Formed in 1987 in Ciudad Obregón within Mexico’s Sonora region, Grupo Laberinto operates under the guidance of lead singer and main composer Serapio “Sera” Ramirez. The ensemble concentrates on corridos, rancheras, boleros, and cumbia. Its first recordings centered on the last of these rhythms, yet the musicians soon incorporated rancheras, corridos, and ballads, a move that broadened their following across additional Mexican territories and into the United States. The corrido approach, above all, produced the ensemble’s most successful tracks, all spotlighted on releases such as Corridos Recien Horneados, Corridos Pesadisimos, and the anthology Corridos de Grueso Calibre.
From 2000 through 2009 the group cultivated listeners on both sides of the border and maintained a near-constant touring schedule, pausing only to enter the studio. Fresh studio projects were routinely paired with either a retrospective collection or a concert document. Subsequent to Corridos de Grueso Calibre came further noteworthy titles including Profeta y Otros Caballos Famosos and Corridos de Cuidado. Following the well-received 2009 album Pienso en Ti, the musicians remained on the road for eighteen consecutive months before entering a prolonged break. Although they resumed live performances in 2013, nearly seven years passed before new studio material appeared; that return, Empiezo a Vivir, arrived on Sony in the first months of 2016.
