The best and most popular outfit in the regional style known as ‘norteño’, Los Tigres Del Norte are something like the Beatles of Mexican music. Idolized by millions, the six members turn their live performances into marathon affairs, where requests are welcome and the band does not stop playing until all of them have been honoured. The band was formed in 1969 in Rosa Morada, Sinaloa, by the Hernández brothers, Jorge (vocals, accordion, guitar), Eduardo (vocals, accordion, guitar), Raúl, and Hernán (vocals, bass), with their cousin Oscar Lara (drums). The line-up subsequently expanded to include Lupe Olivo (b. Guadalupe Olivo; saxophone) and another Hernández brother, Luis (vocals, guitar), while Raúl left to pursue a solo career in the mid-90s. Los Tigres Del Norte’s tendency to explore digital technology and deliver crystal-clear productions laden with cool sound effects has certainly helped them enjoy such a massive level of popularity for more than 30 years. Their hi-fi norteño aesthetic is expressed through a sound that might best be described as plump, heavy on the bass and rich in lush accordion lines that enhance the songs with intermittent touches of nostalgia and irony. However, the lyrics remain the group’s forte - the reason it is so easy to embrace these bloody tales of love and betrayal in the ‘frontera’ between Mexico and the USA, a world where drug dealers are the heroes of the story just because they are God-fearing individuals who follow their own code of ethics. Los Tigres Del Norte have released dozens of records, and, like many Mexican superstars, done their share of movies. Fortunately for their many fans, they are not showing any sign of slowing down their creative pace.
