“I like corridos because they are the real events of our town,” is heard in the prologue of the song. Boss of Bosses, of Los Tigres del Norte. Although they were not the first – there were already Los Donneños or Los Alegres de Terán before – Los Tigres del Norte are pioneers in taking northern Mexican music from the ranch to internationalize it: they have recorded more than 700 songs, sold 40 million copies and achieved seven Grammy Awards. The band has contributed to catapulting the corrido from its folkloric origins as a means of telling the news of the Mexican Revolution to festivals like Coachella or getting stars like Peso Pluma, Snoop Dog or Bad Bunny to perform it, in the corrido tumbado aspect.
“There is still a lot to know,” says the group's leader, Jorge Hernández (Sinaloa, 70 years old), who 55 years ago proposed to five of his 10 brothers to form a band and embark on a trip to the north. His first earnings at the border were intended to pay the medical bills of his father, a farmer from Rosa Morada (Sinaloa) who had suffered an accident that injured his back. The new adventure of Los Tigres, who have lived in the United States for several years, is a tour of Europe in 2024 that will end in London and pass through five cities in Spain (Madrid, A Coruña, Barcelona, Bilbao and Pamplona) in April, a country to which they return after 14 years. Additionally, the group published in June a new single, bread and honey.
Throughout its 55-year career, the group has not changed the main themes of its songs: the violence of the border (The women of Juárez), the heartbreak (Tears), the life of the migrant (We are more American) and also the drug trafficker. The Red Car Gang It was the song that began to associate them with the world of drugs and cartels, spreading the term narcocorridos. The lyrics about the life of crime, its ephemeral glory and the unfortunate consequences sparked controversy and some censorship, but the topic is vindicated by current artists such as Peso Pluma. “At first the narcocorridos made us furious, but we've gotten over it,” says Jorge, the eldest of the Hernández, from the ninth floor of the hotel where he is staying, in the center of Madrid.
Ask. What memories do you have of the previous times you were in Spain?
Answer. The first times we came we had the excitement of discovering new countries and continents. Now it is another sensation because we bring new songs and other forms that we proposed to conquer other audiences. It's been so long that you wonder what audience will see us: there is expectation and fear, but also confidence acquired over the years.
Q. With 55 years of career, do you feel that you are missing some goal to achieve?
R. There are many things to do, countries to visit, and we don't have enough time. We would like to be in Peru more often, for example. They are countries that inspire you to do your job. In Europe there are many countries where many Hispanics live and we want to reach them.
Q. So there are still Tigers for a while…
R. It is what we desire: one always has the desire to last a lifetime. We know that everything has endings, but as long as we are here and God gives us the qualities to do our job, we will be here for a while.
Q. How can a style as folkloric and local as corridos become an international trend?
R. Our songs are stories. The corridos talk about politics, love, heartbreak, we make spoken music. We have several songs that have worked for us just talking and not singing. We try to make our songs like a soap opera and we perform them in less than four minutes.
Q. What is your opinion about this new aspect of the corrido that is the tumbado and is having great international success?
R. It is part of the environment that is lived. The new generations need a different way of having fun and there are currents for all types of music. We don't know how long this boom will last, but we wish you much success.
Q. Have you thought about joining this tide by collaborating with an urban musician?
R. I hope one day we have the opportunity, it would be fabulous. Some time ago we did an MTV Unplugged in which René, Zack de la Rocha, Paulina Rubio, Juanes and Andrés Calamaro participated. We always seek to maintain freshness and have impact.
Q. Many times they have suffered censorship in presentations or concerts.
R. The only time I remember we had a problem with that was with a radio station that didn't want to play a song for us. [El reportero] about a Tijuana reporter from the publication The Z. He was a character who was made to “disappear” because he was talking about politics and we told his story. On other occasions, in some cities they asked us for the favor of not singing some songs because they were campaigning. We always agreed with respect, but asking why and trying to play them at the next concert.
Q. Do you feel comfortable with the term narcocorridos?
R. The term comes from a book [Narcocorrido. Un viaje a través de la música de drogas, armas y guerrillas] where a friend from Boston interviewed us. I told him that there was no problem in using that term, but I never thought about the impact that the word narcocorrido would have. The first time we were in Spain they said “those who sing narcocorridos have arrived.” At first I was angry, but it went away. Let everyone write as they please.
Q. Recently Peso Pluma had to cancel several concerts due to threats he received from a cartel. Did you go through similar situations?
R. No never. In those years, when we went out, it was new to talk about drug trafficking. Maybe the song that started that was Smuggling and treason, because the public popularized it and they identified us with corridos of that type. They made a movie about it in '76 and then they started looking for us film producers. They asked us for songs for movies and we even appeared in 18 movies.
Q. Has the relationship between brothers affected the typical arguments that exist in any band?
R. We have always tried to bring harmony. Being brothers is a benefit, it allows us to be united, we can forgive each other for any problems that may arise between us. Of course, there has to be a discipline, someone to lead, but we understand that there are ways to behave and we understand that this is our life and we have to be aligned in the same way to achieve the goal we have set for ourselves.
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