De Telenovela

My older brother lent me "De Telenovela," a CD chock-full of theme songs from 80s Mexican telenovelas.  Now, I’m not a fan of the soap opera, but the telenovelas of the 80s and early 90s simply rocked.  The music that accompanied them were memorable and helped you associate the story with the song–name a telenovela from that time, and we (we being my older brother, my father, my mother and me) can start singing the theme song.  I wouldn’t mind seeing the telenovelas again, but until they’re released on DVD (why doesn’t the Mexican film industry realize how profitable that would be thanks to us Mexican 80s geeks?), the songs will have to suffice.  I copied a few of them onto my iTunes and onto my iPod nano, and have been listening to them for a while.  A quick list:

• Quiceanera:  A delightfully angsty telenovela about the trials and tribulations of turning 15 (which is our Sweet 16).  I know Thalia was one of two headliners; the other woman was the show’s primary focus, though.  It involved first loves, lost loves, misunderstandings, rape, violence, pregnancy at 14, losing the pregnancy, throwing a quinceanera party (or the inability to), and dorky school uniforms (which I also endured).  I saw it right around the time I was turning 15, but I think it was on its second run by then.  I have to say this:  My 14-going-on-15 year was not as eventful as the main protagonists’ were.  The one thing I had in common with the characters was that, at 14, I badly wanted a quinceanera party; given that we had moved to the States, that wasn’t going to happen.  Now that I’m older and have a healthy feminist attitude, I’d never let a daughter of mine have one, but would I let her throw popcorn at a frustrating telenovela such as this?  Oh, definitely, young Hannah, go ahead!  Memorable line from the song performed by none other than Timbiriche (of which Thalia was a member):  "Ahora despierta la mujer que en mi dormia / Y poco a poco se muere la nina / Y empieza la aventura de la vida."  Yeah, like turning 15 is an earth-shattering event.
• El Camino Secreto:  I have to admit that I just remember the opening credits of this telenovela (Daniela Romo, the star, clinging to her love interest as they ride a motorcycle down a street), the song itself ("De Mi Enamorate") and the video for the song.  Reading up on it, the telenovela has the usual deals:  Murder, blackmail, love, betrayal, marriages and mistaken identities.  Memorable line from the song performed by Daniela Romo:  "Mire que e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-el dia en que de mi te enamores / yo voy a ser feliz y con puro amor / te protegere y sera un honor dedicarme a ti / eso quiera Dios."  Written by Juan Gabriel, who is probably one of the best songwriters Mexico has (I can’t say I like his singing, but my mother adores him).
• El Extrano Retorno de Diana Salazar:  Oh, this one I’d love to see once more!  It involves the Spanish Inquisition, 17th century Mexico, women and men burning at the stake, telekinesis, reincarnation, love triangles and evil mothers.  Awesome, awesome telenovela–the best my young eyes ever saw.  The two divas of 80s Mexico were Lucia Mendez and Veronica Castro; I think my parents favored Castro, but Mendez had my favor because, man, she played a witch and sang a kick ass song (also written by Juan Gabriel).  The opening credits were scenes of the protagonists being put to death in 17th century Mexico.  I don’t know if I’m remembering right, but whenever Mendez’s character would do something with her mind, her eyes would flash green, I think.  Memorable line from the song performed by Lucia Mendez (seeing a pattern here?):  "En el ano mil siescientos veintisiete / en tiempos crueles de la santa inquisicion / unos sacerdotes infames condenaron / a muerte a una mujer por amor."  In the background of the song, you can hear ghostly sighs, chains dragging, doors creaking, wolves howling, and creepy giggles.  The beginning of the song reminds me of "Thriller" a bit.
• Amor en Silencio:  I liked this telenovela purely for the song.  I thought it was beautiful then, and listening to it now, it really is beautifully crafted.  It’s written by Marco Antonio Solis, who’s also a favorite of my mother.  I have to admit to a certain fondness of Solis’ "Inventame," but I digress.  I do remember that the storyline confused the hell out of me, and that the heroine was in love with a young man who happened to be deaf, but they didn’t get together until the last episode of the series and he had saved her from being killed by some crazy woman who had killed her parents (I think).  I remember that the heroine told the guy that she loved him on TV, and that this was a bit taboo because it broke a TV code (I’m guessing the fourth wall), but after scolding the heroine, the producer/host/whatever told the heroine she was brave and had done the right thing.  Memorable line from the song performed by Dulce: "Amor en silencio / es andar al favor del viento / amor en silencio / es de Dios la manera de ensenarnos la verdad / es ganar en la vida el amor con voluntad."
• El Derecho de Nacer:  I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the 1981 version of this telenovela.  It’s been made three times, and I think there are a couple of movies.  The star is the aforementioned Veronica Castro.  I never really watched the telenovela; both my parents, however, loved it.  My mother loved the story, my father watched because Ignacio Lopez Tarso has his eternal admiration.  It was the typical rich daughter gets pregnant, controlling father hides her and–ah, a twist–orders the death of the child after he’s born.  The girl’s nanny is able to save the baby, flees, and raises him as her son.  The mother later searches for her child and the nanny, who somehow end up nearby the rich family.  The weird part was that the mother meets her son, but not knowing that he’s her son, a kind of Oedipal thing happens, but it only goes as far as smoldering looks (ugh!  UGH!!!).  The grandfather who had ordered the baby killed knows that this grown man is his grandson, but of course he’s incapacitated and can’t tell his daughter to stop eye-fucking her son (sorry to be so crude, but UGH!!!  I still remember my mother nearly gagging at that).  I do think the grandfather recovers and repents for his earlier actions, but I can’t recall.  Memorable line from the song performed by Veronica Castro (see, this is a pattern):  "Ven, quiero tenerte junto a mi / Ven, llego el momento de vivir."  Unlike the song mentioned before this one, I didn’t like this one at all.  It was so . . . zzzzzzzz . . . I’m sorry, it still puts me to sleep.

The Mexican telenovela of course is a pretty comical subject in the United States–I think it was "Dos Mujeres, Un Camino" that popularized it here thanks to the guy from "CHiPs."  However, I sort of remember that one, and it was pretty damn crappy.  I never really watched, but the hype was enough to make me roll my eyes and walk away from the TV back in what, 1992?  Anyhow, I don’t watch any of the new ones because they all suck (and what is up with every Mexican woman dying her hair blond?  Ladies, it looks awful with your skin tone) and I have better things to do with my time.  The only one that’s caught my family’s attention was the abominable "Luz Clarita" which made me want to gouge my eyes out with a fork.  But ah, the music of telenovelas from the 80s and early 90s . . . gotta love it.