Herencia Musical: 20 Boleros Romanticos

Performer: Los Tigres del Norte
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: Includes bonus DVD. Romantic boleros aren't the first thing that come to mind when Los Tigres del Norte's name is mentioned. One of the edgiest, most gutsy groups in norte�o/Tex-Mex music, Los Tigres are famous for their hard-hitting accounts of working-class, Mexican-American life along the U.S./Mexico border. Arguably, Los Tigres are norte�o's rebellious equivalent of the Clash, Rub�n Blades, KRS-One, or Bob Dylan; for that matter, there are parallels between Los Tigres' cutting (although frequently humorous) lyrics and the outlaw country of Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Johnny Paycheck, and Waylon Jennings. Whoever you compare them to, Los Tigres' lyrics can have plenty of bite. So why, you might ask, would Fonovisa call a Los Tigres collection 20 Boleros Romanticos when the word romantic is seldom used in connection with the group? Well, Los Tigres do, in fact, record some romantic ballads, which aren't the thing they're best-known for, but aren't something they completely avoid either. And truth be told, Los Tigres can handle boleros (Latin ballads) impressively well -- a fact that Herencia Musical: 20 Boleros Romanticos bears out more often than not. This collection spotlights a side of Los Tigres del Norte that is often overlooked, and it does so with generally enjoyable (if slightly uneven) results. 20 Boleros Romanticos doesn't contain the group's most essential work; for novices, Herencia Musical: 20 Corridos Inolvidables would be a much better introduction to Los Tigres' Fonovisa output. But while 20 Boleros Romanticos isn't recommended to casual listeners, seasoned fans will be glad to have many of Los Tigres' softer, more romantic recordings in the same place -- and Fonovisa deserves credit for deciding to assemble this worthwhile, albeit unlikely, collection. ~ Alex Henderson

One of the most popular norteno acts of all time, Los Tigres Del Norte formed in the late 1960s and brought a grittier sense of subject matter to the popular genre of border music. While life's hardships were always lyrical fodder for norteno artists, Los Tigres took things a step farther and introduced vivid tales of crime, drug running, and violent betrayals along the border. Musically, the band plays a polished, highly modernized version of a very traditional style of accordion-driven norteno, helping them maintain their appeal through the decades and across generations.

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