La Trakalosa De Monterrey

Though its name is associated with a city in Nuevo Leon, Banda La Trakalosa de Monterrey is a large, 18-member ensemble whose members come from all over northern Mexico. They perform a diverse, modern blend of music that ranges from traditional banda, and alternative corridos to romantic rancheras and norteño songs done in the alterna movimiento style.

Banda La Trakalosa was founded by Edwin Luna — a professional musician since the age of 15 who'd played with everyone from Cadereyta's Don Arsenio Jimenez and Banda Sinaloa to Virgilio Canales y Liberacion and the Piricuaco Band.

After an invitation by former members of La Real Banda Chilera to create a new band, Luna formed the first version of his group, Banda la Escandalosa, in 2010. In October, he was signed to Remex Music. He suffered a setback in March of 2011 when half of his group's members quit to form another ensemble. Undaunted, he hired musicians from Sonora, Oaxaca, Jalisco, Guanajuato, and Monterrey.

The new unit, renamed Banda La Trakalosa, cut its first single for Remex, "Después de Ti No Hay Nada." It was issued in June and hit the Top 20 on various Mexican Radio charts. Their second single, "San Lunes," appeared in November and showcased a more distinct Monterrey flavor. It not only placed number one on Northern Mexico's radio charts, but received airplay throughout the country and in the Southwestern United States. Banda La Trakalosa also backed El Pelon del Mikrophone's on his smash hit dance number "La Cumbia Tribalera."

In early 2012, Banda La Trakalosa cut a cover of Salvador Aponte's "Doble Vida," released within a month of the composer's own. Both versions rocketed to the top of the charts. Banda La Trakalosa released a compilation album later that year of the same title, which included all of their singles, a new one entitled "Concha del Alma," and a few fan favorites.

Banda La Trakalosa issued a pre-release single, "Un Par de Cerdos," as a preview for their proper studio debut, De Monterrey a Sinaloa, in 2013. Between radio play and internet and television video views, the band not only reached the charts and received massive airplay, but began touring far and wide across Mexico and into the United States.

A follow-up album, La Banda Grande de la Sultana, appeared in early 2014, followed a collaborative remix collection of hits (Reto de Exitos ReMex) split with Tierra Sagrada. Both albums placed high on Mexican Regional charts in print, on the internet, and at radio.