Magdalena Berrones Berrones

"Malena"

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Born: 22 Julio 1940 in Tampico, Tamaulipas

Resides: Cancun

Instrument:Violin and Guitar

Group(s):

• Mariachi Estrellas de México (Dec 1957-Feb 1963)

• Around 1979, Malena Berrones began a soloist career. After recording under her name, she tours Mexico.

• Malena worked as a bolerista and tropicalera in the all-female tropical group, Sonora Femenil (Victor Angulo, director), for four years after performing with Estrellas de México. (approx. 1980-1984)

• After about twenty years, members of Mariachi Estrellas de México and Mariachi Las Coronelas reunite. Present were: Lupita Villa, Josefina Correa, Concha Madera, Isabel López,Enriqueta Aguilar, Josefina Correa, Dora, María de Los Angeles, Juana Lara, María de Jesús Lara and Malena Berrones. (approx. 1993-2000). During that reunion the group contracts a tour to Puerto Rico and Chicago, IL.

• Malena became an independent contractor in Garibaldi Plaza before changing bases to Iztapalapa, Mexico (with a mariachi plaza similar to Garibaldi). There she joined Mariachi Perla del Golfo for seven years.
   

Status: Currently performing weekend gigs with Mariachi Iztapalapense, out of Iztapalapa, Mexico. In 2008, performing with the Pioneras Tour Group, Mariachi Las Pioneras de México.

Audios and Videos:

Malena Berrones is featured in mariachi documentaries: two filmed in Mexico; one filmed in Brazil (1963); and one in Argentina (date unknown).Recorded with Lupita Morales (director, Mariachi Estrellas de Mexico), many revolutionary songs under the name, "Dueto Las Lupes", including "El Mayor de Los Dorados", "La Tumba de Villa", "Nuestro México Febrero 23", "El Corrido de Durango", and other 45RPMs with "Lo Vas a Ver", and "Caminito de Rieles".Some of those recordings by Las Lupes are heard in films like "Pueblito", "Los Albañiles" and "Un Dorado de Villa".One song, "El Mayor de Los Dorados", recorded by Dueto Las Lupes, was written by Malena's father, José Berrones Martínez. The track is still being used for documentaries, films and television with the revolution theme.

Her Musical Tree:Father was a musician, playing Huasteca music.Her brother, León (nicknamed "El Leoncito"), was an original member of the Mariachi México de Pepe Villa. He recorded on guitarrón for most of the group's recordings and appeared in many films. The maestro Manuel Esperón used León in many film orchestrations.Malena's oldest brother, David Berrones, played with Roman Palomar's mariachi (along with Palomar's brothers Everardo and Rafael). That mariachi group was the first group to tour to Spain, and toured Europe for over three years. (1943 or 1944, and 1955)