Los Tigres del Norte

About Los Tigres del Norte

No norte�o act is more renowned than Los Tigres del Norte, a group of Mexican-American brothers based in California who began their recording career in the early '70s and enjoyed widespread acclaim over the following decades, recording regularly for Fonovisa Records from the 1980s onward. The group is centered on lead vocalist and accordionist Jorge Hern�ndez (the oldest of 11 children), who is joined in Los Tigres by his brothers Hern�n (bass, vocals), Eduardo (accordion, saxophone, bass, vocals), and Luis (guitar, vocals), as well as his cousin Oscar Lara (drums). In 1968 they left Mexico for California (along with brother Ra�l Hern�ndez, who would leave the group in the 1990s for a solo career), in search of better means of supporting their family following an injury that prevented their father, D. Eduardo Hern�ndez, from ranching any longer. Their hometown is Rosa Morada, which is located in the municipality of Mocorito in the western state of Sinaloa. Their moniker arose when an immigration official called the boys "little tigers" (a nickname for kids) as they crossed the border, eventually bound for San Jose, which became their longtime residence.nDuring the early '70s, Los Tigres became the first act signed to Fama Records. Founded by Art Walker, Fama grew to become the leading Spanish-language record label on the West Coast. Walker, a local impresario, first heard the group on a live radio presentation recorded at the local Parque de las Flores on Keyes Street in San Jose, and impressed with what he heard, he decided to make them the foundation of Fama. With his guidance, Los Tigres adopted an electric style, trading in their traditional acoustic sound for one incorporating bass, drums, and electric guitar. The group also adopted a modern approach to songwriting, emphasizing contemporary social themes common to Mexican-Americans.nTheir breakthrough hit, "Contrabando y Traici�n" (1972), is emblematic. Like most of the group's songs, "Contrabando y Traici�n" is a corrido, which is an age-old style of narrative song common to the mestizo cultural area of North America, including the northern states of Mexico as well as the southwestern ones of the United States. Traditionally, corridos feature a salutation or prologue; a story, often a legend or ballad of a hero or criminal native to northern Mexico; and in conclusion, a moral or lesson. However, "Contrabando y Traici�n" is a thoroughly modern corrido, as it features a pair of lovers who traffic marijuana across the border in the tires of a car. nThe song became a sizable hit in southern California and set the course for the long, continuing success of Los Tigres, who went on to write a multitude of notable contemporary corridos about the drug trade (i.e., narcocorridos) and immigration. Corridos Prohibidos (1989), in particular, showcases the former, while "Jaula de Oro," one of their most well-known and frequently compiled songs, is an example of the latter. The song, whose title translates to Los Idolos del Pueblo classics such as La Banda del Carro Rojo and La Muerte del Soplon -- with thematic compilations of Los Tigres favorites. ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide