Zehavya blog

Veteran group Banda el Recodo still going strong

MIAMI (Billboard) – After more than seven decades in the business, seminal act Banda el Recodo remains one of the top-selling groups in the genre of brass-based Mexican music. Founded in 1938 by Cruz Lizarraga, the band has continued to thrive through the years thanks to Lizarraga's two sons, Joel and Alfonso, who have adapted the traditional banda format to multiple musical styles and contemporary arrangements.

Recodo's hit single "Te Presumo" spent six weeks at No. 1 on Billboard's Hot Latin Songs chart in 2009, the year's longest tenure atop the ranking. The group's latest single, "Dime Que Me Quieres," has just notched its 13th week at No. 1 on the Regional Mexican Airplay chart, the longest run so far this year on that tally.

In a recent interview, Recodo leader Alfonso (Poncho) Lizarraga spoke about the group's continued success on radio.

Billboard: How did you come to record "Dime Que Me Quieres?"

Alfonso (Poncho) Lizarraga: The song was written by two very talented young composers from Sinaloa (Mexico): Miguel Angel Romero and Luciano Luna. We had previously recorded a song by Luciano, and this one hooked me from the start. It was a ballad as opposed to a cumbia (a style of dance music that originated in Colombia). But the album already had all the ballads it needed. So I told my brother, "This song is so good, it would be a waste not to include it. Let's record a cumbia version." Fortunately, it worked. If we'd done it in the original ballad format, it may not have been as successful. Now it's a romantic track, but with a touch of rhythm that allows people to get hooked easily.

Billboard: In general, is the music on Mexican radio stations in the U.S. more danceable right now?

Lizarraga: I think listeners like everything. We've done very well with ballads, but we wanted to offer something new. There are a lot of rhythmic songs on (regional Mexican) radio, but they're kind of novelty, funny songs (like Banda Los Recoditos' "Ando Bien Pedo"). We wanted to do a romantic cumbia -- something that wasn't on the air -- so we could offer something different.

Billboard: Have you ever had a radio hit like this before?

Lizarraga: No, especially when you take into account the number of weeks it's been on the chart and the fact that it's regional Mexican music and banda. It's not easy to achieve this. We have 100 percent support from our label, and we're working together like we haven't in many years.

Billboard: What's coming up next?

Lizarraga: Our new studio album comes out next year. But in October we'll release a live album that will also include two new tracks and songs that have to do with (Mexico's) bicentennial celebration, so it should be fun. We haven't released a live album since 2003.