Tiago Garcia
Contributing Writer
Mexican Independence Day is coming up soon, and, in honor of the holiday, I would like to introduce you to one of the best Mexican musicians to have ever lived: Francisco Gabilondo Soler.
Born on Oct. 6, 1907, Soler never finished his studies and lived a quiet life as a composer in his hometown of Orizaba, Veracruz. That is, until Oct. 15, 1934, when after appearing in the radio regularly, Soler adopted the artistic name “Cri-Crí,” onomatopoeia for the sound of crickets. It is with this character that Francisco would find the greatest success, recording over 200 different songs and ensuring radio play for more than 25 years.
Soler songs vary greatly in tone and style, combining elements from foxtrot, Mexican ranchera music, tango and even American country music. Yet, they all have a very distinctive flair to them. Even the more simple songs like “It Rains” or the sweet love song “Marshmallow” have surprisingly complex melodies, but these simple songs are the exception rather than the rule, as most of Soler’s songs have thematic as well as musical depth.
Francisco’s songs explore a variety of topics. Some delve into the fantastical, and some deal with more relatable topics. For example, “Father Elephant” features a confrontation between a child and his “elephant” father, expressing coming-of-age themes. “Rag-and-bone Man” depicts the mythical Tlacuache, a traditional Mexican creature, as he buys, sells and trades gossiping wives and misbehaving children. This last song also shows the particular Mexican flair that characterizes many of Soler’s songs. “The Wardrobe” and “Tell Me Why” both reference families broken up by the then-recent Mexican revolution. “Tell Me Why” is also remarkable as it is a sad, mellow song with heartbreaking lyrics, the last line of the song being, “Tell me why you cry all the time.”
Francisco quickly became a champion of Mexico’s most vulnerable population, and most of his songs are specifically targeted at such an audience. One of Francisco’s most famous songs is “The Duckess,” which talks about a mother struggling to provide sustenance for her children.
While Soler does not shy away from sad and depressing stories, he is also known for promoting a message of friendship and community in songs like “How’s Your Day?” This leads us to my favorite song: “Ugly Doll.” The song starts with Doll crying, as she has been shunned from society and is now no more than an outcast, but the melody quickly becomes cheerful as one of Doll’s friend reminds her, “Don’t cry anymore, dummy, you have no reason” and proceeds to note all the friends Doll actually has, which becomes the song’s chorus. The last lyric is the beautiful “I, too, love you, and I want you happy.”
As you might now see, Francisco Gabilondo Soler greatly deserves his status as one of the heroes of Mexican music, and I hope you all find his songs enjoyable.