Las Jilguerillas

By all accounts, the ranchera duo Las Jilguerillas are among Mexico's greatest and most enduring musical treasures. Sisters Imelda and Amparo Higuera, who hail from Michoacan, began singing together as children and were discovered by another famous Mexican duo, Dueto America, comprising Carolina and David Gonzalez. In fact, Las Jilguerillas are considered their successors. For more than 40 years, their music has adhered to strictly rural styles, primarily ranchera, but also banda, son, and corridos, always in rural style. Imelda has been the lead voice accompanied in harmony and duet by Amparo; they have been accompanied by a stellar cast of Mexico's musicians since their earliest recordings, which were produced and arranged by Gilberto Parra, and later by Cornelio Reyna until his death in 1997. They have recorded over 65 records, and toured the world many times. When Imelda died in 2004, she was replaced by Reyna's widow, the great mariachi and ranchera vocalist Mercedes Castro.