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<\/p>\nSan Jose\u2019s own Los Tigres del Norte are a major force in the Spanish-speaking musical world. Seven-time Grammy (and 12-time Latin Grammy) Award winners, the group has built and cultivated a loyal following. Los Tigres del Norte booked a hometown performance for February 15 at the SAP Center.<\/p>\n
From a 1965 beginning in Sinaloa, where Jorge Hern\u00e1ndez founded the group, Los Tigres del Norte has combined traditional Mexican musical textures with relatable and modern lyrics. The band\u2019s distinctive corridos<\/i> (narrative ballads) and romantic tales are showcased throughout its deep catalog, numbering more than 50 albums. And the band\u2019s lyrics don\u2019t shy away from controversy: narcocorridos<\/i> about the lives and exploits of figures like Pablo \u201cEl Jefe\u201d Escobar have set the group apart from other modern-day norte\u00f1o artists.<\/p>\n
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Los Tigres del Norte has always been about more than just making music that sounds good. \u201cWe represent all the paisanos<\/i> who came along into the U.S.,\u201d says guitar- and bajo sexto<\/i> player Luis Hern\u00e1ndez. But the group also makes music for a newer generation that is inevitably less attached to its cultural roots. \u201cWe\u2019re very lucky to be surrounded by people who really understand what we\u2019re trying to do with our music,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
Balancing tradition and modernity is a key to the band\u2019s enduring success. \u201cThe lyrics make that happen,\u201d says Hern\u00e1ndez. \u201cWe know what problems the community has; they come to us and talk about what\u2019s going on.\u201d That real-world knowledge comes out in the group\u2019s songs. \u201cWhen you have those kinds of lyrics and adapt them to your musical style, it\u2019s difficult to sound old-fashioned,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
While the group plays instruments associated with the regional music of Mexico, Los Tigres del Norte seamlessly integrates modern elements like electric bass and drums as well. \u201cWe try to implement new sounds, but we always try to respect the music,\u201d Hern\u00e1ndez says. \u201cWe say that it\u2019s a tradition for Los Tigres to have its own special sound; when people hear a song, they know that it\u2019s their Los Tigres.\u201d<\/p>\n
Save for a holiday single, \u201cUn Cuento De Navidad,\u201d the group\u2019s most recent release is the 2024 EP Aqu\u00ed Mando Yo<\/i>. That title translates as \u201cI\u2019m in Charge Here,\u201d and the song celebrates Los Tigres del Norte\u2019s place in the music world. One interpretation of the lyrics is that they suggest the group doesn\u2019t always get the recognition it deserves.<\/p>\n
But Luis Hern\u00e1ndez doesn\u2019t agree with that take. \u201cIt\u2019s up to us to [earn] the credit and make a statement,\u201d he says. \u201cWe\u2019ve been working for a long time, and we\u2019ve been trying to make a difference. Not only in the U.S., but wherever we go. And I think our voice sounds when it comes to representing people.\u201d<\/p>\n
When necessary, the group\u2019s voice extends beyond music. Amid the current divisive political climate in the U.S., Los Tigres del Norte were among prominent signatories to an October 2024 open letter titled \u201cEnough is Enough.\u201d That letter \u2013 signed also by Paquita la del Barrio, Alejandro Fern\u00e1ndez, Man\u00e1, Chiquis Rivera and 20-plus other Latin artists \u2013 took a strong stand against then-candidate Donald Trump\u2019s stridently anti-immigrant rhetoric.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s very important for us right now to go out and give the message,\u201d says Hern\u00e1ndez. \u201cWe want to let the people know who we are and where we\u2019re coming from.\u201d He says that Los Tigres del Norte\u2019s social responsibility grows \u201cevery year, every month, every minute. People see us as an example of success because we\u2019re family, because we came to the U.S. and worked hard.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hern\u00e1ndez says that his group endeavors to make each song a statement, and to back up those statements with involvement. \u201cSometimes we don\u2019t like to talk about it, but we\u2019re always working with our community,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
Open letters notwithstanding, the group\u2019s commitment to the Mexican American diaspora and the wider Latin community manifests itself most visibly in the music. And Hern\u00e1ndez says that listeners can look forward to more pointed social commentary in Los Tigres del Norte\u2019s songs. \u201cI cannot predict when it\u2019s going to happen, but I\u2019m pretty sure that something [along those lines] is going to come out,\u201d he says, noting that while the U.S. is only days into the new presidential administration, \u201cwe\u2019re seeing a lot of [bad] things happening already.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hern\u00e1ndez emphasizes that his group believes artists need to speak out on issues that are important to their constituency, even if doing so puts them at risk. \u201cWe\u2019re very aware of what can happen,\u201d he says. Los Tigres del Norte and its music have encountered bans in Mexico, and they posed as convicts on the cover of 1989\u2019s Corridos Prohibidos<\/i>. \u201cI think it’s very unfair for someone to say that [immigrants] are doing something wrong to this country,\u201d he says. \u201cSo we’re gonna have to make a statement at some point.\u201d And when they do, it\u2019s all but guaranteed that the traditional musical values that inspired the group will accompany those pointed lyrics.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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