Era Diferente
March 21, 2015 2:30 PM Subscribe
Los Tigres del Norte have been recognized by GLAAD for the song Era Diferente from their latest album, the first Norteño song about gay love.
Era Diferente, "She Was Different," is about a girl who is pursued by the local boys, but she is in love with her best friend (lyrics).
The quotes from lead singer Jorge Hernandez in the Advocate link are particularly thoughtful and place the song in the context of the group's history and intense connection with its fans: “People request the song,” Hernandez says. “The community is coming out to see us and this brings us great pride that these songs connect with them and brings them closer to us.”
Era Diferente, "She Was Different," is about a girl who is pursued by the local boys, but she is in love with her best friend (lyrics).
The quotes from lead singer Jorge Hernandez in the Advocate link are particularly thoughtful and place the song in the context of the group's history and intense connection with its fans: “People request the song,” Hernandez says. “The community is coming out to see us and this brings us great pride that these songs connect with them and brings them closer to us.”
Los Tigres kick ass.
posted by Pirate-Bartender-Zombie-Monkey at 4:31 PM on March 21, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by Pirate-Bartender-Zombie-Monkey at 4:31 PM on March 21, 2015 [2 favorites]
The title of the song on its own can also be read in spanish as, well, "Different Era", as in different times, which is pretty cool. This second meaning isn't referenced in the lyrics, though, it's just probably a fitting coincidence.
posted by infinitelives at 5:02 PM on March 21, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by infinitelives at 5:02 PM on March 21, 2015 [2 favorites]
This is cool, and about time. Too bad about the cheerleading for the ongoing campaign of pseudo-genocide, I guess, but still.
posted by Joakim Ziegler at 5:59 PM on March 21, 2015
posted by Joakim Ziegler at 5:59 PM on March 21, 2015
Great observation, infinitelives. I doubt it's a coincidence.
posted by umbú at 8:07 PM on March 21, 2015
posted by umbú at 8:07 PM on March 21, 2015
This is super-interesting, thanks for posting.
In the lyrics, the refrain is "ella era diferente," but the title drops the "ella." This adds one more nuance. The title could mean "she was different," as in the lyrics, but also that "it was different," i.e. the situation.
Los Tigres are mostly in their greatest-hits era, but that doesn't mean that they don't still have influence. The song's only ok as a song, to my ear. So I wonder to the extent that this is more about creating space for gay norteño singers, songs, bands, or sub-genres than anything else. Perhaps they realize that it's a big deal for that future gay corridista to be able to point to Los Tigres and find their support.
posted by migrantology at 12:09 PM on March 22, 2015 [1 favorite]
In the lyrics, the refrain is "ella era diferente," but the title drops the "ella." This adds one more nuance. The title could mean "she was different," as in the lyrics, but also that "it was different," i.e. the situation.
Los Tigres are mostly in their greatest-hits era, but that doesn't mean that they don't still have influence. The song's only ok as a song, to my ear. So I wonder to the extent that this is more about creating space for gay norteño singers, songs, bands, or sub-genres than anything else. Perhaps they realize that it's a big deal for that future gay corridista to be able to point to Los Tigres and find their support.
posted by migrantology at 12:09 PM on March 22, 2015 [1 favorite]
So I wonder to the extent that this is more about creating space for gay norteño singers, songs, bands, or sub-genres than anything else. Perhaps they realize that it's a big deal for that future gay corridista to be able to point to Los Tigres and find their support.
Hernandez gets at that a bit in the Advocate link: Will we ever see a norteño singer come out as gay? “In norteño music, I don’t know of anyone,” Hernandez says, “but, of course, [that could be because] many people are closeted. I know they are out in other musical genres, and I don’t know that anyone will come out anytime soon. It could come to light that someone has those feelings and they can be free to feel unashamed. The desire to declare your identity and to be unable to must be excruciating — to know that you belong to one community and to publicly say you belong to another.”
(As an aside, I was really surprised that there wasn't a good previous FPP on Los Tigres to link to.)
posted by Dip Flash at 1:17 PM on March 22, 2015
Hernandez gets at that a bit in the Advocate link: Will we ever see a norteño singer come out as gay? “In norteño music, I don’t know of anyone,” Hernandez says, “but, of course, [that could be because] many people are closeted. I know they are out in other musical genres, and I don’t know that anyone will come out anytime soon. It could come to light that someone has those feelings and they can be free to feel unashamed. The desire to declare your identity and to be unable to must be excruciating — to know that you belong to one community and to publicly say you belong to another.”
(As an aside, I was really surprised that there wasn't a good previous FPP on Los Tigres to link to.)
posted by Dip Flash at 1:17 PM on March 22, 2015
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posted by jonmc at 3:33 PM on March 21, 2015