Los Tigres del Norte
| Los Tigres del Norte | |
|---|---|
 Los Tigres del Norte at the Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez, California. |
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| Background information | |
| Origin | Sinaloa, Mexico |
| Genres | Norteño, narcocorridos |
| Years active | 1968–present |
| Labels | Fonovisa |
| Associated acts | Zack de la Rocha |
| Website | lostigresdelnorte.com |
| Members | |
| Jorge Hernandez Hernan Hernandez Eduardo Hernández Luis Hernández Oscar Lara |
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| Past members | |
| Raúl Hernández Guadalupe Olivo Freddy Hernandez |
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Los Tigres del Norte (English: The Tigers of the North) is a norteño-band ensemble based out of San Jose, California, hailing from Rosa Morada, Sinaloa, Mexico.
Contents |
[edit] History
The group was started by Jorge Hernández, his brothers, and his cousins. They began recording after moving to San Jose, California in the late 1960s, when all the members were still in their teens.[1] They were sponsored by a local record company, Discos Fama, owned by an Englishman named Art Walker, who took them under his wing and helped them find jobs and material, as well as recording all of their early albums.[1]
The Tigres were at first only locally popular, but took off after Jorge and Art Walker heard a Los Angeles mariachi singer perform a song in the early 1971 about a couple of drug runners, Emilio Varela and Camelia la Texana. There had been occasional ballads (corridos, in Mexican terminology) about the cross-border drug trade ever since Prohibition in the 1920s, but never a song as cinematic as this, featuring a woman smuggler who shoots the man and takes off with the money. After getting permission to record this song, Los Tigres del Norte released "Contrabando y Traición" ("Contraband and Betrayal") in 1974.[2] The song quickly hit on both sides of the border, inspired a series of movies, and kicked off one of the most remarkable careers in Spanish-language pop music.
In Norteño/conjunto form (a style featuring accordion that originated along the Texas border region), Los Tigres del Norte have been able to portray "real life" in a manner that strikes a chord with people across the Americas. Many of their most popular songs consist of tales or corridos about life, love, and the struggle to survive in an imperfect world. They regularly touch on the subject of narcotics and illegal immigration, but they have also shared stories of love and betrayal between a man and a woman. Together, the band and its public has turned norteño music into an international genre. The band has modernized the music, infusing it with bolero, cumbia, rock rhythms, waltzes, as well as effects of machine guns and sirens integrated with the music.
The band has won five Latin Grammy Awards and sold 32 million records.[3]
On January 9, 2007, Los Tigres del Norte was honored as a BMI Icon at the 14th annual BMI Latin Awards. Los Tigres, who were saluted that evening with an all-star musical tribute, were being honored as BMI Icons for their “unique and indelible influence on generations of music makers.” They joined an elite list that includes such Latin music giants as Juan Luis Guerra and Carlos Santana.[4]
They have performed before the United States Armed Forces in Japan and South Korea.[5]
In 2010, the band made headlines by joining in a massive international boycott of the US State of Arizona, in response to the state's Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act.[6]
[edit] Members
- Jorge Hernandez – director, lead vocals, accordion
- Hernan Hernandez – electric bass, vocals
- Eduardo Hernández – accordion, saxophone, bajo sexto, vocals
- Luis Hernández – bajo sexto, vocals
- Oscar Lara – drums
[edit] Former members
- Raúl Hernández – bajo sexto, vocals
- Guadalupe Olivo – saxophone, accordion
- Freddy Hernandez – percussion (Deceased)
[edit] Discography
This list excludes the many "Greatest Hits" compilations.
- Juana La Traicionera/Por el Amor a Mis Hijos (1971)
- Cuquita (1971) (Official first album)
- Sufro Porque te Quiero/La Cochicuina (1972)
- "Mi Caballo Ensilado" (Single) (1973)
- Si,Si,Si/Chayo Chaires (1973)
- El cheque (1972)Mexican Release album compilation of Por Amor A Mis Hijos / Sufro Porque Te Quiero
- "No Llorare" (Single) (1974)
- Contrabando Y traición (1974)
- La banda del carro rojo (1975)
- La tumba del mojado-Internacionalmente norteños (1976)
- Pueblo querido (1976)
- Vivan los mojados (1977)
- Numero Ocho (1978)
El Que Tanto Te Amo ( 1978 ) Single Rio Magdalena ( 1978 )
- "Hermosa Luna" (Single)(1979)
- El Tahúr (1979)
- Plaza Garibaldi (1980)
- ...un día a la vez! (1981)
- Éxitos para siempre... (1982)
- Carrera contra la muerte (1983)
- Jaula de oro (1983)
- "Adolfo Mi Compadre" (Single) ( 1984)
- A ti madrecita (1985)
- El Otro México (1986)
- Gracias América...Sin Fronteras (1986)
- Ídolos Del Pueblo (1988)
- Corridos Prohibidos (1989)
- Triunfo Sólido - Mi Buena Suerte (1989)
- Para adoloridos (1990)
- Incansables! (1991)
- Con Sentimiento y Sabor - Tan Bonita (1992)
- Una Noche Con Los Tigres Del Norte (1992)
- La garra de... (1993)
- Los Dos Plebes (1994)
- El Ejemplo (1995)
- Unidos Para Siempre (1996)
- Jefe de Jefes (1997)
- Así Como Tú (1997)
- Herencia De Familia (1999)
- De Paisano A Paisano (2000)
- Uniendo Fronteras (2001)
- La Reina del Sur (2002)
- Pacto de Sangre (2004)
- Directo al Corazón (2005)
- Historias que Contar (2006)
- Detalles y Emociones (2007)
- Raíces (album) (2008)
- Tu Noche con Los Tigres del Norte (2008)
- La Granja (2009)
- MTV Unplugged: Los Tigres del Norte and Friends (2011)
Singles Collection, never included in any Long Play
Las Tres Mujeres Los Sufrimientos Polka Texas Ya Cambiara Mi Destino Juana Morena De San Francisco Mi Caballo Ensillado No Llorare Rio Magadalena El Que Tanto Te Amo Hermosa Luna Los Vigilantes
[edit] References
- ^ a b Alec Wilkinson, “Immigration Blues,” The New Yorker magazine, May 24, 2010
- ^ Biography at Univision.com
- ^ article in Washington Post, February 18, 2007
- ^ "Los Tigres del Norte To Be Honored as BMI Icons at 14th Annual Latin Awards". bmi.com. http://www.bmi.com/news/entry/534208. Retrieved 2010-10-11.
- ^ Visión Hispana
- ^ El Correo de Guanajuato: "Tigres del Norte, participan en boicot contra Arizona" (in Spanish)
[edit] External links
- Official website (in Spanish & English)
- Los Tigres del Norte at MySpace.com
- Los Tigres del Norte on YouTube.com
- Los Tigres del Norte el Club, fans' club website
- Interview with Acceso Total, video (in Spanish)
