00:15:26.840 such a beautiful historical bookend to this whole 00:15:26.840 --> 00:15:29.240 story. You start the century with the father. 00:15:29.629 --> 00:15:32.549 El Charro, who represents the absolute archetype 00:15:32.549 --> 00:15:35.090 of the macho, mustache -wearing, traditional 00:15:35.090 --> 00:15:37.549 Mexican cowboy. Right. And then the legacy continues 00:15:37.549 --> 00:15:40.289 decades later through Felicia, who represents 00:15:40.289 --> 00:15:42.769 a completely different, modern, and fluid kind 00:15:42.769 --> 00:15:45.029 of identity. But the constant through it all, 00:15:45.110 --> 00:15:48.110 the absolute constant is the music. Exactly. 00:15:48.470 --> 00:15:50.929 The raw songwriting talent in that bloodline 00:15:50.929 --> 00:15:53.929 is undeniable, regardless of gender or genre 00:15:53.929 --> 00:15:56.269 or era. It floats straight from the Beaujolais 00:15:56.269 --> 00:15:59.210 family in Veracruz to El Charro in New York, 00:15:59.309 --> 00:16:02.730 all the way to Felicia Garza. It really challenges 00:16:02.730 --> 00:16:05.110 that static image we have of tradition, doesn't 00:16:05.110 --> 00:16:07.070 it? Yeah. We tend to think of tradition as this 00:16:07.070 --> 00:16:10.620 fixed, unmovable thing, but... This family's 00:16:10.620 --> 00:16:12.940 history shows it's always evolving. Absolutely. 00:16:13.460 --> 00:16:15.679 Tradition isn't just about doing the exact same 00:16:15.679 --> 00:16:18.019 thing over and over. It's about maintaining the 00:16:18.019 --> 00:16:20.320 core quality while the world changes around you. 00:16:20.419 --> 00:16:23.519 So when we zoom out and look at Philippe Bourgelieu 00:16:23.519 --> 00:16:25.919 -Gill, not just as a name on a dusty record, 00:16:26.000 --> 00:16:28.700 but as a historical force, what is the ultimate 00:16:28.700 --> 00:16:31.379 takeaway? Why does he matter to someone listening 00:16:31.379 --> 00:16:33.659 to us today who might not speak Spanish or know 00:16:33.659 --> 00:16:36.200 a Fopango from Ranchera? I think he matters because 00:16:36.200 --> 00:16:38.700 he is the ultimate connector. We live in a pop 00:16:38.700 --> 00:16:40.700 culture world where we obsess over the front 00:16:40.700 --> 00:16:43.220 man, the Beyonce, the Elvis, the Pedro Infante. 00:16:43.620 --> 00:16:45.960 But culture is actually built by the connectors, 00:16:46.139 --> 00:16:48.440 the people who know exactly which guitarist belongs 00:16:48.440 --> 00:16:50.620 in a room with which singer. The people who see 00:16:50.620 --> 00:16:52.960 the chemistry before it even happens. Exactly. 00:16:53.759 --> 00:16:56.299 Felipe Gil had the ear to hear that his brother 00:16:56.299 --> 00:16:59.879 Alfredo and Chucho Navarro belong together. He 00:16:59.879 --> 00:17:02.080 had the vision to take regional Veracruz rhythms 00:17:02.080 --> 00:17:04.319 and package them for New York network radio. 00:17:04.920 --> 00:17:08.299 He connected the rural to the urban and the past 00:17:08.299 --> 00:17:10.759 to the future. And he connected the U .S. and 00:17:10.759 --> 00:17:12.980 Mexico during a time when the entire world was 00:17:12.980 --> 00:17:15.619 falling apart. That too. He was essentially a 00:17:15.619 --> 00:17:17.720 cultural diplomat with a guitar. I keep going 00:17:17.720 --> 00:17:19.839 back to that what -if scenario we touched on 00:17:19.839 --> 00:17:21.400 earlier. I want to leave the listeners with that 00:17:21.400 --> 00:17:23.400 thought. The alternate history of the bolero. 00:17:23.500 --> 00:17:27.660 Yeah. Just imagine it's 1940. Felipe Gil is stressed 00:17:27.660 --> 00:17:30.839 out. His guitarist just quit. He has a massive 00:17:30.839 --> 00:17:33.059 radio tour booked. He could have hired literally 00:17:33.059 --> 00:17:35.859 anyone. He could have hired a local mariachi 00:17:35.859 --> 00:17:38.019 player. He could have hired a jazz guitarist 00:17:38.019 --> 00:17:40.019 off the street in New York. He had his pick of 00:17:40.019 --> 00:17:42.000 the litter. But he calls his brother. And because 00:17:42.000 --> 00:17:44.720 of that one single phone call, those three guys 00:17:44.720 --> 00:17:48.119 spend four years in a bus or a car or a train. 00:17:48.559 --> 00:17:51.619 harmonizing. They invent a group dynamic. They 00:17:51.619 --> 00:17:53.799 perfect the recanto style. And that specific 00:17:53.799 --> 00:17:55.880 sound becomes the soundtrack for millions of 00:17:55.880 --> 00:17:58.359 first kisses, weddings, and heartbreaks for the 00:17:58.359 --> 00:18:01.319 next 50 years. It's the butterfly effect in pure 00:18:01.319 --> 00:18:05.119 action. Music history hangs by a single guitar 00:18:05.119 --> 00:18:08.519 string. History hangs by a guitar string. I love 00:18:08.519 --> 00:18:10.720 that. It's so true, though. If he hires a different 00:18:10.720 --> 00:18:13.180 guy, maybe we don't have Besamucho the way we 00:18:13.180 --> 00:18:15.240 know it today. Maybe Los Panchos never happens. 00:18:15.380 --> 00:18:18.039 The ripple effects are just endless. It makes 00:18:18.039 --> 00:18:20.960 you wonder who the Felipe Gills are today. Who 00:18:20.960 --> 00:18:23.000 is out there right now assembling the band that 00:18:23.000 --> 00:18:26.529 will completely change music in 2035? But we 00:18:26.529 --> 00:18:28.690 don't even know their name yet. They are definitely 00:18:28.690 --> 00:18:30.869 out there, probably in some garage or a basement 00:18:30.869 --> 00:18:33.289 studio right now, introducing to people who have 00:18:33.289 --> 00:18:36.390 no idea they're about to make history. Well, 00:18:36.490 --> 00:18:38.650 if you are listening to this right now and you 00:18:38.650 --> 00:18:41.529 are that person, keep going. We need the connectors. 00:18:41.730 --> 00:18:44.190 We really do. And actually, that brings up one 00:18:44.190 --> 00:18:46.650 final thought I want you, the listener, to mull 00:18:46.650 --> 00:18:49.309 over. We just talked about how vital these connectors 00:18:49.309 --> 00:18:52.190 are. But think about how we consume music today. 00:18:52.750 --> 00:18:55.049 With streaming algorithms just feeding us endless 00:18:55.049 --> 00:18:57.890 individual tracks, it's harder than ever to see 00:18:57.890 --> 00:19:01.349 the liner notes. It's harder to see who is producing, 00:19:01.470 --> 00:19:03.910 who is introducing the artists, who is playing 00:19:03.910 --> 00:19:06.390 the background guitar. Oh, that's a great point. 00:19:06.470 --> 00:19:09.250 The credits are buried. Exactly. The algorithms 00:19:09.250 --> 00:19:11.809 hide the connectors. So maybe the challenge for 00:19:11.809 --> 00:19:13.910 all of us is to start digging into those credits 00:19:13.910 --> 00:19:16.930 again. Find out who is building the incubators 00:19:16.930 --> 00:19:19.269 today because they are the ones actually steering 00:19:19.269 --> 00:19:21.430 the culture. Couldn't agree more. Look past the 00:19:21.430 --> 00:19:24.529 marquee. Well, that is all the time we have for 00:19:24.529 --> 00:19:26.890 this deep dive. Thank you for exploring the life 00:19:26.890 --> 00:19:29.730 and legacy of El Charro with us. It's been a 00:19:29.730 --> 00:19:32.430 truly fascinating ride from Veracruz to the Bronx 00:19:32.430 --> 00:19:35.269 and back. A pleasure as always. And to our listeners, 00:19:35.430 --> 00:19:37.970 thanks for tuning in. Check the show notes for 00:19:37.970 --> 00:19:41.049 a link to I Jalisco No Te Rajas. Give it a listen 00:19:41.049 --> 00:19:43.210 and just imagine you're sitting in a New York 00:19:43.210 --> 00:19:46.269 City apartment in 1942. We'll catch you on the 00:19:46.269 --> 00:19:46.930 next deep dive.