Joseph, you know what, our next icons really got.
Me thinking, like deep thinking. Uh oh, I know it's never a good thing, never a good thing.
Okay, so here's the deal.
We have covered family bands, I think just one other time on becoming an icon, right.
M kids aka Selena elsnos, but most people have played just for Selena.
Let's be real.
But our next icons that we're about to talk about are a true group act, which kind of makes me wonder if you had to start a family band with your siblings because you've got a lot or maybe your cousins, so I know you have a lot of those two who is making the band?
Oh my god? You know what? Can I pick my extended family?
Because my brothers' way like they're not going to be able to I think I would be a one man show?
Or can I pick you? You would be good at drugs? Who would be yours? I'm curious?
Okay, my brother is definitely not in the band. He cannot carry you to and he cannot play an instrument, Like he's not he could be like the tour manager, right, like he'd be really really good at that. First of all, if I'm starting a band, my mom is one of nine, which means that I have six fias that are all crazy. I am putting all the theas in my band.
Okay, wait, hold on, that's good.
Wait, but what kind of music are you guys going to play?
Goombias av Okay, we're going to do some bombas.
We might do like some corridos. I don't know, but probably just a lot of kubias like oh like what they like to lance to, how they get turned up at the Kingses.
Oh god, oh god, I love that.
If Santiago gets into his teen year okay and he decides that he wants to be a pop star. By the way, check my instagram because he was singing Sabrina Carpenter's Espresso and it was so cute. Point is, if he does take the stage as a superstar, then you know you're doing his glam Oh.
Wait wait wait, honey, I already started on those palants since he was born. Honey, I'm ready to hit the road.
Jack.
We are going on tour, y'all in twenty fifty, okay, but today we are going to take you back in time with some genuine, genuine heroes, especially folk heroes. When it comes to Spanish music, and that is all about Los gres.
Ver Noejorque, Ernand Eduardo Luis and cousin Oscar.
Five icons for the price of one.
We're so budget friendly, I know.
Now.
Los Vegas are beloved by Mexicanos all over the world, even non Mexicanos.
Let's be honest.
Okay, they're part of that same generation as the icon who kicked off the season of becoming an icon, Juan Gabrielle, and like him, their rags to riches story is like the stuff of legends. It's inspiring, it's irresistible, and we cannot wait to share it with you.
Okay, it's true, but hold on, it's minus the looks of Hongi's let's.
Not okay, but sometimes their suits do pop off when they add a little colore. Okay, But the point is their story is truly the stuff of music industry fairy tales.
Mm hmm. It's got everything.
A magical childhood, a tragic accident that sends the kids on the road, a big break, an agent with a hidden agenda who threatens to ruin everything, disapproving authorities, and millions of adoring fans like us.
It kind of sounds a little bit like a made for TV movie like maybe on Netflix. I don't know which, by the way, is appropriate, because their songs have even inspired Beelen novelas and countless.
Films, no less than forty movies, get that, ip Pigres.
They are the biggest performers of Corrido's on planet Earth. Punto don't come at me with this like zoomer stuff like punto okay, And they helped transform the genre of a relic of yesterday to a vital piece of migrant culture.
And from day one they've stuck up for the little guy and.
It takes one to no one boo.
Los Digres started from nath and their story itself is kind of like a Corrido MM.
And that's why we're wearing matching suits to my listeners can't see. Also, this tub talk doesn't really fit me, y'all.
You're really missing out because Joseph in a smarge tube top is a site to behold.
I'm your host, Lillianavoska.
And I'm Joseph Carrio and this is becoming an.
Icon weekly podcast where we give you the rundown on how today's most famous.
Latin V stars have shaped pop culture.
And given the world some extra couple.
Sit back and get comfortable.
Because we are going in the only way we know how with Buena vis When Lisas.
And a lot of opinions as we relive their greatest achievements on our journey to find out what makes them still iconic. Before we wisk your way to Los Digre's hometown in Sinaloa, Mexico, let's meet the band. And while members have come and gone over the years, the original OG band was a group of four boys.
Oh shit, this is going to be like an astrology lightning round. Hold up, I got to get the essential oils.
Okay. Are your chakras all lined up like.
They're waiting for example sale? All right? Hitting Okay, So.
Let's start with the oldest head, nandas brother, which would be now he was going to become the head of the band, lead vocalist, the accordion player Avvy and his birthday is August seventh, nineteen forty nine.
Oh whoa, whoa, whoa. Okay, So this is a Leo Sun Aquarius moon. It's giving natural leader and a showman ambisious determine self assured, yet unconventional and eccentric. Big main character energy but with a strong sense of responsibility, especially towards children or mayhaps younger siblings.
Okay, thank you.
Next Okay, then there's Raoul Hernandez, a company vocalist and bajo sextel player. Now, he was born sometime in late March, but for some weird reason, his birthday isn't listed anywhere on the Internet, which, by the way, like send me the people that can scrub your birthday from the World Wide Web. But apparently there is a video of his seventieth birthday party that was posted on March twenty eighth.
So you do the mathay, investigative journalism at its finest. You're welcome.
Okay, I'm going to go with the aris son. So that's a little headstrong, bold and direct.
Interesting since he would end up going solo in the nineties.
Oh, Spicy could be a Gemini moon wanting to try something new, or a Leo moon looking for some more creative glory, or maybe a Scorpio moon embracing change in confronting the self.
But hey, we're just speculating. Next.
Next, El Primo cousin Oscar the drummer, because of course, the cousin is always the drummer.
I was going to ask you to be our drummer, I.
Mean drummers, by the way, very important role in the band.
Okay.
Now he was born May twenty seventh, nineteen fifty.
Okay, Gemini's son Libra Moon. Curious and sociable. He's a jack of all trades, but that sense of balance keeps him from being a master of none. All right, boo, bring us home?
Okay, Last, but not Lesvana the baby brother ed Nan Ernandez, bass player and a companying vocalist, born nearly nine years after the eldes nandas brother on June twenty second, nineteen fifty eight.
A cancer sun and virgo moon Ednancito lives in his feelings introverted to a fault and a bit critical, but he's a realist who supports his loved ones. I love a cancer okay.
So how does that all add up?
You know what?
It doesn't. But it's family, okay.
I mean, there has never been a truer statement told. It's so true, it doesn't make sense, it doesn't add up. We don't know how it works, right, And by the way, do I need to pay you a bonus for all those readings?
I literally feel like I just did a face off on an astrological family feud, like I'm on a sky high vibration.
Somebody gave me my weed pin.
Oh okay, let's slow things down a little bit.
Okay, I'm going to take you on a little trip back in time across the border to a little town in Sinela, Mexico named Rosa Morada.
Hmmsda. Sounds like a place for a retreat.
Yeah, probably not quite, because this is a town with a population in the hundreds, hundreds, hundreds.
Like, Okay, we're gonna keep this retreat real short.
Yes, but don't forget.
We are going to take in the sites because Rosa Morada is marked by miles of ranches back dropped by gorgeous, rolling, distant hills.
Okay, Julie Andrews are there?
Sounds thank god, we're an audio format, right, Okay, I'm gonna let.
Hernandez tell you about it. Here's what he said.
In the ranch, there was nothing. You wake up in the morning and all you hear are the little birds, doves, sparrows, cardinals. I found it very curious when the birds started singing all at the same time. I thought it was marvelous. I used to imitate little birds. That's how you start to learn music through sounds. I understood it after I was taught the musical notes from the birds trills.
Okay, now it's giving snow white, like did these birds help them get dressed?
I think you're confusing that with Cinderella, and no, not quite and as idyllic as we're making ros somewhat out of sound. It's not to say that things were perfect. This is still rural farm country in Mexico, Like.
There are more cows than there are people, farm country.
Bingo, And when there's more cows than people, families end up using the kids as farm hands, the Ernandas boys. Dad used to tell them school comes first, but we also have to work. So after class, the boys went straight to the tomato fields. Then they'd come home.
And play literally with what energy? I mean?
I asked myself the same thing.
But like kiddos literally run on fumes, like they don't need sleep, they don't need food, They just.
Have kid energy.
I love you, Santhia.
Okay, So none of this boys worked and played hard, but they didn't just learn music from the birds like a Disney movie.
No, they didn't.
You can imagine these kids didn't have any money to buy instruments, so it was the cousins who came through. One cousin, Jose Angulo, bought Forrge his first guitar, and another cousin, Jove, taught him his first guitar chords.
Damn. The only thing my cousins ever taught me was how to flip someone off.
That's, by the way. The only thing my cousins ever taught me was how to chug a sema and not vomit.
Ooh you no, no, no, no no.
You don't want to chug a zema a zima wine clothes?
You know I did. I used to. I used to witch all rangers.
This is why you don't need brothers and sisters, because the cousins are up to no good. All right, but I will say what you were taught.
Joseph, who does come in handy on a playground, It does anyway, with holdhands learning his way around the sixth string, the other Nanes brothers Raoulin or Nunn started to sing with him just for fun, and Joseph, you just might know what kind of music they were playing?
Who me? Yes you.
Let's flash back quickly to our very first Selena episode. The melodies and vocal sensibilities of the Hannel drew from generations of farmhands who enjoyed the songs of traveling musicians.
Oh okay, I see. All I needed was to know where I fit in the story.
You're the wandering musician in my past life.
Yeah.
Do you think that we played together in that way, like maybe I was your accompanist, you.
Were one hundred percent and you followed me around with an accordion. Yes?
Yes, So basically you and I invented the Hannel music.
You're welcome.
You are welcome people.
Okay, damn, I didn't know we were doing past life aggressions on this retreat.
I had to book this way in advance.
You literally do so much for us.
Listen. I am a working mom. I can handle it all.
Okay.
So no Mexican music or came from generations of traveling musicians singing songs that told stories AKA us and our pastors.
And the Hano music, which we learned about from Selena is kind of just an evolution of Northeno music.
Which means the poka, accordion and guitars are all there, but none of these boys are A long way from Texas. So they're not hearing American rock like Selena's dad did, No, sir, these.
Kids are growing up hearing traditional music at Fiesta del Pueblo, like gatherings when like the whole town would gather up and turn up.
Come on, Rosa Morada. I know they know how to turn up.
Uh huh, Mexicanos, we know how to do that shit, right.
I knew the whole town was getting the kids up on stage to play facts and music was just a part of life for the boys. It was their role within the community.
Hey, when there's more cows than people, community is lital really all you have. But honestly, I'm loving it, Like maybe this is my trackwive.
Season, I kind of love that for you. But as we know, the Ananda's brothers wouldn't stay in Rosamada forever, and unfortunately the thing that would pull them away, No, don't say it would be tragedy.
This big tragedy always crashing my fiestablo.
Well, actually that's literally what happened the Ananda. This boy's father, Don Eduardo, was something of a volunteer sheriff and Rosa Morad that was you know, the boonies and in Mexico, it means you don't have federal officers for better or for worse.
Well, in this case, it was for worse.
One night, Don Eduardo was checking in on a Fiesta del pueblo, just like the ones his kids would play music at, when he noticed an argument escalating between a few party goers.
Uh oh, and Big Don, being the sheriff, had to go break it up.
Yeah, so he approaches them and without warning, guns are drawn, shots are fired, and Don Eduardo is hit in the spinal cort. He makes that alive, but he's immobilized and a full recovery requires an operation that costs ten thousand bassos, which might not sound like much, but remember this is a small family of farmers in Sineloa.
Yeah, so basically it's like a good jillion dollars.
And with Don d Wado in his condition, Jorg who's still a minor, becomes head of the family, and as head of the family, he makes a decision. They're going to leave town and or money as musicians to save up enough money to pay for their dad's recovery. Wait, what, Joseph, can you imagine being twelve years old your father has just been shot in the spine, and now you have to leave home to make money to make sure.
That he gets the care that he needs.
I mean that is a massive amount of weight for anyone, let alone a tween.
That is a start to a really good novella.
Whatever we make of their sense of judgment. And remember all of them are under age at this point.
I was about to say they're like kids.
They're literally kids making very adult decisions. We know it was going to turn out for the better, but it would just take a while. And their first up on the road Mexicali, capital of Baja California, home to farmers and factory workers.
We're knocking on doors of bars and restaurants, begging them to let us play. It's giving a little bit of Selena and her siblings and a little bit of Santana and his dad.
Wait, with one obvious difference.
Hello, there's no Abraham Pintania here calling the shots being all Abraham right. And it's not Carlos Santana getting dragged to the red light district by his dad.
Jorge, Ernan, Raoul and cousin Oscar were in a new city all on their own as kids. I mean, these boys had never left Rossa, Murada before.
Okay, it's almost a little home alone too, but without rich daddy's credit card. You know, these kids are out here fending for themselves, and little Jorgie has to fill their dad's shoes. But at least they like to play music together.
Okay, right, and the Hernandez boys weren't unoscomemierdas. I mean, they were all serious about helping their dad. They hustled hard, and they love those cash tips, girl fan. They would save up that chip money and rush to the telegraph office every week to send it back to their family in Drosamorada.
Soon enough they didn't have to bang on doors anymore.
They had a rotation, a reputation, and a band name Lost Chiwawa.
I mean it's a little long, kind of a mouthful. I think we could workshop it a little bit.
Yeah, it doesn't quite hit like Los Thiga is. But the new name was.
Honest, along with a very unique opportunity.
One fateful day in nineteen sixty eight, the boys went to the telegraph office like us, and there they would.
Meet my Stroleo Nides.
Isn't that the kind of name that needs a drum roll?
Literally, El Maestro was a local fixture in Mexicali.
He was one of those guys that had the tea on every building on every block in town, who lived there and when, who got married at were church?
Who cheated on who with who?
And per his nickname.
He was a music enthusiast who helped write a local column about Mexican classical music. And when he met the then Northaniels the Chihuahua, he offered them a record. You m no more like a once in a lifetime opportunity to travel to play a single then mile celebration show at Solidad Prison in sunny San Jose, California.
Wow, Okay, no disrespect to Almeestro, but this is beyond.
Thus I mean correct right like growing up in the eighties, I mean I am screaming stranger danger, like an old strange man wants to send you across the border to a prison to play music, and.
They said yes, Like where is the kid's father? Oh way, just kim.
It's definitely the first time in the story where I'm like, oh yeah, these are little boys.
And I should add this show was for free. There was no payment.
We should say this again for the listeners always read your contracts, Nikki Jam.
We should also probably mention that in January of that year, Johnny Cash had played his two legendary shows at fulsome prison in California, So maybe this was inspired by.
That Johnny Cash. It's the same difference.
No, I'm just trying to give you context, okay, like you are learning all about history of rock music Northaniel, Like we're giving it all to you, okay. We are equal opportunity to share ers of musical knowledge. Either way, this was an opportunity to make themselves known in Gringo Landia. So they packed up and headed for California, and it was there at the border office where, of all people, a relentlessly chatty immigration officer gave the band their name.
Hey, whatever gets you over that line?
Nihak For real, though, this border officer looked them up and down and says, say, what's a few youngsters like you doing crossing the.
Border playing music?
Ugh?
Oh just ugh ugh I know right, And then he like say, you know what you should call yourself? The Little Tigers of the North.
Sure I won't have enough strive here.
I mean I just need this banda stop, like, please stop talking to me, right, So the boys are there waiting for this rando to give them their papers and the green stamp, but the guy just keeps brainstorming their band name out loud. Again, no one asked him for his opinion, and when he realizes that these boys are eventually going to grow up to be men, he decides to drop the little from the Tigers.
Thus los Figres del Norte.
I love, But Sarah calls, whatever you want, just let us cross the border up in this.
And listeners, what Joseph just said is a direct quote.
We put up with so much. So the newly christened Norte finally get to San Jose and.
They play a few shows there in anticipation of the big show at Sonadad Prison. Then the big day comes. The boys arrive and.
No ones home.
All the other musicians who had come to play are gone vanished, and the promoter who accompanied them across the border and helped organize the show is also nowhere to be found. These boys are all alone in San Jose.
I think this is a recurring nightmare I used to have, Like I get my biggest client ever and then when I show up to the job, they're like, oh, I'm sorry, sweetie, you're here for who.
Wait, by the way, this is so off topic, but who is your dream client?
Like?
Cool? Is that Kate Planchet? I know, I just love her and her skin.
I just want to stick my fingers in her mouth because she so her skin is so supple, and I just want to, like, I don't know, she's so gorgeous.
Also, your style and aesthetic really vibes because she's so minimal and just naturally gorgeous, and you are all about really like minimal beautiful, like letting people's features and skin be the hero.
Not the makeup.
I want to look like her.
Let's manifest it, like, let's let's make it happen. Okay, sorry, guys, back to Los Vegos. Okay, So to this day, Los Digos still don't actually know what happened. It's a genuine mystery. So iHeart, if you're listening and you want to make a little like mystery show about music, can we make.
A podcast about what? Yes, let us hold that faithful day at the prison?
Oh my god, yes, let us host it. We could totally solve this mystery.
Me and you, I mean I am basically FBI like, don't cross me, don't try to hide shit from me, like I will find you, I will track you, I will use all the computer programs like I have my ways.
I love that. So Los Digaas found themselves more than a thousand miles away from their hometown of Rossamorada, with nothing to their name but their clothes, instruments, and savings. So like, how could anything get worse?
I have an idea. How about their passports go missing?
Shut your button? This is like the se about losing your purse.
Ah okay, So here's what's happening. You are an immigrant, a stranger in a stranger land, and in the blink of an eye, your one legal lifeline is missing.
So the boys suddenly find themselves seen Babels La Mia right around the corner, like cut down.
I have to say, I know this happened a long time ago, but this feeling of like not having your paper as you brought bell as your shit in order, like very present today for so many people. Like yeah, it's not a feeling that goes away, Like by the way, I'm a US citizen and like if I misplaced my passport or if I am going to cross into Mexico, like I've crossed in you know, through d Wana, because it's close to here.
It's I still am like.
Oh my god, doesn't it feel so scary.
I'm like, are they gonna let me back? I feel like I'm going to go to jail.
Yeah, I feel like I'm just gonna be stuck and I'm going to jail randomly, Like I don't know why I would go to jail.
I just don't have a passport.
Because you just feel guilty, Like you just feel like, oh my god, what if they don't let me, Like when I cross over, like at an airport, or at any any checkpoint, any immigration checkpoint, Like when I see immigration, I'm scared, Like I don't feel I can be holding my passport and I'm still nervous.
Oh my god, we're programmed.
This is the sad part, right, So imagine this at like ten, twelve, fourteen, sixteen years old.
Yeah, trauma.
But fortunately for Losgees, an immigrant family took pity on them and offered them lodging in their home. So the boys went back to playing bars and restaurants, A.
Dollar here, a quartered there, whatever they could manage for Poppy's surgery. They were on borrow time, and they stayed on their grind.
Jote worked as a janitor at San Jose State University and took English classes, while the rest of the boys worked as gardeners. But as fate would have it, yet another mysterious stranger would show up, and this one would eventually turn things around for Los Theiites.
The same year they were ghosted at solad that prison.
Wait ghosted at sold a Prism. That's to relea my debut country on them.
Losgas de Norte, who are now between the ages of ten and fifteen, find themselves singing on a local San Jose rai And.
As we've learned this season, radio in the fifties and sixties is legit magic. Putting your voice on the airwaves is basically like putting your intentions out in the universe.
Just supercharged, and the airwaves carried Los thegis music to the ears of someone very unexpected, an expat from Manchester, England who did not speak a word of Spanish but was fascinated by the Northeno sound of Los Figras.
His name was Artwalker, but Los Figos like to call him Arturo Kaminante.
Oh cute, okay, so Arturo walks up to them and says, hey, kids, I've got a record company and I'm going to up your game.
And even though this sounds like an Amber alert way to happen, it does turn out that Arthudle's got the guds.
I think of all the episodes we've done, this is the one that you should absolutely make sure Santi does not listen to.
I mean, I just finished watching the Nickelodeon documentary. Like I can tell you this, my child is not going anywhere near the entertainment industry, okay, and my child is never going to think that they need the help of a strange British Man to make it in any bus but definitely not the music business. All right, Now, here's the calasting question for you, because this is my favorite part of our fake production company. Who should we cast to play the strange British man in the Los Fgos biopic.
I'm just gonna say, honestly, Hugh Grant, because he is just the quintessential British guy that we all need in our lives.
Okay.
So Hugh Grant delivers on his promise and he buys Los Figas all new instruments, gets them studio time and Bam.
They record their first.
Album MMMA like ra mora misicos, which can we talk about the title for the love of My children like they were little boys.
Yeah, they were singing the gorridles that they knew from home. And we're gonna get into the history of goridos next episode, because it's obviously an ex loastive genre and music right now and we want to get into the details.
But again next episode. For now, let's just go back to the boys.
Let's just say that the boy's sound was fresh, but still unpolished, and success did not come quickly.
So the boy's life in Drossa, Morada was go to school, pick tomatoes, play music. Now in San Jose it looked pretty much the same, only Jorgia had to clean toilets and learn English and sometimes they sing in the studio.
These boys would record four consecutive albums under the wing of Arturo Caminante, but as I entered the nineteen seventies, they weren't getting much traction and they started to think about calling it quits.
But when Sennor Caminante heard this, he pulled the fire alarm and reorganized the band. All the boys switched instruments, except.
Then they added a saxophone player.
Named lube Oibo, who had a distinctly Northeniel playing style that gave the thiga sound a little extra heat.
By this point, Jorgio was now a grown up and officially the band leader, so art Walker took him to US Angeles to meet with a promising songwriter named Angel Gonzalez.
And this is the songwriter who would show Jorgia the tune that would propel Los Figris to heights.
They've never even dreamed of.
Wait, can I do it?
Of course?
Boo, that's next time on becoming an Icon.
On the next Becoming an Icon, Contrabando Ytracion finally launches Los Figras career along with the Narco Corridon. Becoming an Icon is presented by Sonoro and Iheart's Michael Gurda podcast network. Listen to Becoming an Icon on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts.