Out now through Nacional Records, the Los Tigres del Norte heirs, Raul and Mexia, debut Arriba y Lejos, an eclectic album that mashes traditional Mexican music with modern sounds.
As the sons of legendary Los Tigres del Norte vocalist and bassist Hernan Hernandez, the brothers grew up with music from Ramon Ayala, Los Caminantes, and Los Tigres del Norte, of course. Within their circle of friends, however, the popular American artists of choice were James Brown, Michael Jackson, and Justin Timberlake.
So it’s no surprise that their debut album, Arriba y Lejos, be a mirror image of that unique identity. The album presents the duo as a project that embraces hip-hop, cumbia, Latin music, electronica, and—staying true to their Los Tigres del Norte lineage, traditional accordion sounds. Mexican DJ and producer Toy Selectah, who produced 3BallMTY’s hit Inténtalo album, also produced “Las Escondidas”, the first single from Arriba y Lejos.
“I was a fan before I became his friend,” said Mexia, remembering the various times he attended one of Toy Selectah’s shows whenever he played the San Jose area. “He’s that guy that bridges all types of music together. And that was very important to us in a producer because it’s exactly who we are as artists and as individuals.”
Like many new generation American Latinos living a bicultural, bilingual lifestyle, Raul Y Mexia are finding the uniqueness of having one foot in their parent’s native country and the other firmly planted in U.S. soil. According to Mexia, their sound is a direct result of their bicultural lifestyle. “We say the pledge of allegiance to the US flag just as proudly as we recite the Mexican national anthem. The same goes for our music.”
According to the group, the timing couldn’t be better for their debut. Now more than ever, the Hispanic voice is considered a force strong enough to create change in the United States and is quickly shaping the face of the new America. “Now is the perfect time to not hide who you really are,” said Raul. “For all those kids that feel they’re not American enough in the US and not Hispanic enough in their parent’s country, now is the time to use that individuality to their advantage. That’s what we’re doing with our lives and what you can hear in our music.”
Raul Y Mexia on Twitter: @MexiaMusic
