San Jose’s own Los Tigres del Norte—doing a hometown show Feb. 15 at the SAP Center—are a major force in the Spanish-speaking musical world. From a 1965 beginning in Sinaloa, where Jorge Hernández founded the group, the band has combined traditional Mexican musical textures with relatable and modern lyrics.
The band’s distinctive corridos and romantic tales are showcased throughout its deep catalog, numbering more than 50 albums and garnering seven Grammys and a dozen Latin Grammys. And the band’s lyrics don’t shy away from controversy: narcocorridos about the lives and exploits of figures like Pablo “El Jefe” Escobar have set the group apart from other modern-day norteño artists.
Los Tigres del Norte has always been about more than just making music that sounds good. “We represent all the paisanos who came along into the U.S.,” says guitar and bajo sexto player Luis Hernández. But the group also makes music for a newer generation that is inevitably less attached to its cultural roots. “We’re very lucky to be surrounded by people who really understand what we’re trying to do with our music,” he says.
Balancing tradition and modernity is a key to the band’s enduring success. “The lyrics make that happen,” Hernández says. “We know what problems the community has; they come to us and talk about what’s going on.” That real-world knowledge comes out in the group’s songs. “When you have those kinds of lyrics and adapt them to your musical style, it’s difficult to sound old-fashioned,” he says.
While the group plays instruments associated with the regional music of Mexico, Los Tigres del Norte seamlessly integrates modern elements like electric bass and drums as well. “We try to implement new sounds, but we always try to respect the music,” Hernández says. “We say that it’s a tradition for Los Tigres to have its own special sound; when people hear a song, they know that it’s their Los Tigres.”
Save for a holiday single, “Un Cuento De Navidad,” the group’s most recent release is the 2024 EP Aquí Mando Yo. That title translates as “I’m in Charge Here,” and the song celebrates Los Tigres del Norte’s place in the music world. One interpretation of the lyrics is that they suggest the group doesn’t always get the recognition it deserves.
But Luis Hernández doesn’t agree with that take. “It’s up to us to [earn] the credit and make a statement,” he says. “We’ve been working for a long time, and we’ve been trying to make a difference. Not only in the U.S., but wherever we go.”
When necessary, the group’s voice extends beyond music. Amid the current divisive political climate in the U.S., Los Tigres del Norte were among prominent signatories to an October 2024 open letter titled “Enough is Enough.” That letter—signed also by Paquita la del Barrio, Alejandro Fernández, Maná, Chiquis Rivera and 20-plus other Latin artists—took a strong stand against then-candidate Donald Trump’s stridently anti-immigrant rhetoric.
“It’s very important for us right now to go out and give the message,” Hernández says. “We want to let the people know who we are and where we’re coming from.” He says that Los Tigres del Norte’s social responsibility grows “every year, every month, every minute. People see us as an example of success because we’re family, because we came to the U.S. and worked hard.”
Hernández says that his group endeavors to make each song a statement, and to back up those statements with involvement. “Sometimes we don’t like to talk about it, but we’re always working with our community,” he says.
Open letters notwithstanding, the group’s commitment to the Mexican American diaspora and the wider Latin community manifests itself most visibly in the music. And Hernández says that listeners can look forward to more pointed social commentary in Los Tigres del Norte’s songs.
“I cannot predict when it’s going to happen, but I’m pretty sure that something [along those lines] is going to come out,” he says, noting that while the U.S. is only days into the new presidential administration, “we’re seeing a lot of [bad] things happening already.”
Hernández emphasizes that his group believes artists need to speak out on issues that are important to their constituency, even if doing so puts them at risk. “We’re very aware of what can happen,” he says.
“I think it’s very unfair for someone to say that [immigrants] are doing something wrong to this country,” he says. “So we’re gonna have to make a statement at some point.” And when they do, it’s all but guaranteed that the traditional musical values that inspired the group will accompany those pointed lyrics.
Los Tigres del Norte play at 8pm on Feb 15 at the SAP Center in San Jose. Tickets: $154.44+.
