One of their most daring songs is called “José Peréz León,” a corrido about a young man that suffocates inside a truck as he attempts to cross from Mexico into the U.S. The song references the 2003 case where 16 immigrants suffocated inside a truck in Texas, something that continues to happen on a day-to-day basis to many immigrants that attempt to cross the border.
In “La Bala” (The Bullet), they address the tragedy of the many Latino and African-American neighborhoods that are affected by drug-related gang violence. They even talk about “Las Mujeres de Juárez,” which criticizes how the government and police have covered up the brutal murders of over 300 women in the border city of Ciudad Juárez.
The “Jalua de Oro” talks about life in a “golden cage” representing all of those children of immigrants that enjoy the luxuries of living in the U.S. and often forget their culture, language, and where they came from.
“Maybe a song can’t resolve a problem, but you can at least let people know about what’s not being done. More people will listen to a song than will read a newspaper,” says Hernández.
“I like the stories,” says bandleader Jorge Hernández. “Whether the protagonist is good or bad, it speaks the truth. It has character, strength.”
They’ve even joined forces with rock group, Maná to sing about the power of the Latino vote in the upcoming 2016 US election. People react to their songs because they talk about issues that no one dares to talk openly about. At the same time, it has brought people together, bringing awareness to the issues that really matter.
