¡Morrissey Olé!
Mexico's Deep Affinity For Morrissey
It would not be an overstatement to say that a good deal of Morrissey’s fanbase are zealous in their admiration for the singer. Anyone who has been to a Morrissey concert can attest to the near-fanaticism of many who attend (the author included). German fans are so devoted they frequently ruin his shows by storming the stage, sometimes forcing Morrissey to prematurely end his gigs. His concert appearances in Japan are routinely reported on the front cover of Nikkei Asia, which is the Japanese equivalent to the Financial Times. In 2017 the city of Los Angeles went so far as to declare November 10th as ‘Morrissey Day’, cheekily describing the singer as “…the man who put the ‘M’ in Moz Angeles…”.
This is all eclipsed by the Morrissey fans of Mexico1 as well as Mexican-Americans in Los Angeles and its environs. While paradoxical on its face, there are significant cultural reasons for their affinity for a singer from the gray north of England, one who shares much more with them than readily meets the eye.
It is no coincidence that a country whose musical tradition is deeply rooted in ranchera and mariachi music should find commonality in the music of the Smiths and Morrissey. These traditional Mexican musical styles are composed largely of songs that deal with love, loss, sadness and suffering in a manner that mirrors the experiences of the Mexican people. While poverty has been a constant throughout Mexico’s history (pre-dating its independence from Spain), much of contemporary Mexican society today staggers under the weight of institutional corruption and cartel violence. Along with poverty, the Mexican diaspora residing in the US is saddled with the innate challenges of immigration along with cultural alienation and endemic gang violence. Thus, it is of little surprise that Morrissey’s lyrics, much of which delve into the dark abyss of human suffering, should strike a familiar chord with the Mexican community.
Another point of interest to Mexican fans is Morrissey’s singing style, which is as emotive as it is distinctive. Notwithstanding the fact that Morrissey is an English speaker, it has been suggested that Morrissey’s expressive vocals harken back to those commonly found in the Mexican Ranchera tradition, which contain odes so profoundly emotive that they have been known to turn even the toughest hombres into tearful wrecks.
Then there is the Catholic connection; for a culture that is so deeply immersed in the church and closely identifies with sufferings of Jesus Christ, Morrissey’s many lyrical references to Jesus in his songs create an intimate connection for his Mexican fans on both sides of the southern border.
There are also other familiar cultural and economic similarities that Morrissey’s Mexican fans have clearly taken notice of. Just like Mexican immigrants to the US, Morrissey’s family are Irish immigrants to the UK (specifically, the industrial north of England); a background that was (and perhaps still is to some degree) looked down upon by “native” born English (and in no small part due to their Catholicism, though this was much more of an issue in past decades given England’s current state of secularization). Notwithstanding this unspoken yet very real second-class status, England’s industrial base had no qualms employing Irish emigres, known for their strong work ethic, for their cheap labor. All of this reminds Mexicans who have migrated to the United States of their own family histories along with the challenges of settling in a new land where they weren’t necessarily welcomed.
No discussion of the subject would be complete without mentioning Morrissey’s apparent love of boxing, which enjoys considerable popularity in Mexico (though Morrissey’s vocal condemnation of bullfighting, which is equally popular in Mexico, seems to be conveniently overlooked). And then there is Morrissey’s 1950’s rockabilly sartorial sensibility, present while he was in the Smiths, but especially ascendent throughout the decade after their breakup. While not exactly the same as Mexican subcultures of the past, there are parallels between Morrissey’s “look” and attitude and Mexican ‘pachucos2’ and ‘greasers3’ of the past.
While Smiths and Morrissey tribute bands abound, in Mexico a tribute “super group” came into being going on a decade ago: Mexrrissey. Co-founded by Camilo Lara4 and Sergio Mendoza5 in 2015, Mexrrissey, as its name implies, is inspired by the music of Morrissey as well as the Smiths. Some of the other members of the band (the lineup has contained a rotating group of musicians) include Ceci Bastida6 (keyboards), Jay de la Cueva7 (bass), Alejandro Flores8 (violin), Chetes9 (guitar), and Ricardo Nájera10 (drums), among others.
The band toured the UK in April 2015 (including a concert in Manchester, of course). Mexrrissey’s debut studio album, No Manchester (2016), contains key Morrissey songs translated into Spanish with a mix of Latin beats and sounds (including trumpet) added to the music. Mexrrissey tweaked ‘The Last of the Famous International Playboys’, changing its title to ‘International Playgirl’. Listen to the song here:
Mexrrissey conducted a second UK tour in 2018 that was promoted as "La Reina Is Dead". While still active, to date they’ve yet to release any additional albums.
Listen to Mexrrissey performing a touching cover of ‘The Boy With The Thorn In His Side’ at a London bus stop here (beginning at 1:13):
Watch Mexrrissey performing ‘Cada Día Es Domingo’ (‘Everyday Is Like Sunday') live in concert
as well as ‘Estuvo Bien’ (‘Suedehead’) presented in music video format here:
Morrissey has said that, “nothing the world holds could match the love waiting for me in Mexico City.”
Pachucos adopted strong attitudes of social defiance, engaging in behavior seen as deviant by white/Anglo-American society. Aside from indulging in zoot suit fashion, jump blues, jazz and swing music, they valued self-empowerment by way of rejecting assimilation into “white” American society, even going so far as to develop their own distinct dialect. The pachuco counterculture flourished among Mexican-American (‘Chicanos) boys and men in the 1940s as a symbol of rebellion, especially in Los Angeles.
Greasers were a youth subculture that emerged in the 1950s and early 1960s from predominantly working class and lower-class teenagers and young men in the United States, most especially (but not exclusively) among Americans of Latino descent in urban areas.
Mexico City based DJ and producer. Camilo Lara founded Mexican Institute of Sound (Spanish: Instituto Mexicano del Sonido), which is an electronic music project and part of a growing Mexican electronica movement marked by fusions of folk and more traditional music with modern sounds.
Singer and guitarist who formed Orkesta Mendoza, a Latin music band from Tucson, Arizona whose music has been dubbed "indie mambo" due to its unique combination of ranchera, cumbia, psychedelic and indie rock. Sergio Mendoza is also a member of Calexico, which is an indie rock band also based in Tucson, Arizona.
Born in Tijuana, México, Ceci Bastida known for playing keyboards and vocals in the Mexican punk rock band Tijuana No! at the age of 15.
Javier Fernando de la Cueva Rosales, known professionally as Jay de la Cueva or Bryan Amadeus Moderatto, is a Mexican model, actor, producer, singer, bassist, drummer, guitarist, pianist and songwriter.
Alejandro Flores Betancourt, known professionally as Alejandro Flores, is a musician and composer.
Luis Gerardo Garza Cisneros, known professionally as Chetes and Gerardo Garza. Mexican musician and vocalist who has released six studio albums.
Mexican drummer and DJ. Ricardo Nájera is a member of Furland, an experimental pop band from Mexico City founded in 2006.