Cross Border Ballads

As new masters of "corrido" music, LAS VOCES DEL RANCHO bring traditional Mexican ballads to a new audience

Mexican traditional music duet Las Voces del Rancho was founded by Mariano Fernandez, from Los Mochis, Sinaloa, and Guadalajara native Edgar Rodriguez. They met while studying at Bell's High School in the Southeastern section of Los Angeles County. After signing with Los Angeles-based Cintas Acuario, Las Voces del Rancho became a household name in the region, and regular airplay helped them climb the charts with hits such as "Se Les Pelo Baltazar" and "Los Dos Amigos." The duo's skyrocketing popularity garnered them a contract with Sony Discos, and later in 2001 they were nominated for a Premio Lo Nuestro Award for "Artista Revelation" (People's Choice Award) in the Regional/Mexican category.

In June 2007 the band released its debut album on the powerhouse label Univision Records. The first and second singles off their Y Sigue La Parranda album were both co-written by Mariano and Edgar. While Mariano and Edgar both sing and play numerous instruments, they are accompanied by a group of young and talented musicians. Rubén Rodriguez plays drums, Donny Robles plays the bass, Berni Morales plays electric guitar and Poncho Morales plays accordion. Las Voces del Rancho have a total of seven albums under their belt and are recognized in the industry for starting a new boom in "corrido" music (narrative ballad), a form of traditional, accordion-and 12-string-guitar-driven Mexican music that has evolved from folkloric story-songs about revolutionary heroes to swaggering love songs and in some cases ballads that glorify the gun-toting border drug trade subculture. Expect to see Las Voces del Rancho on tour this year in the U.S. and Mexico, as well as hear "Un Dia Con Otro," their third single slated for promotional release, early this year.

— Karl Avanzini