Puros Corridos de Herencia

Regional Mexican music has evolved considerably over the years, but one thing that hasn't changed is the popularity of corridos — which were big during the 19th century and were still big in the late 2000s. Numerous corridos were written during the Mexican Revolution of 1910-1921, and major norteño stars like Los Tucanes de Tijuana, Grupo Exterminador, and Los Tigres del Norte continued to make corridos a high priority in the 21st century. Corridos were around long before the advent of norteño music, but norteño has evolved into the most corrido-friendly area of regional Mexican music — and corridos are the main focus of this 2008 release by Los Titanes del Norte. Puros Corridos de Herencia is not pop-drenched grupero or tejano music; this is hardcore norteño, and the influence of Los Tigres del Norte is quite strong on corridos like "La Sombra del Mojado," "El Mas Valiente," "José Agraciano," and "Los Cuatro Amigos" (all of which were written by Los Titanes' Gerardo Dorantez). This 44-minute CD makes it clear that the members of Los Titanes have spent a lot of time savoring famous Tigres corridos such as "Contrabando y Traición" and "La Reina del Sur." For those who don't speak Spanish at all, Puros Corridos de Herencia might sound very predictable — every corrido on this album is either a polka or a waltz — but those who do speak at least some español will realize that each song tells its own story and that the disc is more predictable musically than it is lyrically. Puros Corridos de Herencia isn't in a class with the best corrido recordings of Los Tigres del Norte, Los Tucanes de Tijuana, or Los Huracanes del Norte, but it's a decent demonstration of what Los Titanes del Norte have to offer in the corrido department.