Bronco

From Apodaca, Mexico, Bronco forged a contemporary spin on norteño during the 1980s and 1990s that propelled the group to numerous international successes. Having moved more than twelve million albums, the ensemble stands among the most storied grupos in Mexican music history. Jose Guadalupe “El Negro” Esparza, Ramiro Delgado, Javier Villareal, and Jose Luis Villareal shaped a hybrid approach that honored the norteño tradition while folding in keyboards and other contemporary instruments alongside a melodic pop sensibility and flamboyant stage attire. Their catalog registered consistent U.S. sales, and the release Pura Sangre collected gold and platinum certifications in Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Mexico. In 1993 the quartet crossed into television prominence, securing roles in the Televisa prime-time telenovela Dos Mujeres un Camino and supplying its theme song.

Touring demands and recording obligations ultimately prompted Esparza’s 1996 departure for a solo career. Choosing not to recruit a replacement, the remaining members elected to disband; their last studio effort, La Ultima Huella, appeared in 1997. Over the ensuing six years the band’s catalog and assorted compilations sustained both sales and chart presence. Esparza issued a string of successful solo projects, while his former colleagues pursued separate musical ventures.

A 2003 reunion was announced, yet a legal dispute with their prior manager barred use of the original name inside Mexico. Undeterred, the musicians performed and recorded as Bronco el Gigante de America. Their 2004 album Sin Riendas debuted at number one on both the Latin Albums and Mexican Regional Albums charts. From 1987 through 2012 the group placed no fewer than sixteen albums inside the Top Ten of the Mexican Regional Albums chart, six of them reaching the summit, with six additional titles landing in the Top 20. Tragedy struck in 2012 when Jose Luis Villareal (“Choche”) died and former keyboardist Erick Garza was kidnapped and later found murdered. Bronco el Gigante de America persisted with live dates and new recordings, marking its thirtieth anniversary in 2017 via a second hits collection on Discos America plus the Sony Music projects Primera Fila and Primera Fila Vivo.