Rock en Español

I recall thinking in the early nineties that Mexican popular music was derivative, a cheaper imitation of the vapid scene in the U.S. that was still under the sway then of MTV. Like film, rock and alternative music in Mexico today has come into its own, and the best of it draws from its own rich traditions to make the music new, rough, but also Mexican.

One band that I enjoy -- "saw" them at a free show at the Zocalo once -- is Cafe Tacuba.

But the most visible and enduring group within the rock category is Maná.