Canciones de Mi Padre

{{Infobox album|

| name = Canciones de mi padre

| type = Album

| artist = Linda Ronstadt

| cover = Cancionesdipadre12.jpg

| alt =

| released = November 24, 1987

| recorded = 1987

| venue =

| studio =

The Complex (Los Angeles, California)

| genre = {{hlist|Mariachi|ranchera|Latin|Mexican}}

| length = 39:41

| label = Elektra/Asylum Records, Rhino

| producer =

| prev_title = Trio

| prev_year = 1987

| next_title = Cry Like a Rainstorm, Howl Like the Wind

| next_year = 1989

}}

{{Album ratings

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1Score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r16869|first=Stephen Thomas|last=Erlewine|accessdate=2011-06-29}}

| rev2 = Rolling Stone

| rev2Score = {{Rating|2|5}}[https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/canciones-de-mi-padre-19880114 Rolling Stone review]

}}

Canciones de mi padre (Spanish for Songs of My Father, or My Father's Songs) is American singer Linda Ronstadt's first album of Mexican traditional Mariachi music.

History

The album was released in late 1987[http://ronstadt-linda.com/albums3.htm Linda Ronstadt Album and CD Releases 1983 - 1990]. Retrieved 2012-07-11. and immediately became a global smash hit. At 2½ million US sales, it stands as the biggest selling non-English language album in American record history. This album has been RIAA certified double-platinum (for over 2 million US copies sold) and also won Ronstadt the Grammy Award for Best Mexican/Mexican-American Album at the 31st Grammy Awards.

These canciones were a big part of Ronstadt's family tradition and musical roots. The title Canciones de Mi Padre refers to a booklet that the University of Arizona published in 1946 for Ronstadt's deceased aunt, Luisa Espinel, who had been an international singer in the 1920s.{{cite web | title=Tucson'sRonstadtFamily | work=The Arizona Library | url=http://parentseyes.arizona.edu/ronstadtfamily/music/cancintr.html | accessdate=May 30, 2007 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070615124049/http://parentseyes.arizona.edu/ronstadtfamily/music/cancintr.html | archive-date=June 15, 2007 | url-status=dead }} The songs come from Sonora and Ronstadt included her favorites on the album. Also, Ronstadt has credited the late Mexican singer Lola Beltrán as an influence in her own singing style, and she recalls how a frequent guest to the Ronstadt home, Eduardo "Lalo" Guerrero, father of Chicano music, would often serenade her as child with these songs.{{cite web|title=AARP Segunda Juventud Online |work=Linda Ronstadt, The music legend opens up to AARP Segunda Juventud Online,By Anita Mabante Leach, August 2007 |url=http://www.aarpsegundajuventud.org/english/entertainment/2007-AS/07AS_ronstadt.html |accessdate=September 16, 2007 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080828045736/http://www.aarpsegundajuventud.org/english/entertainment/2007-AS/07AS_ronstadt.html |archivedate=August 28, 2008 }}

In the accompanying printed material, each song's Spanish lyrics were paired with an English translation and a discussion of the song's background or its significance for Ronstadt (omitted on the CD). Rubén Fuentes served as musical director/bandleader. Follow-up albums include Mas Canciones, Frenesí, and the Rhino Records compilation Mi Jardin Azul: Las Canciones Favoritas, which collects songs from the previous three Spanish-language albums.

Canciones de mi Padre also is the only recording production in the world that used the three best Mariachi bands in the world: Mariachi Vargas, Mariachi Los Camperos and Mariachi Los Galleros de Pedro Rey.

As of 2012, Canciones de Mi Padre had sold nearly 10 million copies worldwide.

Although sometimes referred to as Ronstadt's first Spanish-language recordings, in fact she had recorded several times in the language before, including "Lo Siento mi Vida", a song she co-wrote with her father for her 1976 album, Hasten Down the Wind, and "Lago Azul," a Spanish translation of "Blue Bayou", that was released as a single following her hit English version from her 1977 album, Simple Dreams.

In 2021, it was announced that Canciones de Mi Padre had been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.{{cite web |title=GRAMMY Hall Of Fame Welcomes 2021 Inductions: A Tribe Called Quest, Billie Holiday, Journey, Patti Smith, Bruce Springsteen And More |url=https://www.grammy.com/grammys/news/grammy-hall-fame-2021-inductions-welcomes-recordings-tribe-called-quest-billie-holiday-journey-linda |publisher=Recording Academy |access-date=22 February 2021}}

In 2022, the album was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Recording Registry.{{cite web |title=National Recording Registry Inducts Music from Alicia Keys, Ricky Martin, Journey and More in 2022 |url=https://newsroom.loc.gov/news/national-recording-registry-inducts-music-from-alicia-keys--ricky-martin--journey-and-more-in-2022/s/fee30140-0454-401c-a2a2-205298e32fb1 |website=Library of Congress |access-date=13 April 2022 |language=en}}

Track listing

{{track listing

| all_writing =

| title1 = Por Un Amor

| writer1 = Gilberto Parra

| length1 = 2:56

| title2 = Los Laureles

| writer2 = José López

| length2 = 2:25

| title3 = Hay Unos Ojos

| writer3 = Rubén Fuentes

| length3 = 2:45

| title4 = La Cigarra

| writer4 = Ray Pérez y Soto

| length4 = 3:45

| title5 = Tú Sólo Tú

| writer5 = Felipe Valdez Leal

| length5 = 3:09

| title6 = Y Ándale

| writer6 = Minerva Elizondo

| length6 = 2:32

| title7 = Rogaciano El Huapanguero

| writer7 = Valeriano Trejo

| length7 = 3:00

| title8 = La Charreada

| writer8 = Felipe Bermejo

| length8 = 3:49

| title9 = Dos Arbolitos

| writer9 = Chucho Martínez Gil

| length9 = 2:34

| title10 = Corrido De Cananea

| writer10 = Rubén Fuentes

| length10 = 3:24

| title11 = La Barca De Guaymas

| writer11 = Rubén Fuentes

| length11 = 3:25

| title12 = La Calandria

| writer12 = Nicandro Castillo

| length12 = 3:00

| title13 = El Sol Que Tú Eres

| writer13 = traditional, arr Daniel Valdez

| length13 = 2:57

| total_length = 39:41

}}

Personnel

Linda Ronstadt – vocals, harmony vocals (10)
Pedro Rey – harmony vocals (5, 10, 11)
Melinda Marie Ronstadt – harmony vocals (6)
Michael J. Ronstadt – harmony vocals (7, 9, 12)
Pete Ronstadt – harmony vocals (7, 9, 12)
Juan Rey – harmony vocals (10)
Heriberto Molina – harmony vocals (11)
Daniel Valdez – vocals (13)
Ricardo Cisneros, Héctor Gama, Jesus Guzman, Heriberto Molina, Armando Javier Pérez, Felipe Perez, Mario Rodriguez, Ramón Rodriguez and Nati Santiago – chorus

Musicians

Ruben Fuentes – arrangements and conductor
Samuel Gutiérrez – guitars
Humberto Hernández – guitars
Jésus Hernández – guitars
José Hernández – guitars, vihuela, trumpet
Jorge Lopez – guitars
Rafael Palomar – guitars
Gilberto Puente – guitar solos
Daniel Valdez – guitar (13)
Jamie Alejo – guitarrón
José María Arellano – guitarrón
Nati Santiago – guitarrón
Victor "El Pato" Cardenas – vihuela
Luis Damian – vihuela
Pedro Flores – vihuela
Pedro Rey – vihuela
Larry Bunker – percussion
Ron Kalina – harmonica
Steve Fowler – flute
Laura Halladay – flute
Juan Gudiño – trumpet
Luis Salinas – trumpet
Federico Torres – trumpet
Jim Self – tuba
Arthur Gerst – harp
Juan Jose Almaguer – violin
Juan Manuel Biurquiz – violin
Nati Cano – violin
Héctor Gama – violin
Pepe Martínez – violin
Felipe Perez – violin
Antonio Ramos – violin
Mario Rodriguez – violin
Felipe Romero – violin
Salvador Torres – violin

= Production =

Peter Asher – producer
Ruben Fuentes – producer
Shawn Murphy – recording, mixing
Sharon Rice – recording assistant, mix assistant
Dwayne Seykora – recording assistant, mix assistant
Doug Sax – mastering at The Mastering Lab (Hollywood, California)
José Hernández – album coordinator, musical assistance
John Kosh – art direction, design
Bob Blakeman – photography
Gilbert Ronstadt – back cover painting
J. Roy Helland – make-up, hair stylist
Manuel – wardrobe design
Edd Kolakowski – assistant to Peter Asher
Janet Stark – assistant to Miss Ronstadt

Charts

class="wikitable
scope="col"\| Chart (1987/88) !Peak position
Canadian RPM Top Albums \| style="text-align:center;"\| 54
United States (Billboard 200) \| style="text-align:center;"\| 42

class="wikitable

scope="col"| Chart (1987/88)

!Peak
position

Canadian RPM Top Albums

| style="text-align:center;"| 54

United States (Billboard 200)

| style="text-align:center;"| 42

Sales and certifications

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|title=Canciones de Mi Padre|artist=Linda Ronstadt|type=album|award=Platinum|number=2|certyear=2001|certmonth=11|salesamount=2,500,000|salesref={{Cite web|date=November 21, 2017|title=Op-Ed: Linda Ronstadt's 'Canciones de mi Padre' changed my life, and my culture|url=https://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-arellano-ronstadt-30-years-20171121-story.html|access-date=April 14, 2023|work=Los Angeles Times|language=en-US|first=Gustavo|last=Arellano|archive-date=September 13, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220913034034/https://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-arellano-ronstadt-30-years-20171121-story.html|url-status=live}}}}

Release history

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" \|+ Release history and formats for Canciones de Mi Padre !scope="col"\| Region !scope="col"\| Date !scope="col"\| Format !scope="col"\| Label !scope="col"\| Ref.
scope="row"\| North America \| November 13, 1987 \| {{hlist\|LP\|CD\|cassette}} \| Asylum Records \| {{cite journal \|last1=Ronstadt \|first1=Linda \|title=Canciones de Mi Padre (Liner Notes) \|journal=Asylum Records \|date=November 13, 1987 \|id=9-60765-1 (LP); 9-60765-4 (Cassette); 9-60765-2 (CD)}}

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"

|+ Release history and formats for Canciones de Mi Padre

!scope="col"| Region

!scope="col"| Date

!scope="col"| Format

!scope="col"| Label

!scope="col"| Ref.

scope="row"| North America

| November 13, 1987

| {{hlist|LP|CD|cassette}}

| Asylum Records

| {{cite journal |last1=Ronstadt |first1=Linda |title=Canciones de Mi Padre (Liner Notes) |journal=Asylum Records |date=November 13, 1987 |id=9-60765-1 (LP); 9-60765-4 (Cassette); 9-60765-2 (CD)}}