Mexico beat

Latin Beat Magazine, Sept, 2003 by Rudy Mangual

For ever three decades Los Tigres del Norte have been performing their identifiable blend of norteño, corridos, rancheros, baladas, cumbias and polkas to full-house audiences throughout the world. Mexico is where the banal was created in 1968, when 14-year old Jorge (the oldest of the Hernández brothers) formed a band with the purpose of financially helping his family after an accident disabled his father. During a performance in the border city of Mexicali, the band composed of Jorge, his three brothers Hernán, Eduardo and Luis, and his cousin Oscar Lara, won over the audience with their interpretations; as a result, they were booked to perform in a parade on Independence Day in San José, California. An immigration officer baptized the band, which had remained nameless until then, "The Tigers of the North," or as they are now known, Los Tigres del Norte. The band went on to he the first recording artists with the label Fama Records, company that became the leading Spanish music label in the west coast for many years. Los Tigres would make San José their base of operation outside of Mexico. Through the years they have evolved musically, modernizing their sound as well as their repertoire, while always remaining true to their roots and to their working class fans. With ever 55 albums to their credit and registered sales of over 32 million, Los Tigres del Norte are considered the most important norteño band in the Western Hemisphere.

Adding another first to their extraordinary list of accomplishments is their involvement with a new series of recordings titled Herencia Musical(Fonovisa). This special series that documents Mexican music is available as a DVD/CD package, or as a single CD. Herencia Musical Los Tigres del Norte 20 Corridos Inolvidables captures some of the classic corridos of Mexican music interpreted by Los Tigres, such as Gabino Barrera, Pakas de a Kilo and Jefe de Jefes. The DVD portrays some of the greatest hits and moments of the band through seven videos, photographs, a biography and a discography.

Los Campesinos de Michoacán de Salvador Baldovinos delivers the rarely heard sounds of Mexican music from the state of Michoacán. The emotional rural vocal compositions accompanied by fiddles and a harp stirs the emotions of the listener, The Mexican duet style serves up soulful memories of good times and bad. The repertoire of a "conjunto de arpa grande" or "conjunto Michoacáno," as they refer to themselves, consists of popular rancheras, corridos, huapangos, boleros, and older sones and valonas, interpreted by a harp-based music style native to the regions of Michoacán, Mexico. Completing the instrumentation of the group are the vihuela and the jarana (small guitar like instruments).

Arhoolie Records president Chris Strachwitz discovered Salvador Baldovinos and Los Campesinos de Michoacán in a cantina in the Michoaeanese settlement in Redwood City, south of San Francisco. He first recorded the group in 1985 and later in 1987, but never released the project. On July 8, 2003, Arhoolie Records finally released the previously recorded sessions on the self-titled Los Campesinos de Michoacán, The CD includes twenty selections featuring Salvador Baldovinos' unique harp playing and vocals with Los Campesinos, Baldovinos has since relocated with his family to the state of Washington, where he continues to play this unique Mexican music.

Continuing a family tradition, Los Lonely Boys consists of the three Garza brothers: Henry (guitar), Jojo (bass), and Ringo (drums), from a tiny town in West Texas. This remarkable trio of hermanos has been making music since their childhood, originally backing their father Ringo Garza, Sr., who initially taught the boys how to play music family style. Garza, Sr. played with his seven brothers in a family conjunto group called "The Falcones." Currently, with a decade of professional experience under their belts, Los Lonely Boys are ready to make a mark in the saga of America's musical families. The Garza brothers write, sing and play their own music inspired and influenced by Tex-Mex, Chicano music, country, blues, and rock pioneers such as Ritchie Valens, Chuck Berry, The Beatles, the Vaughan Brothers and Carlos Santana, among others.

Los Lonely Boys' (Or Music) self-titled debut was released in August and showcases 12 tracks of what Henry Garza calls "burrito theory" music. "What we've done is make like our own tortilla with all the knowledge of all the greats that are out there, I can't even think of 'em all right now, but we put 'em inside the tortilla, fold it up in there, we make our own burrito and we're sellin' it to the world, y'know?"

Most of the selections have English lyrics, some in Spanish, and others with both. Country music superstar Willie Nelson hails Los Lonely Boya as his favorite local band and invited them to record this debut album at his own Pedernales Studio in Austin, Texas.