Los Tigres del Norte

Los Tigres del Norte were a popular Norteño band that found success singing corridos about the Mexican cross-border drug trade. The group was started by Jorge Hernandez, his brothers, and his cousins who began recording after moving to San Jose, California in the late 1960s. After getting permission to record a song they heard played by a Los Angeles mariachi band about a pair of famous drug runners, Los Tigres del Norte released "Contrabando y traición" ("Contraband and Betrayal") in 1974. The song was a hit on both sides of the border, even inspiring a series of movies, and kicked off one of the most remarkable careers in Spanish-language music. Many of their most popular songs consist of tales about life, love, and the struggle to survive in an imperfect world. In 2013, Los Tigres del Norte played at an immigration reform rally on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. where the band was introduced by U.S. Senator Nancy Pelosi (D-California). Los Tigres del Norte released the album "Realidades" in 2014, which included the song Era Diferente about a lesbian teenager who falls in love with her best friend. The band received the Special Recognition Award at the 26th annual GLAAD Media Awards in 2015 for their bold choice to record a song dealing with gay issues. The band ranked at number 15 in the list for "The 30 Most Influential Latin Artists of All Time" by Billboard magazine.