Los Tigres del Norte (English: ''The Tigers of the North'') are a norteño band from

San Jose, California San Jose, officially San José (; ; ), is a major city in the U.S. state of California that is the cultural, financial, and political center of Silicon Valley and largest city in Northern California by both population and area. With a 2020 popul ...

. Originally founded in

Mocorito Mocorito (meaning "place of the dead") is a small city and its surrounding municipality in the Mexican state of Sinaloa. The city reported 5,426 inhabitants in the 2010 census. History In 1531, with the entry of the conquistador Nuño de ...

Sinaloa, Mexico Sinaloa (), officially the Estado Libre y Soberano de Sinaloa ( en, Free and Sovereign State of Sinaloa), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 18 municipalities and ...

, with sales of 60 million albums, the band is one of the most recognized groups in the genre, due to its long history and its successes within the Mexican community in the diaspora. The band is famous for its political corridos, some of which have been censored, even in its own country. The band is the only Mexican group to win 6

Grammy awards The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

and 12

Latin Grammys The Latin Grammy Awards are an award by The Latin Recording Academy to recognize outstanding achievement in the Latin music industry. The Latin Grammy honors works recorded in Spanish or Portuguese from anywhere around the world that has been r ...

. In addition, the band has made 40 films alongside the Almada brothers (

Mario is a character created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. He is the title character of the ''Mario'' franchise and the mascot of Japanese video game company Nintendo. Mario has appeared in over 200 video games since his creat ...

and Fernando) among other well-known Mexican actors. The band's style is based on regional music of Mexico, using mainly instruments such as the electric bass (or double bass), accordion, bass, drums, and sometimes other percussion instruments. The lyrics in their songs fluctuate between the romantic and the corrido. In recent years the band has begun to make music in a new genre called

narcocorrido A narcocorrido (, "narco-corrido" or ''drug ballad'') is a subgenre of the Regional Mexican corrido (narrative ballad) genre, from which several other genres have evolved. This type of music is heard and produced on both sides of the Mexico� ...

, in which they narrate the experience of members of drug gangs operating in Mexico. The narcocorrido song "Death Announced", for example, stands out, as it is dedicated to the legendary Colombian drug trafficker Pablo Escobar, "El Jefe de Jefes." In that song, the band tells the story of the power and influence of the now imprisoned

Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo (born January 8, 1946), commonly referred to by his aliases ''El Jefe de Jefes'' ("The Boss of Bosses") and ''El Padrino'' ("The Godfather"), is a convicted Mexican drug lord Kingpin. He was one of the founders of th ...

. Another of their famous narcocorridos, "The Queen of the South", is based on a literary novel by Arturo Pérez-Reverte from which a television series was made based on the Spanish writer's work. They have become famous in Mexico and the United States, especially in California and Texas, mainly due to the large number of Mexicans living there. They also have found considerable fame in Colombia. The band won a Grammy Award in 1988 for their album ''Gracias, América sin Fronteras'', and twelve years later their album ''Herencia de Familia'' won the award for Best Norteño Album at the first ever Latin Grammys. A year later, in the second edition of the awards, they were nominated again for Best Norteño Album, this time for ''De Paisano a Paisano'', and Best Regional Mexican Song for the song of the same title from that album.

History

The band was started by Rosa Morada,

Sinaloa Sinaloa (), officially the Estado Libre y Soberano de Sinaloa ( en, Free and Sovereign State of Sinaloa), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Administrative divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. It is d ...

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

natives Jorge Hernández, his brothers, and their cousins. They began recording after moving to

in the late 1960s, when all the members were still in their teens. 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. 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 early 1971 about a couple of drug runners, Emilio Varela and Camelia la Texana. There had been occasional ballads (

corrido The corrido () is a popular narrative metrical tale and poetry that forms a ballad. The songs are often about oppression, history, daily life for criminals, the vaquero lifestyle, and other socially relevant topics. Corridos were widely popular ...

s, in Mexican terminology) about the cross-border drug trade ever since

Prohibition Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcoholic ...

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 “Contrabando y traición” ("Contraband and Betrayal") is the name of a Mexican song, also called "Camelia, la tejana,” whose lyrics were written by Ángel González in 1972. The song achieved popular success when it was performed by Los Tigr ...

" ("Contraband and Betrayal") in 1974. 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 music. In norteño form, Los Tigres del Norte have been able to portray "real life" in a manner that strikes a chord with people across the

Americas The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World. Along with th ...

. 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 The term narcotic (, from ancient Greek ναρκῶ ''narkō'', "to make numb") originally referred medically to any psychoactive compound with numbing or paralyzing properties. In the United States, it has since become associated with opiates ...

and

illegal immigration Illegal immigration is the migration of people into a country in violation of the immigration laws of that country or the continued residence without the legal right to live in that country. Illegal immigration tends to be financially upwar ...

, 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 Bolero is a genre of song which originated in eastern Cuba in the late 19th century as part of the trova tradition. Unrelated to the older Spanish dance of the same name, bolero is characterized by sophisticated lyrics dealing with love. It has ...

cumbia Cumbia refers to a number of musical rhythms and folk dance traditions of Latin America, generally involving musical and cultural elements from American Indigenous peoples, enslaved Africans during colonial times, and Europeans. Examples include: ...

, rock rhythms, and

waltz The waltz ( ), meaning "to roll or revolve") is a ballroom and folk dance, normally in triple ( time), performed primarily in closed position. History There are many references to a sliding or gliding dance that would evolve into the wa ...

es. They also prominently incorporate a

saxophone The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed on a mouthpiece vibrates to pr ...

into some of their songs. As a result, it can be said that they also perform norteño-sax in addition to traditional accordion-led norteño. 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 Juan Luis Guerra Seijas (born June 7, 1957) is a Dominican musician, singer, composer, and record producer. He has sold 30 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling Latin music artists. Throughout his career, he has wo ...

and

Carlos Santana Carlos Humberto Santana Barragán (; born July 20, 1947) is an American guitarist who rose to fame in the late 1960s and early 1970s with his band Santana, which pioneered a fusion of Rock and roll and Latin American jazz. Its sound featured ...

. On October 16, 2009, Los Tigres del Norte held a Concert in Guadalupe,

Nuevo León Nuevo León () is a state in the northeast region of Mexico. The state was named after the New Kingdom of León, an administrative territory from the Viceroyalty of New Spain, itself was named after the historic Spanish Kingdom of León. With a ...

(outside of

Monterrey Monterrey ( , ) is the capital and largest city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León, Mexico, and the third largest city in Mexico behind Guadalajara and Mexico City. Located at the foothills of the Sierra Madre Oriental, the city is anchor ...

) at the Annual Expo Guadalupe that lasted 12 hours, breaking their own record of 9 hours from previous year. It began on Saturday night and ended on Sunday at 9 a.m., not uncommon for Los Tigres del Norte. They are known for having encores at their concerts that can last more than an hour after the scheduled ending of the concert. They have performed before the

United States Armed Forces The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is the ...

in Japan and South Korea. Los Tigres del Norte 02

In 2010, the band made headlines by joining in a massive international

boycott A boycott is an act of nonviolent, voluntary abstention from a product, person, organization, or country as an expression of protest. It is usually for moral, social, political, or environmental reasons. The purpose of a boycott is to inflict som ...

of the U.S. state of

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

, in response to the Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act. On October 8, 2013, Los Tigres del Norte played at an immigration reform rally on the

National Mall The National Mall is a Landscape architecture, landscaped park near the Downtown, Washington, D.C., downtown area of Washington, D.C., the capital city of the United States. It contains and borders a number of museums of the Smithsonian Institut ...

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

Their set list included songs that underscored the themes the rally would address including “La Puerta Negra” (1986), “De Paisano a Paisano” (2000), and “Mis Dos Patrias.” The band was introduced by then Minority Leader

Nancy Pelosi Nancy Patricia Pelosi (; ; born March 26, 1940) is an American politician who has served as Speaker of the United States House of Representatives since 2019 and previously from 2007 to 2011. She has represented in the United States House of ...

(D-Calif.). Mexican-American singer-songwriter and actress

Lila Downs Ana Lila Downs Sánchez (born 9 September 1968 * *) is a Mexican singer-songwriter. She performs her own compositions and the works of others in multiple genres, as well as tapping into Mexican traditional and popular music. She also incorporat ...

also accompanied the group in a series of duets. In 2014 Los Tigres del Norte released the album '' Realidades'', which contains the song “Era Diferente” (meaning “She Was Different”) about a lesbian teenager who falls in love with her best friend; according to lead singer and songwriter Jorge Hernández, this is the first time a norteño group has ever written a gay love song. The band had sold 32 million records as of 2007. As of 2015, they had won 7

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

s, 6

Latin Grammy Award The Latin Grammy Awards are an award by The Latin Recording Academy to recognize outstanding achievement in the Latin music industry. The Latin Grammy honors works recorded in Spanish or Portuguese from anywhere around the world that has been r ...

s, and a star on the

Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Californ ...

. They received the Special Recognition (Spanish language) Award at the 26th annual GLAAD Media Awards in 2015, for their song "Era Diferente" ("She Was Different"). The band ranked number 15 in the list for "The 30 Most Influential Latin Artists of All Time" by ''Billboard'' magazine. In 2018, many artists sought permission to record at

Folsom Prison Folsom State Prison (FSP) is a California State Prison in Folsom, California, U.S., approximately northeast of the state capital of Sacramento, California, Sacramento. It is one of 34 adult institutions operated by the California Department of ...

, more so for the 50th anniversary of

Johnny Cash John R. Cash (born J. R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American country singer-songwriter. Much of Cash's music contained themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially in the later stages of his ca ...

's recording there. However, Los Tigres del Norte was the only act authorized by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. In fact, Los Tigres are the only band to record an album at Folsom since Johnny Cash released his 1968 opus. All group members are naturalized American citizens. The group's lyrics have been cited as examples of leftist sentiment in popular music.

Philanthropy

In May 2000, Los Tigres del Norte founded the Los Tigres del Norte Foundation, which is committed to fostering appreciation and preservation of Mexican and

Mexican-American folklore Mexican-American folklore refers to the tales and history of Chicano people who live in the United States. History People of Spanish descent have been living in the southwestern part of the United States since Mexico had been a colony of the Sp ...

. The Los Tigres del Norte Foundation donated $500,000 to the

UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center The UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center (CSRC) was founded in 1969 to foster multidisciplinary research efforts at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). It is one of four ethnic studies centers established at UCLA that year, all of whic ...

, which was used to digitize over 32,000 Spanish-language recordings contained in the Strachwitz Frontera Collection.

Members

* Jorge Hernández – director, lead vocals,

accordion Accordions (from 19th-century German ''Akkordeon'', from ''Akkord''—"musical chord, concord of sounds") are a family of box-shaped musical instruments of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone type (producing sound as air flows past a reed ...

* Hernán Hernández – bass, vocals *Eduardo Hernández – accordion,

alto saxophone The alto saxophone is a member of the saxophone family of woodwind instruments. Saxophones were invented by Belgian instrument designer Adolphe Sax in the 1840s and patented in 1846. The alto saxophone is pitched in E, smaller than the B tenor ...

bajo sexto Bajo sexto (Spanish: "sixth bass") is a Mexican string instrument from the guitar family with 12 strings in six double courses. A closely related instrument is the bajo quinto (Spanish: "fifth bass") which has 10 strings in five double courses. ...

, vocals * Luis Hernández – bajo sexto, vocals *

Óscar Lara Oscar or Oskar is a masculine given name of Irish origin. Etymology The name is derived from two elements in Irish: the first, ''os'', means "deer"; the second element, ''car'', means "loving" or "friend", thus "deer-loving one" or "friend of deer" ...

– drummer

Former members

*Raúl Hernández – bajo sexto, vocals (left the group in 1996 to become a soloist) *Lupe Olivo - saxophone, accordion (left the band in 1988 due to health problems, rejoined in 1996, and left again in 2001. He has since performed in Raúl Hernández' band) *Freddy Hernández - percussion (died from a heart attack in a hotel room in 1993)

Select discography

Albums

*1968: ''Juana La Traicionera/Por El Amor A Mis Hijo'' *1971: ''Cuquita'' (remastered by Fonovisa in 2001) *1972: ''El Cheque'' (remastered by Fonovisa in 2001) *1974: ''Contrabando Y Traición'' (rerecorded at Profono in 1984) *1975: ''La Banda Del Carro Rojo'' (rerecorded at Profono in 1984) *1976: ''Pueblo Querido'' (rerecorded at Profono in 1984) *1977: ''Vivan Los Mojados'' (rerecorded at Profono in 1984) *1978: ''Numero Ocho'' (remastered by Fonovisa in 2001) *1979: ''El Tahúr'' (rerecorded at Profono in 1984) *1980: ''Plaza Garibaldi'' (remastered by Fonovisa in 2001) *1981: ''...Un Día A La Vez!'' (rerecorded at Profono in 1984) *1982: ''Éxitos Para Siempre...'' (rerecorded at Profono in 1984) *1983: ''Carrera Contra La Muerte'' (last album under Fama label) (rerecorded at Profono in 1984) *1983: ''Internacionalmente Norteños/La Tumba Del Mojado'' (first album under Profono label ow Fonovisa *1984: '' Jaula De Oro'' *1985: ''A Ti Madrecita'' (reissued in 2015 with 4 new songs) *1986: ''El otro México'' (reissued in 2016) *1986: '' Gracias!... América... Sin Fronteras'' (reissued in 2016) *1987: ''Ídolos Del Pueblo'' (last album with Lupe Olivo) *1988: ''Corridos Prohibidos'' (first album with Eduardo Hernández) *1990: ''Triunfo Sólido – Mi Buena Suerte'' *1991: ''Para Adoloridos'' *1991: ''Incansables!'' *1992: ''Con Sentimiento Y Sabor (Tan Bonita)'' *1992: ''Una Noche Con Los Tigres Del Norte'' *1993: ''La Garra De...'' *1994: ''Los Dos Plebes'' *1995: '' El Ejemplo'' (last album with Raúl Hernández before becoming soloist) *1996: ''Unidos Para Siempre'' (first album with Luis Hernández & Guadalupe Olivo returning to the group) *1997: ''

Jefe De Jefes ''Jefe de Jefes'' ("Boss of Bosses") is a studio album released by Regional Mexican band Los Tigres del Norte. This album became their first number-one set on the ''Billboard'' Top Latin Albums chart, and received a nomination for a Grammy Awar ...

'' *1998: ''Así Como Tú'' *1999: ''Herencia De Familia'' *2000: ''De Paisano A Paisano'' (last album with Lupe Olivo) *2001: ''

Uniendo Fronteras ''Uniendo Fronteras'' (English language, Eng.: ''Uniting Frontiers) is the title of a studio album released by Regional Mexican band Los Tigres del Norte. This album became their second number-one hit on the Billboard Top Latin Albums, ''Billboar ...

'' *2002: '' La Reina Del Sur'' *2004: '' Pacto De Sangre'' *2005: ''Directo Al Corazón'' *2006: ''Historias Que Contar'' *2007: ''Detalles Y Emociones'' *2008: '' Raíces'' *2008: '' Tu Noche Con Los Tigres Del Norte'' *2009: ''La Granja'' *2010: ''El Rugido De Los Tigres Del Norte'' *2011: '' MTV Unplugged: Los Tigres Del Norte And Friends'' *2014: '' Realidades'' *2015: ''Desde El Azteca'' *2016: ''Ataud'' *2019: ''Los Tigres del Norte At Folsom Prison'' *2020: ''Y Su Palabra Es La Ley: Homenaje a

Vicente Fernández Vicente Fernández Gómez (17 February 1940 – 12 December 2021) was a Mexican singer, songwriter, actor, and film producer. Nicknamed "Chente" (short for Vicente), "El Charro de Huentitán" (The Charro from Huentitán), "El Ídolo de México ...

'' *2021: ''La Reunión''

EPs

*1984: ''Los Tigres Del Norte''

Singles

Los Tigres del Norte

*"Por Amor A Mis Hijos" *"De Un Rancho A Otro" *"El Cheque" *"El Ausente" *"Mi Gran Cariño" *"Sufro Porque Te Quiero"
Polka Texas

Las Tres Mujeres

Los Sufrimientos
*"El Sordo Mudo" (side 2 track) *"La Cochicuina" *"Ya Cambiara Mi Destino" *"Las Tres Mujeres" *"Mi Caballo Ensillado" *"Morena De San Francisco" *"Hermosa Luna" *"Rio Magadalena" *"El Que Tanto Te Amo" *"Quien Te Viera" *"Adolfo Mi Compadre" (1984) *"La Puerta Negra/Poppurri Mexicano" (1986) *"Rap Norteño" (single-only release) *"Un Cuento De Navidad" *"La Mesa del Rincon/La Navidad De Los Pobres" (1995) *"Duro" *"Mujeriego" (feat. Don Francisco) *"Por Amor" *"Aguas Revueltas" *"El Enfermito" *"La Bala" (2014) *"Tu Carcel" (feat. Marco Antonio Solis) *"Ataud" (2016) *"Cuando Seas Grande" (feat.

Alejandro Sanz Alejandro Sánchez Pizarro, better known as Alejandro Sanz (; born 18 December 1968), is a Spanish musician, singer and composer. Sanz has won 22 Latin Grammy Awards and four Grammy Awards. He has received the Latin Grammy for Latin Grammy Awar ...

Gloria Trevi Gloria de los Ángeles Treviño Ruiz (born February 15, 1968), known as Gloria Trevi (), is a Mexican singer, songwriter, dancer, actress, television hostess, music video director and businesswoman known as "The Supreme Diva of Mexican Pop". ...

, and

J Balvin José Álvaro Osorio Balvín (born 7 May 1985), known professionally as J Balvin, is a Colombian singer and songwriter. He has been referred to as the " Prince of Reggaeton" (from Spanish: "Príncipe del Reggaetón"), and is one of the best-sell ...

) *"Para Sacarte De Mi Vida" (feat. Alejandro Fernandez)

Guest appearances

*Hermanitas Rodarte - "Dile Pajarillo" *Hermanitas Rodarte - "Me Voy De Estas Tierras" *Lupita Alatorre - "No Es Culpa Mia"

Filmography

Through their career, Los Tigres del Norte have appeared in numerous Mexican films, many of which are based on some of their hit songs. In genre, they range from action to drama. Many of the actors in these films include Mario and Fernando Almada,

Eric Del Castillo J. Eduardo Eric del Castillo-Negrete Galván (born 22 July 1934) is a Mexican actor of theater, film and television who has dabbled as a screenwriter, director and arguer film, beginning his career in the Golden Age of Mexican cinema. Early yea ...

, Pedro Infante, Jr., Jorge Reynoso,

Lucha Villa Luz Elena Ruiz Bejarano (born November 30, 1936), more commonly known by her stage name Lucha Villa, is a Mexican singer and actress. Early life Born in Camargo, Chihuahua, Luz Elena Ruiz Bejarano was given her pseudonym "Lucha Villa" by telev ...

, Cecilia Camacho, and Bernabe Melendez "El Gatillero". In December 2016, media reports stated that Amateur Films would be producing ''Jefes De Jefes'', a feature-length documentary about Los Tigres del Norte's history and cultural influence; no release date was announced. *1976: ''La Banda Del Carro Rojo'' *1976: ''La Muerte Del Soplon'' *1986: ''La Puerta Negra'' *1987: ''La Jaula De Oro'' *1989: ''Tres Veces Mojado'' *1990: ''Ni Parientes Somos'' *1991: ''La Camioneta Gris'' *1992: ''Los Tres Gallos'' *1993: '' Amor a la medida'' *2008: ''

La misma luna ''Under the Same Moon'' ( es, La misma luna) is a 2007 Mexican-American drama film in Spanish and English directed by Patricia Riggen (in her feature film directorial debut) and starring Kate del Castillo, Adrián Alonso, and Eugenio Derbez. Pl ...

'' *2019: '' Los Tigres del Norte at Folsom Prison''

Awards and nominations

Grammy Awards

References

External links

* (in Spanish & English)
Universal Music Latin Entertainment , Los Tigres del Norte
* *
Los Tigres del Norte on YouTube.comLos Tigres del Norte onFacebook.comLos Tigres del Norte on InstagramInterview with Acceso Total
video (in Spanish) {{DEFAULTSORT:Tigres Del Norte, Los Fonovisa Records artists Grammy Award winners Latin Grammy Award winners Musical groups established in 1968 Mexican norteño musical groups Universal Music Latin Entertainment artists Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winners 1968 establishments in California