# Quirino Mendoza y Cortés — Cielito Lindo

Quirino Mendoza y Cortés’s Cielito Lindo (1882) is No. 1 in our Mariachi ranking. The full verdict, and where to hear it.

- **Released:** 1882
- **On one list:** Mariachi
- **Updated:** 2026-08-30
- **Artist:** [Quirino Mendoza y Cortés](https://waxonia.com/artist/quirino-mendoza-y-cortes/)
- **Canonical page:** https://waxonia.com/track/quirino-mendoza-y-cortes--cielito-lindo/

## What we say

### No. 1 in [Mariachi](https://waxonia.com/genre/mariachi/)

A son written before mariachi had trumpets, and now the thing a stadium full of Mexicans sings without being asked. Dated to its composition; it predates the ensemble that owns it.

## Analysis

4 sections, the first drop at 0:03, 2% of the way in, 29% of it spent climbing.

- **Tempo:** 152 BPM — holds throughout
- **Dynamic range:** 4.5 dB — compressed hard — very little between the quiet and the loud
- **Phrase:** 8 bars
- **Length:** 3:00

- `0:00` A · **intro** (bar -1, off the grid), instrumental — opens the record below its own average energy — playing: bass, vocals, other
- `0:39` A · **build** (bar 24, off the grid), sung — energy and brightness climbing without a break — playing: bass, vocals, other
- `1:31` A · **peak** (bar 57), sung — sits at the top of this record's range — playing: bass, vocals, other
- `2:37` B · **outro** (bar 99, off the grid), sung — the closing fall — playing: bass, vocals, other

**Drop** at 0:03 (bar 1). A drop is a moment, not a stretch.

**What is playing.** Separated into parts by a source-separation model, so each lane is the instrument it names.

- **drums:** the drum kit, separated from the mix
- **bass:** the bass part, separated from the mix
- **vocals:** the voice, separated from the mix
- **other:** everything else — synths, guitars, keys, strings

Measured from the YouTube master on 2026-08-29. Section labels describe how the energy
moves, not musical form. Anything we were not confident enough to state is omitted
rather than hedged.

## Listen

[Search Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/search/Quirino%20Mendoza%20y%20Cort%C3%A9s%20Cielito%20Lindo) · [YouTube Music](https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=KoVY2_oepXg)

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Hand-curated by Waxonia. We host no audio; all links point to streaming platforms.