The Thrill of Music in La Reina del Sur

As we discussed last week, music plays an extremely vital role in the composition of telenovelas. For example, playing a telenovela on silence or mute completely eliminates the dramatic essence. Personally, the use and manipulation of music to suit the telenovela really fascinates me because it serves as an emotion itself. La Reina del Sur is a great example of how a telenovela greatly depends on music and musical queues. One of the biggest and most prominent area where music is largely focused is the theme song. It is safe to say that the theme song of La Reina Del Sur automatically becomes ingrained in the audience’s head because of its melodic tune and its lyrics that narrate the plot. The theme song also offers a cultural insight of traditional Mexican instrumental sound.

Music emphasizes the dramatic love and chemistry between Teresa Mendoza and her lovers. For example, when Teresa flashes back to her tender moments with El Guero, a soft mexican accordion instrument takes over and automatically makes a personal connection Teresa had with El Guero. When Teresa and Santiago start their romantic and sexual journey, a very specific song called “Quedate Junto a Mi” subtly fades into the scene and affiliates their romance with that specific thematic song. 

Incidental music is also largely incorporated in La Reina Del Sur. There are various examples of where incidental music appears. When Teresa must escape El Guero’s murders, music that resembles suspense appears to emphasize the terror that Teresa is experiencing. While she is being chased through the airport, musical beats that reflect running and danger are played primarily to function as an added level of emotion. Fast musical beats are played during a scene build-up where the audience is unsure of what is about to happen. Harsh and suspenseful music is played again when characters that pose a threat to Teresa appear on screen. During fight scenes, more dramatic music is queued to emphasize the level of danger and threat that is occurring. Also, when Teresa is exposed to bad news such as her being accused of possessing drugs, a heavy and sudden drum beat occurs to signify a dramatic pause. Even to those who are unaware of what is happening or don’t understand the language, it can be easily inferred that something bad has just occurred by the expression on Teresa’s face and by the dramatic sound effects. 

La Reina Del Sur has great examples of how incidental and thematic music comprise and impact the effectiveness of emotion in each scene. Without music, the telenovela would not have near enough the same standard of emotion that the audience encounters when they watch such a brilliant series. The music maintains the same standard of importance as the acting because they complement one another and work together to relay emotion, sentiment, and reaction to the audience.