Latin

Getting the great Vicente Fernández to record a song with you wasn’t always easy. Just ask Ana Bárbara who for many years persisted until one day he agreed.

“I went on tour with him twice in the U.S. and during those shows, I’d go onstage to sing with him,” she tells Billboard. “But we had never actually recorded a song together, and I would always tell him that it was a dream of mine. After I insisted and insisted, he said ‘yes’ with a song I had just written, called ‘La Jugada.’ He was very particular in that aspect, so it had to be the right song.”

Seven years ago, the Mexican singer-songwriter was at Fernández’s ranch Los 3 Potrillos in Jalisco, Mexico when she personally played “La Jugada” for him. It was an instant yes but the actual recording of the track and then recording the music video was a “process.”

“These things take time, you know, and I din’t want to rush anything,” Bárbara adds. “When we finally recorded the song five years ago, it was magical. He was able to hear our recording before he passed and he was really happy with it.” They then filmed the music video three years ago — two years before the ranchera titan died in December 2021. “I can now say that I have a song with Don Vicente Fernández. It’s a dream come true.”

Bárbara — who is set to receive Icon Award at the 2023 BMI Latin Awards in March — first met the “El Rey” singer when she was just 12 years old. She vividly remembers watching him perform at a Palenque in Guanajuato, Mexico. “It was impactful,” she remembers. “It’s a moment that marked my life. That little girl dreamed of one day singing with him. He’s no longer with us, but our song will live forever. To know that we were able to unite our voices gives me peace.”

“La Jugada” is a romantic mariachi ballad where Bárbara and Fernández passionately sing lyrics about putting their guard down and opening themselves to love. Stream the song below:

Mexican singer-songwriter and producer Adolfo Ángel couldn’t help but shed a few tears during their concert in San Jose, Calif. earlier this month. After all, they had made their grand return to touring after a four-year hiatus, due to the pandemic shutdown. For an act like Los Temerarios, a touring titan, not being able to perform live was a big deal — according to Adolfo, who co-founded the iconic grupero/pop band along with his brother, its lead singer, Gustavo Ángel.
“It’s been decades now that we’ve been doing music, and at the same time touring so it was hard. We missed our fans and hearing them sing along to our songs,” Adolfo, who’s also Los Temerarios’ keyboardist, says. “But we also took that time to rest and recharge for this comeback. That first show of the tour felt very special.”

The comeback is marked by a few things: a 22-date stint across the U.S. that makes stops in major cities such as Chicago, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Houston, a special edition vinyl “La Colección” (out April 14) in honor of their 40 years in music and an album that will include 10 brand new songs, which they plan to record after they wrap the tour in April.

Their trek is not to be confused with the “nostalgia tours” that are creating a buzz in the industry, where once-disbanded bands come back together for a tour. Los Temerarios never stopped touring since it launched in the 80s. “Being able to tour is extremely important for us to this day,” Adolfo explains. “Ever since we were little kids, we’ve been planning this project. And touring is now part of our lives.”

Known for wistful, romantic anthems such as “Fueron Tus Palabras,” “Mi Vida Eres Tú,” Como Te Recuerdo” and “Tu Última Canción,” to name a few, Los Temerarios have soundtracked multigenerational homes in Mexico and the U.S. since releasing their first album in 1983. Overall, the group has notched 41 entries on Billboard‘s Hot Latin Songs chart, 17 of which are top 10 hits, including four No. 1s.

“Staying relevant in this industry is not easy so we have nothing but gratitude for our fans, we feel very fortunate,” Adolfo says. “We’ve always had a great respect for this career that has given us so much that’s why we always give our best when it comes to our albums, our live shows, we make sure our production is top quality across everything we do. Our brother and I also have a mutual respect and admiration for each other, that’s been fundamental for us to keep going for so many years.”

Adolfo also notes that launching their own record label and publisher Virtus nearly 15 years ago (after spending a decade with Fonovisa, a division of Universal Music Latin Entertainment) has played a major role in their longevity. It’s one of the most important decisions, he says, that has allowed them to do things their way.

“At the beginning of our careers when we were looking for support from labels and executives, we weren’t well received. All we knew back then was that music was our life so we kept looking for options. I thank my brother Gustavo for always standing by my side and supporting all the decisions I made for the band. One day, we decided to launch our label, our publisher, and it was one of the best decisions we could ever make.”

Los Temerarios have always licensed their albums, keeping the rights to (and control over) the group’s masters. For now, they plan to keep it that way, and aren’t looking to sell their extensive catalog of songs written by Adolfo any time soon: “Fortunately, we’re at a good point and our fans are still there. We feel proud with how we’ve handled the business aspect.”  

Below, the complete list of dates for Los Temerarios’ tour: