Listos, Montados y Armados

If a regional Mexican group has "de Durango" or "del Pasito Duranguense" in its name, that doesn't necessarily mean that the group is actually based in the Mexican state of Durango (or anywhere else in Mexico, for that matter). The group might actually be based somewhere in the United States, in which case the "de Durango" part becomes a stylistic reference rather than a reference to actual location; in fact, Chicago (the duranguense capital of the U.S.) has been the home of Grupo Montéz de Durango, los Horóscopos de Durango, K-Paz de la Sierra and many other duranguense acts. Another Chicago-based duranguense act is los Creadorez del Pasito Duranguense de Alfredo Ramirez, which is an offshoot of the popular Grupo Montéz de Durango. The fact that Listos, Montados y Armados is very Montéz-influenced isn't surprising when you consider that several ex-members of Montéz, including lead singer Alfredo Ramirez, are part of los Creadorez. There has been some debate among duranguense fans over whether los Creadorez or the band that is still billing itself as Grupo Montéz de Durango is the stronger band; suffice it to say that this 2008 release is a solid example of the bouncy duranguense style. Under Ramirez' direction, los Creadorez deliver infectious, addictive duranguense on energetic offerings such as "Mi Durango Bonito," "El Chilito Pasao" and "Si Yo Fuera Otro." Two Marco Antonio Solís songs are successfully given duranguense makeovers ("Este Adios," "Desde Entonces"), and Ramirez' melancholy "Voy a Llorar por Tu Ausencia" unites duranguense's rhythmic bounce with a classic ranchera mood. Meanwhile, "El Collar de Guamuchil," "El Moro de Cumpas" and "El Cuerno de Chivo" underscore los Creadorez' proficiency with corridos (which, thankfully, have maintained their popularity in regional Mexican music after all these years). This consistently appealing effort can only help Chicago maintain its reputation as the duranguense capital of los Estados Unidos.