Grupo Codiciado

Grupo Codiciado is a “nuevo corrido” quintet based in Tijuana, Mexico. Though its membership — Erick Aragón, Alexis Cañez, Iván Ramirez, Arturo Nuñez, and Geovanny Rodriguez — all hail from different parts of the country, they met in the city of Baja, California in early 2015, all seeking careers in music. Their shared vision for updating traditional corridos with a driving sound full of bright drumming, electrified bajo sexto, and blistering accordion with funky basslines, was clear from the start and rehearsals — sometimes around the clock — began almost immediately. In addition, all five members were social media savvy and by the end of the year, they’d staged and professionally filmed a concert that garnered over 45 million views on YouTube. They continued to post new videos, growing a fan base as a result; Within weeks they were playing sold-out street parties and festivals in Tijuana. Based on the ever-increasing profile of their social media posts and live shows, the band signed to Rancho Humilde early the following year. The label put them in a studio almost immediately, resulting in their debut album, Si Lo Digo Es Porque Puedo. While the album didn’t chart, its single had legs. Some two years later, the single “Gente de Accionar” placed inside the Top 40 of the Hot Latin Songs chart, the Mexican Airplay charts, and on numerous digital charts. All the while, Grupo Codiciado’s swinging, drum kit-heavy sound attracted more followers to YouTube and other social media sites. A 2016 live video of album track “Paso a Paso” ran up 22 million views, while various singles and live tracks scored millions more. The band played live across Mexico, racking up hundreds of shows and dozens of television and radio appearances. In February of 2018, Rancho Humilde took the unusual step of releasing the band’s sophomore album, Miro lo Que Otros No Miran, without a pre-release single or video. The experiment worked. It entered the Regional Mexican Albums chart at number eight. The single “El Disney” was issued just after the album and featured a guest vocal by Crecer German. ~ Thom Jurek