Las Hermanitas Rodriguez, Del Rio / Acuna

LAS HERMANITAS RODRIGUES- La Vieja (Elena 134)

According to the liner notes for their Elena lp Alma Vacia Cauplito de Rosa Benita and Estela Rodriques(z) were residents of Ciudad Acuna, Coahuila just across the Rio Grande from Del Rio, Texas.

At the time of this release Mexican-Americans were moving back towards their roots. The soul stylings so popular among groups like Sunny & the Sunliners in the early to mid-60s were pushed out with the advent of "La Onda Chicana" and there was a shift back to the ranchera and conjunto sound of the 40s and 50s. The organ, which had replaced the accordion, was being replaced by the accordion. And whereas the aforementioned Sunny was releasing albums with little to no Spanish in the mid-60s, by the 70s that had changed to little to no English.

The Rodriques(z) Sisters play in an extremely pure and traditional style, even moreso than the sound many of the other groups of the era sought to capture or recreate. In this instance it's the sound of guitars, with no additional obstruction. Perhaps the purity is owed to their being of Mexico itself.

Interesting that the sisters recorded twice for the Elena label out of Odessa given that Del Rio and Acuna are much closer to San Antonio.

The pictures above both come from the cover of their Elena long-player, Alma Vacia Capulito de Rosa.