Conjunto Michoacán – “La Hija de la Viuda” (1981) * Written by Hermenegildo Garcia Flores * 45: “Piquetes de Hormiga” / “La Hija de la Viuda” * LP: La Hija de la Viuda/Piquetes de Hormiga * Produced by Magdaleno Oliva M. * Label: Odeon
The conjunto music of Michoacán in western Mexico features the violin instead of the accordion, and the early eighties lineup of the aptly named Conjunto Michoacán is a good place to get familiar with that sound. Hermenegildo Garcia was the violinist, vocalist, and most active song contributor, which is why some of their albums are billed to “Conjunto Michoacán de Hermenegildo Garcia.” This was the incarnation that appeared in a peculiar 1981 film called La Jorobada (“the hunchback”), in which they performed “Piquetes de Horniga,” a song still familiar to many conjuntos today. This album’s lineup is perhaps the classic one (Garcia had left the still active group by 1990), although some would probably argue in favor of the pre-Garcia incarnation with Camerino Martinez. The link takes you to Garcia’s “La Hija de la Viuda” (“the daughter of the widow”) from 1981.