Los Tigres del Norte celebrates the past while eyeing the future
Los Tigres del Norte, the legendary norteño band whose appeal spans generations, could rest easily on past glories.
There are many, including the band’s 2011 “MTV Unplugged” album. It was a first for a regional Mexican act and earned the group a Grammy and a Latin Grammy. It included eclectic pairings with Juanes, Paulina Rubio and Calle 13 that still crackle with electricity.
But the group isn’t just interested in being a nostalgia act. Just within the past two years, it’s broken a RodeoHouston attendance record — 75,586 in 2019, ahead of Cardi B and Garth Brooks — recorded a Netflix documentary at Folsom Prison and urged fans to mask up in the face of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Its songs revolve around drug culture, immigration and the struggle for survival and always feel of the moment. Brothers Jorge, Hernan and and Luis Hernandez talked about the band’s legacy and future.
Q: What memories stand out from the “MTV Unplugged” experience?
JH:
The first thing that I think of is the moment we got together with the artists that participated. We felt very happy, very responsible for what was going to happen. We wanted people to be happy, and we wanted to transmit what we feel when we sing our songs. I remember walking up from the side of the stage. I was very emotional when they announced us. As soon as I heard the first note, the emotion was even higher.
Q: Your sound is traditional, but your approach to music never has been. What keeps you motivated to try new avenues, new collaborations?
HH:
I think Los Tigres del Norte, since the beginning of our career, even when we were little kids, we always imagined that we could do new things, that we could discover things. We are fortunate to be together for this long as brothers. Not too many groups have the opportunity to last with the same members for this long. We have a deep respect for ourselves first, and we have the same respect for our fans. I think to be part of Los Tigres del Norte is to have a responsibility.
We can now do a lot of things, a lot of new projects for our community through our music. We came to the United States to have a better life. That’s what our songs talk about. The Folsom documentary, I think, did some good because there’s a big percentage of Latinos in the prison. Our message was clear. We wanted to prevent, to help, to promote better education. You get educated, you get a better job, you can represent your community better.
Q: The band is part of a PSA urging people to wear masks and socially distance. Why was that the right move? LH:
We want people to get vaccinated as soon as possible so we all can have a normal life again. Not only us to do concerts but for them to go out, have fun and get back to a year ago. With the “Unplugged” album, maybe people will see it, open their mind and say, “We miss that. We wanna do it, but we wanna do it responsibly.” We have a song called “La Jaula de Oro” (“The Golden Cage”). We’re in a house, we love it, it’s our privacy. It could be “la jaula de oro,” but it’s a prison. Now with the vaccine, let’s do it. Let’s not be afraid of it.
Q: What have been the personal challenges of staying home and social distancing?
LH:
We struggled a lot because we’re not used to being at home. We travel every week, different cities, different countries. It wasn’t easy for us, but like everyone else in the world, we had to adapt and keep our minds busy doing other things. Right now, we’re recording. We try to get together when it’s possible, but we still follow all the regulations like any other person.