Late documentarian Les Blank covered a truly remarkable amount of material over the course of a half-century, from portraits of legendary musicians like Dizzy Gillespie and Leon Russell to docs about the surprisingly broad impact of garlic and the process of filmmaking itself. In 1976, Blank released Chulas Fronteras, an exploration of the norteño music that has long existed along the Texas-Mexico border. Featuring such noted performers as Lydia Mendoza (known as “La Alondra de la Frontera,” or “The Lark of the Border”) and Flaco Jiménez, Chulas is a snapshot of a rich and singular form of music that, though it has evolved greatly, endures to this day. Ahead of Monday night’s screening — which takes place as part of the Belcourt’s perpetually great Music City Mondays series — the theater will also screen “Del Mero Corazón,” Blank’s 1979 short film that features the music of norteño performers Little Joe & La Familia, Leo Garza, Chavela Ortiz, Andres Berlanga and more. 7:20 p.m. at the Belcourt, 2102 Belcourt Ave. D. PATRICK RODGERS
Music City Mondays: Chulas Fronteras
