In its beginnings, Mi Banda El Mexicano, the group led by Casimiro Zamudio, entertained social events.
In Mazatlan, to get to the house of any of the great banda singers, you just have to ask where they live Casimir Zamudio. Once you know, from then on everyone lives”. It is the first reference with which the leader and singer of his majesty, Mi Banda El Mexicano, who is about to celebrate 50 years of career, tells us how he has spent this time in his personal and professional life. Creator in Mexico of the so-called technoband, the native of Alvarado, Veracruz, decided several years ago to make his life in Mazatlán, Sinaloa.
How do you feel? Here in the pool, enjoying what life teaches you that you should enjoy; For some time now I said to myself: “Every weekend that I don’t work, I’m going to go to a part of the world”.
And where would you like to travel? A couple of weeks ago I went with my wife to Puerto Rico for four days, Cartagena for four and the Bahamas for four. I was going to go to Hawaii, but because of a commitment I will only go to Los Cabos.
What was the most saturated stage of work where you said: “I need to rest”? Ironically, I don’t want to rest from music, I’ll work with it until I die. I am tired of living like I did 20 years ago, when I had no money. Now that I do have it, I’m still living like I did 20 years ago! How is it not going? That is why I say: “He who does not have money is poor, but he who has money and does not use it, he is miserable.” I realized that living rich costs the same as living poor.
How did you start in music 50 years ago? Before forming Mi Banda El Mexicano, I was in three modest groups, but from 1973 to date with Grupo El Mexicano, Banda El Mexicano, Mi Banda El Mexicano, Su Majestad Mi Banda El Mexicano, and from 2007 to here, with Su Majestad Mi Band The Mexican of Casimiro Zamudio.
Have those changes been for legal reasons or did you decide so? It has happened over time. The first change happened because people started calling us Mi Banda El Mexicano, so we decided to call it that. Later, when I recorded Don’t dance on horseback, at an event I dared to shout: “Her Majesty has arrived!”, and we added it. In 2000, those names disappeared, and for legal reasons, which passed me by the triumphal arch, anyone who tried to present himself with any of them was to commit fraud. Imagine: there are some who advertise themselves as my children! That is why, from that date, to the name of her Majesty I added “of Casimiro”.
What has caused you the most pain during this time? Like everything in life, there are successes and failures, flavors and disappointments. In 50 years it is obvious that things have happened that will never happen again: my parents died, but the most painful thing is that my first wife died in 2009, the victim of a brain aneurysm. For me it was not time for her to die, she was 52 years old. With this tragedy I learned the phrase “the show must go on”.
And the best? Having found a guitar in 1970 and not letting it go until today; become a musician, become part of the musical history of Mexico, which is not easy. People don’t know that if they didn’t pay me, I’d still be doing the same thing.
Your son Alan is heir to the group, isn’t he? Yes, it is one of the great satisfactions; if life goes on as it is, it will stay in my place and people will remember me through it, because it looks a lot like me.
What would be your legacy? We are a unique group in the history of music in Mexico; there are many imitators, but there is only one Mi Banda El Mexicano. We are the creators of a musical concept that convulsed the country. They have called the song No caballito dances “quebradita”, and no, we are not part of that movement, we are the creators. The only group that has convulsed a country, has standardized and changed the way of dancing in CDMX is Banda El Mexicano; in fact, it is already part of popular culture, we stay forever. What I thank God for is that, even behind a palm tree, people know who I am.