Los Cardenales de Nuevo León are a Grammy-winning Mexican norteño group whose distinctive sound based on the bajo sexto and accordion has influenced hundreds of bands within the genre. They emerged in their native Monterrey in 1982, playing at social events. That same year, they released their self-titled debut album, which received enough radio airplay and regional popularity to allow the band to begin touring the area.
In 1987, they signed with the Disa label and released Si Yo Fuera Él (If I Were Him). A year later, the success of La Chuyita earned them their first gold record. In 1990, after hiring Sergio Villarreal as their vocal coach, they released the hit ¿Y Qué Más Da? (And What Else Does It Give?), which spawned four hit singles, including the number one hit, Amor de Unas Horas (Amor de Unas Horas). In 1992, Los Cardenales received the Golden Saguaro award (named after the Arizona state symbol) for their acclaimed performance at the First Norteño Festival in Phoenix, where they played to a crowd of 60,000.
Two years later, the album Compré una Cantina included four more hits; it not only placed near the top of the Latin charts but also achieved double gold status. According to the members themselves, their songs connected with fans because they were romantic without any double entendres. In 1996, they showed another side of their musical personality in Boleros Para Recordar (Boleros Para Recordar), and experimented with cumbias and rancheras in La Fortaleza Está Contigo (The Fortress Is With You). Both albums achieved gold certification.
That formula proved to be a winning one. In 1998, they released Se Quitan el Sombrero (The Hat Is Removed), which ultimately sold hundreds of thousands of copies in Mexico and the United States, cementing Los Cardenales de Nuevo León as a top-tier attraction in both countries. Their growing popularity only fueled their desire to experiment. In 2000, they released "La Cosecha," which included the single "Te Quiero con Locura," a rock ballad that paid homage to the golden age of rock & roll and doo wop.
2002 was a stellar year for Los Cardenales. The release of the unashamedly romantic "Por las Damas" stayed at the top of the radio charts for weeks thanks to the singles "Belleza de Cantina," "Although They Break Your Soul," and "El Castigo." They also recorded the controversial song "El Corrido del Padre Amaro" for the soundtrack of the internationally acclaimed and award-winning film "El Crimen del Padre Amaro." The group opened 2003 with a three-album hits collection, but closed it with a new studio album, "Paso a la Reina," and its title track as a single. The second single, the ranchera "Mi Amante," performed even better on the charts.
Although Los Cardenales recorded over the following years, their catalog during that period consisted primarily of hits compilations and live recordings. They returned with new material in 2007 with El Juramento, a collection of very traditional norteño and ranchera songs, which was well received by fans. Singles like La Última Palabra, Por un Engaño, and En Tu Ventana charted. In 2008, Disa reissued the band's entire catalog, some of which had never been available digitally. This ambitious reissue was launched with the albums Con la Pasión del Corrido (focusing on traditional corridos, without narco themes) and Con Corazón Necio (with mariachi arrangements). Interestingly, the band had already left the label. In 2009, they released A Mis Viejos under Select-O-Hits.
The Nuevo León Cardinals celebrated their 30th anniversary in 2012 by announcing that their founder, Don Cesáreo Sánchez, had secured his vocals. "Chayin" Cesáreo Sánchez Jr. explained that the group's sound was a trademark and that the quality of his lead vocals needed to be maintained. That same year, they released their anniversary album, Desde el Sur Hasta el Norte (From the South to the North), which performed well on the digital charts, as did its follow-up, Que Nadie Sepa (Que Nadie Sepa) in 2014. The Cardinals returned to the studio late the following year to record Hasta Que Amanezca (Until Dawn). The album was released in March 2016 and debuted on the Top Latin Albums chart in the Top 40 in April. ~ Thom Jurek, Rovi