Chicago-based duranguense outfit Aliados de la Sierra exploded onto the regional Mexican scene almost immediately after assembling. Formed in January 2007, the group issued its first album that same year and watched it climb among the year’s strongest-selling titles in the genre. The lineup—Sergio Federico on vocals, Eduardo Navar on keyboards, Jose Luis Muro also handling vocals, Roberto Tello covering saxophone, guitar, and keyboards, Pedro Celis on saxophone, Juan Alfredo Rosas on tambora, and Adan Cervantes on drums and percussion—consisted entirely of experienced players who had previously performed with Los Alacranes Musical, Brazeros Musical, and Banda Karembe. They settled on the name Aliados de la Sierra to reflect the bond they intended to maintain through every circumstance. Their debut season never strained that promise. Within months the sextet secured a deal with Latin Power Music, after which Con los Ojos Cerrados appeared and surged upward behind the momentum of its title track. The album reached number two on Billboard’s Regional Mexican chart and number five on the Top Latin Albums tally, moving 120,000 copies before December. Late in 2007 the band captured a concert set ironically titled Greatest Hits—Live from Chicago. Released through Universal’s Machete Music imprint, the project helped cultivate a broad following among young listeners across the Midwest, the primary American territory for duranguense.
