Los Tucanes De Tijuana

Tijuana’s globally renowned, award-winning Los Tucanes de Tijuana are firmly rooted in the Mexican norteño tradition. Despite playing and writing many kinds of songs, they are best known for original narcorridos, celebrating the lives and exploits of outlaws and drug lords. Since 1988′s 14 Corrido Picudos (El Benefactor de Colima), narcocorridos have been their stock in trade. Los Tucanes have issued more than 60 albums and 75 singles, resulting in sales of more than 15 million records, many of them certified gold, platinum, or multi-platinum. Among their best-known outings are 1995′s classic Mundo de Amor, 2007′s El Papa de Los Pollitos, and 2010′s La Arbol. Before the latter’s release, they were banned from playing their Baja, California hometown after paying homage to a cartel kingpin during a concert. Interestingly, they became the first norteño group to play the Coachella Festival the same year. 2014′s Corridos Time: Temporada 1 (Soy Parrandero) peaked at number one on the Mexican Regional and Top Latin albums charts, landed well inside the Top 200, and was certified platinum. A second volume appeared in 2016 and also charted. In 2021 Los Tucanes de Tijuana issued the four-disc career retrospective Antologia Musical.
Los Tucanes de Tijuana were formed by vocalist/guitarist Mario Quintero Lara (the band’s only constant member), vocalist/accordionist Joel Higuera, drummer David Servin, and bassist Mario Moreno. The quartet began recording and soon signed a contract with Alacran Records, which released 14 Tucanazos Bien Pesados and Mundo de Amor in 1995. The albums fared so well that Los Tucanes de Tijuana earned a contract with EMI Latin. The group has also recorded for Unisono and Cintas Acuario, releasing Amor Platonico in 1998; their Nuestras Primeras Canciones, Vol. 1 collection appeared the same year, as did Los Más Buscados. Me Gusta Burlar la Ley was issued in September 2000. Mi Gusta Vivir de Noche followed on Universal Latino later that fall.
Claves, Masacres y Fugas and Mission Especial were both released in early 2001. Relentlessly prolific, the band released some 50 albums and compilations in the next dozen years, including four, Romance Norteño, Para Tucancillos y Tucancillas, Me Gusta la Banda, and Corridos a Quema Ropa, early in 2013.
The following year, the group issued Corridos Time, Temporada 1: Soy a Parrandero, that included various narcocorridos including “El Comandante Metro 3” (about late Gulf Cartel drug lord Samuel Flores Borrego), “Julián Pérez” (recounting the story from the 2011 film Solvando de Soldado Perez), and “El Shaka” (the theme from the popular Mexican television series of the same name). The set placed high on airplay charts and did well in sales, landing inside the Top 200. They group also released a compilation of love songs in 2014 entitled Perdóname Mi Amor.
After touring for most of 2015, Los Tucanes de Tijuana issued the singles “Pinta de Magnate” and “Clave Z40″ at the beginning of the following year. The subsequent album, Corridos Time, Season Two: Los Implacables, was released in March on Fonovisia. Though they continued to tour relentlessly, personnel changes made it difficult to record. In 2021, Los Tucanes de Tijuana released their four-disc career retrospective Antologia Musical. ~ John Bush & Thom Jurek