Los Tigres del Norte

As of October 2004, Fonovisa Records had assembled at least three los Tigres del Norte best-of CDs with a Herencia Musical (musical heritage) theme: Herencia Musical: 20 Corridos Inolvidables, Herencia Musical: 20 Boleros Romanticos and this collection, 20 Norteñas Famosas. While 20 Boleros Romanticos spotlights a gentler, more romantic side of the group -- not exactly the first thing that comes to mind where los Tigres are concerned -- 20 Corridos Inolvidables and 20 Norteñas Famosas are more representative of los Tigres on the whole; they really underscore the norteño veterans' gritty, hard-hitting nature. 20 Norteñas Famosas, like 20 Corridos Inolvidables, demonstrates that when it comes to vividly describing the challenges of working-class Mexican-American life in los Estados Unidos, no one in the norteño/Tex-Mex field can surpass them. The songs that Fonovisa picked for 20 Norteñas Famosas are many things -- they're gutsy, they're humorous, they're poignant, they're moving. The CD's opener "La Jaula de Oro" is a perfect illustration of why los Tigres' fans hold them in such high regard. The tune is about a frustrated Mexican immigrant who has been working in the U.S. for ten years but is still awaiting the citizenship he's applied for; one day, he asks his very Americanized son, "Escúchame, hijo, te gustaría que regresáramos a vivir a Mexico?" (Listen, son, how would you like to move back to Mexico), and the son replies, in English, "What are you talking about, dad? I don't want to go back to Mexico. No way, dad." That funny yet touching father/son exchange is classic Tigres del Norte, and their storytelling abilities aren't any less impressive on "Los Hijos de Hernandez," "La Puerta Negra," "El Tahur" or "Orgullo Maldito," which is about becoming a victim of your own pride. 20 Norteñas Famosas is by no means the last word on los Tigres' Fonovisa output, but it is happily recommend to casual listeners who are exploring their work for the first time. ~ Alex Henderson, Rovi