Herencia Musical: 20 Norteñas Famosas

• Artist: Los Tigres del Norte
• Rating:
• Release Date: October 05, 2004
• Type: Compilation (best of), Lyrics are included with the album
• Genre: Latin

Review

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, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
La Juala de Oro	Enrique Franco	Los Tigres del Norte	(2:45)
Por Que Me Quite del Vicio	Carlos Rivas Larrauri	Los Tigres del Norte	(3:44)
Carta Abierta	Cuco Sánchez	Los Tigres del Norte	(2:54)
El Tahur	Adolfo Salas	Los Tigres del Norte	(3:38)
Rosita de Olivo	Luis Pérez Meza	Los Tigres del Norte	(3:29)
Ya Te Vele	Jorge "Guiro" Borrego	Los Tigres del Norte	(2:58)
Pedro y Pablo	Enrique Franco	Los Tigres del Norte	(3:16)
Los Hijos de Hernandez	Enrique Franco	Los Tigres del Norte	(3:54)
La Banda del Carro Rojo	Paulino Vargas	Los Tigres del Norte	(3:07)
El Niño y la Boda	Fidel Funes	Los Tigres del Norte	(3:01)
Mi Buena Suerte	Enrique Franco	Los Tigres del Norte	(3:12)
Pueblo Querido	Ismael Armenta Fierro	Los Tigres del Norte	(2:35)
Amorcito Norteño	Victor Rafael Cordero	Los Tigres del Norte	(2:48)
Corazon Usado	Enrique Franco	Los Tigres del Norte	(2:56)
Bohemio de Aficion	Martín Urieta	Los Tigres del Norte	(2:39)
Cuestion Olvidada	Gilberto Valdez	Los Tigres del Norte	(3:30)
Asomate a Mi Copa	Paulino Vargas	Los Tigres del Norte	(3:42)
Orgullo Maldito	Teodoro Bello Jaimes	Los Tigres del Norte	(2:25)
Amor Garantizado		Los Tigres del Norte	(2:42)
La Puerta Negra		Los Tigres del Norte	(3:25)

Credits

Adriana Rebold (Graphic Design), Adriana Rebold (Art Direction)