Already boasting an unparalleled career resume as “the
most influential regional Mexican group” (Billboard) and
“the genre’s greatest statesmen” (New York Times), the
legendary Los Tigres Del Norte remain one of Latin Music’s
leading creative and socially outspoken voices, as they
continue to sell millions of albums, regularly top sales and
airplay charts, and win the recognition of their peers with
multiple GRAMMY & LATIN GRAMMY Awards.
Now, ‘Los Jefes de Jefes’ turn their eye to the future with
the forthcoming release of their new album Detalles y
Emociones (Details & Emotions). The album continues Los
Tigres’ heralded role as “the leading voice of the immigrant
community” with 15 new songs that give life to the emotions
of the ‘pueblo in the form of corridos, ballads, cumbias and
rancheras.
This album features prominent composers of the genre such as:
Paulino Vargas Jr., Manuel Eduardo Toscano, Francisco
Quintero and Pablo Castro among others, in this form Los
Tigres del Norte narrate us the songs that give life to the
emotions of the ‘pueblo.’
The album’s first single “Detalles” (which is already racing
up the Latin music charts), is a heartfelt corrido that is a
reminder to the band’s fans that while many are pursuing
dreams of material wealth, that genuine demonstrations of
affection and care for our loved ones are still a man’s
greatest riches.
Another sure highlight of Detalles y Emociones and one of Los
Tigres’ most controversial songs to date is “El Muro” (The
Wall), a highly outspoken track that challenges the idea of
a proposed Border Fence between the United States and
Mexico. A special bonus version of the track finds Los
Tigres’ famed front man Jorge Hernandez sing in Spanish,
English, German, French and even Farsi to symbolize failed
border walls throughout history.
Further tracks in the grand tradition of Los Tigres del Norte
include "Lágrimas de sangre;" “Un Hombre De Ley;” the
emotion driven ballad “Corazon Herido;” “Los Mal Portados;”
“America Central”, a rhythmic cumbia (which pays homage to
the people of Central American who have welcomed the band
with open arms throughout their career); “Cuidado Con La
Mesera” which details the story of an undercover police
woman who manages to trap fugitives through seduction.
The album concludes with a special message from Los Tigres
del Norte, thanking their fans across the world for their
years of loyal support and encouraging them to continue the
struggle in spite of the adversities encountered along their
life’s path.
***
The release of Detalles y Emociones marks the eagerly
awaited follow-up to Los Tigres’ highly praised 2006 album
Historias Que Contar. Spearheaded by the #1 single Señor
Locutor” which paid tribute to the growing role of Latin
radio DJ’s in connecting estranged family members in the
immigrant community, Historias Que Contar contained 14
heartfelt corridos and proved to all that Los Tigres remain
at the forefront of Regional Mexican artistry by winning
both the most recent GRAMMY® and LATIN GRAMMY® Award for
‘Best Norteño Album.’
Shortly after the Spring 2006 release of Historias Que
Contar, Los Tigres del Norte once again demonstrated their
role as the leading “voice of the pueblo” by joining en
masse with their community as the principal musical
participants of the Great American Boycott’ (A Day Without
Immigrants) rally in downtown Los Angeles. By appearing
front and center at the biggest of the nation-wide rallies,
Los Tigres were lending highly visible support to the
millions of immigrants that came together to demonstrate
their essential role to the economy and culture of the
United States.
Los Tigres del Norte in the new millennium
The dawn of the new millennium has seen the continued growth
of Los Tigres del Norte, with the legendary group expanding
their reach into new international markets and experiencing
the most successful years yet in their nearly 40 year
career.
Los Tigres’ role as an essential influence to a generation
of new Latin music performers was clearly seen with the 2001
tribute album “El Mas Grande Homenaje A Los Tigres del
Norte.” The album, which is now a highly sought after
collectors item, saw a wide range of leading Mexican rock
bands performing a collection of Los Tigres del Norte’s
greatest hits and demonstrating that the group’s fan base
now spanned multiple-generations.
This respect for Los Tigres was demonstrated again in 2002,
when the band gave the most highly anticipated performance
at Mexico’s ‘30th Annual Festival Cervantino’. As a special
tribute to the group’s influence, Los Tigres was joined
onstage by top rock performers such as Molotov, La Barranca
and Julieta Venegas.
The year of 2002 continued as a pivotal year for Los Tigres
Del Norte with the release of the internationally critically
acclaimed album “La Reina Del Sur.” Inspired by the group,
Arturo Perez Reverte, a Colombian born author living in
Spain, penned the fiction novel ‘La Reina Del Sur’ -
inspired by the heroine (Camelia La Tejana) from the group’s
famed early corrido “Contrabando Y Tracion.” In support of
the album, Los Tigres mounted an extensive and highly
successful tour of Spain
This would signal the start of Los Tigres Del Norte’s
greatest international expansion to date, as tours soon
followed that took the band to Asia (performing to U.S.
troops stationed in Japan and Korea), as well as much more
in-depth touring in Chile, Colombia and throughout Latin
America.
As Los Tigres was winning over a legion of new fans across
the world that were demanding recordings that highlighted
the group’s rich history, Fonovisa Records decided to launch
the highly successful ‘Herencia Musical’ (Musical Heritage)
collection in CD/DVD format.
This collection compiled the group’s musical legacy, along
with new material; an accompanying DVD that includes the
group’s videos, photo gallery and biography. Thus far, the
following collections have been released:“20 Corridos
Inolvidables,” (2003) “20 Boleros Romanticos,” (2003), “20
Norteñas Famosas,” (2004) and “Cumbias y Algo Mas” (2005),
all which have scored top tier positions on Billboard
magazine’s ‘Top Latin Albums’ sales chart.
Adding to the success of Los Tigres del Norte’s discography
(albums & collections), Fonovisa Records recognized the
importance of highlighting the group’s film career by
releasing DVD and CD soundtrack packages of some of their
most important films - works that not only marked a
milestone in the groups’ career but have become historical
archives in Mexican cinema.
Two of these 2006 re-releases highlight Los Tigres’ work
with the renowned director Ruben Galindo, a leading
filmmaker in the genre of ‘Cine de Frontera’ (Border
Cinema), which addresses the economic and cultural divides
between The Unites States and Mexico
The first film recently made available once again was the
1976 classic “La Banda Del Carro Rojo.” The re-released
package spent two weeks at #1 on the Regional Mexican album
chart and was quickly followed by the release of 1977’s “La
Muerte Del Soplón.”
With “Historias Que Contar” of course still charting
throughout 2006, the success of both the soundtrack
re-releases and the ‘Herencia Musical’ series, saw Los
Tigres chart three simultaneous titles in the Top-20 of the
Regional Mexican album chart, and most impressively, chart a
total of six albums in one calendar year.
This success was celebrated in the fall of 2006, when Los
Tigres del Norte were recognized by Billboard with both an
in-depth cover story, and an invitation to be the featured
Q&A subject at the magazine’s first ever ‘Regional Mexican
Music Summit.’
Their History
Simply put, Los Tigres del Norte have achieved worldwide
success by becoming the leading musical storytellers for
multiple generations of Latin immigrants.
The group has taken the century old tradition of ‘corrido’
(story, song, celebrating the enduring pursuit of truth,
justice and opportunity, whether by heroes or ordinary folk)
as an art form. They’ve made it their own powerful vehicle
to express not only the plight and adventures of many who
have come to this country from different parts of the world
seeking a better life for their families, but also to bring
attention to the many challenges faced by working people.
The godfathers of the Norteño genre have towered in the
realm of Latin music, taking the polka rooted Norteño sound
and mixing it with true tales of social injustices and
current events. Their unique lyrics of social conscience
have endeared them to millions of people who see in them a
reflection of their past, present and future. Thus their
fans have affectionately nicknamed them ' Los Idolos Del
Pueblo", (Idols of the town) for their sincerity and
humbleness.
A career span of more than three decades, millions of
records sold, extensive concert tours throughout the United
States, Mexico, Latin America, Europe and Asia, have made
Los Tigres Del Norte international legends.
Comprised of founding musical director, lead vocalist and
accordionist Jorge Hernandez, along with his brothers Hernán,
Eduardo, Luis and cousin Oscar Lara, Los Tigres del Norte
have followed their unique calling as musical messengers and
documentarians on a journey that has brought them to
unimaginable heights.
From the beginning, Los Tigres Del Norte’s music had been
steeped in emotions of honor, pride and respect for their
culture.
In 1968, a band of young brothers led by eldest child Jorge
– all of 14, left their hometown of Rosa Morada, Mocorito in
the state of Sinaloa, Mexico and headed to the United States
in the hope of providing help in the support of their
family. The group’s name came about when an immigration
official called them ‘little tigers’ (nickname for kids)
while crossing the California border. Since they were headed
North, the name of Los Tigres del Norte (The Tigers of The
North) was born.
The group established themselves in San Jose, California -
the city that to this day remains their base. It was in San
Jose during the early 70’s, that Los Tigres Del Norte was
discovered by an aspiring music impresario named Art Walker
- who happened to listen to a live radio presentation of the
group broadcast from the local Parque De Las Flores on Keyes
Street, where San Jose’s Mexican community congregated on
Sundays.
The group quickly became the first artist signed to Walker’s
upstart Fama Records, which in time became the leading
Spanish language recording company on the West Coast. Upon
signing, the group was advised to modify their sound from
their traditional acoustic, to more of an electric sound
with a full set of instruments (drum set, electric guitar,
and bass) and went on to record their first album. With
time, the group modernized their music, exploring elements
of boleros, cumbias, rock, and waltzes.
Their socially conscious tradition began to manifest itself
on Los Tigres Del Norte’s earliest hits, such as
“Contrabando Y Tracion,” a tale of contraband and betrayal
starring drug trafficking couple Emilio Varela and Camelia
La Tejana (1971), and 1973’s “La Banda Del Carro Rojo”.
Their preeminent role as a leading voice on the struggles of
immigration took form with later songs such as: “La Jaula De
Oro” (1986) which spoke of life in the ‘gilded cage
represented by the United States, where immigrants enjoy
economic progress but their childen often forget their
culture.
As part of Los Tigres’ mutually agreed musical mission, the
group has never allowed their image to be misrepresented by
being photographed with weapons or by the use of offensive
language in their music. They have also taken it upon
themselves to express their love and respect of women in
their songs and to never glorify ‘narcotic’ themes, instead
approaching the subject in the group’s role of
“true-to-life” storytellers.
LOS TIGRES DEL NORTE ARE:
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