Intocable

During the closing years of the 1990s, Intocable attained widespread acclaim and could reasonably be regarded as the leading Tejano ensemble of that period. Their approach to Tejano music remains unmistakably norteño in character, propelled by polka rhythms and prominently featuring accordion. The ensemble further cultivates a norteño identity through its cowboy aesthetic. Yet their Texan origins, coupled with frontman Ricky Muñoz’s talent for crafting elegant pop melodies and other distinguishing nuances, set them apart from more conventional acts in the field such as Los Tigres del Norte and Conjunto Primavera. Intocable solidified their standing among the most consistently popular and commercially viable regional Mexican outfits of the era through releases including the chart-topping 1999 album Contigo. A subsequent pair of number-one albums in 2003—Crossroads: Cruce de Caminos and La Historia—established an enduring template. Altogether nine of their albums reached either the top or second position on the Latin Albums chart, while ten attained the summit of Mexican Regional Albums. Spanning the interval from 1999’s Contigo through 2016’s Highway, ten further titles entered the Top 200. Intocable took satisfaction in their loyal audience, which enabled them to fill enormous arenas with tens of thousands of supporters. They ranked among the limited number of regional Mexican artists—alongside the previously noted Los Tigres del Norte and Conjunto Primavera, plus luminaries such as Marco Antonio Solís and Ana Bárbara—who matched the visibility and cultural resonance of Latin pop figures including Paulina Rubio, Juanes, and Thalía. While those pop artists commanded worldwide devotion, a regional Mexican act like Intocable remained, owing to cultural particularity, largely confined to Mexico and the United States. Within Mexican and Mexican-American communities, however, Intocable commanded admiration equal to that accorded any pop star and arguably greater respect. Critical recognition accompanied their success, evidenced by an extensive roster of honors. They received frequent nominations for Premio Lo Nuestro and Latin Grammy awards and secured victories on multiple occasions, claiming Latin Grammys in 2005 for both Best Norteño Album (Diez) and Best Regional Mexican Song (“Aire”); 2013’s En Peligro de Extinción remained in the Top Ten for thirty weeks, and Highway, blending norteño with roots rock, attracted an entirely fresh listenership in 2016.

Ricky Muñoz (lead vocals, accordion) and René Martínez (drums) established Intocable as friends in Zapata, Texas, during the early 1990s. Additional members comprise Dany Sánchez (bajo sexto, second vocals), Sergio Serna (percussion), Félix Salinas (electric bass), Johnny Lee Rosas (bajo sexto, choruses), and José Juan Hernández (group animation, rhythms). Former members Silvestre Rodríguez (electric bass) and José Ángel Farías (group animation, rhythms) perished, together with road manager José Ángel González, in a 1999 automobile collision. Intocable launched their recording career on the independent Corpus Christi, Texas-based Freddie Records. After issuing Simplemente… (1993), they secured a contract with EMI Latin and delivered their major-label debut, Fuego Eterno (1994).

The follow-up, Otro Mundo (1995), marked Intocable’s first charting release, eventually ascending to the Top Five of the Regional Mexican album chart with assistance from the hit singles “La Mentira,” “Coqueta,” and “Parece Que No.” Llévame Contigo (1996) extended the momentum of its predecessor, yielding additional hits: “No Te Vayas,” “Ya Ves,” “Llévame Contigo,” and “¿Y Todo Para Qué?” One of these, “No Te Vayas,” became the group’s first regional airplay number one and reached the Top Five of the Hot Latin Tracks chart—an uncommon achievement for a regional Mexican single. Llévame Contigo simultaneously topped the regional Mexican chart and entered the Top Five of Top Latin Albums. Although Intocable IV (1997) fell short of Llévame Contigo’s commercial peak, it remained highly successful, producing two number-one hits (“Eres Mi Droga,” “Vivir sin Ellas”) and a Top Five entry (“Dónde Estás?”). Lo Mejor de Intocable: 12 Super Exitos (1997) concluded the band’s initial sequence of breakthrough achievements.

Intocable sustained their upward trajectory with only one notable interruption. In March 1998 they performed before more than 65,000 spectators at the Houston Astrodome—the first of many arena concerts that would define their live reputation—and the self-titled Intocable (1998) appeared soon afterward, accompanied by the singles “Amor Maldito,” “Perdedor,” and “Huracán.” Tragedy intervened on 31 January 1999 when an automobile accident claimed the lives of bandmembers José Ángel Farías and Silvestre Rodríguez and left the remaining members, including Muñoz, seriously injured. The survivors spent weeks hospitalized in Monterrey, Mexico, the intended concert destination. Following a period of physical and emotional recovery, Intocable mounted a triumphant return with Contigo (1999). Its lead single, “El Amigo Que Se Fue,” honored the departed members. Contigo generated three further singles (“Fuerte No Soy,” “Soñador Eterno,” “Ya Estoy Cansado”), reached number one on the regional chart, entered the Top Five of Top Latin Albums, and became the group’s first album to appear on the Billboard 200.

The band’s successful comeback after the 1999 tragedy drew legions of new admirers and elevated their popularity to unprecedented levels. Subsequent years brought additional successful studio albums (Es Para Ti [2000], Sueños [2002], Nuestro Destino Estaba Escrito [2003], among others) and greatest-hits collections (14 Grandes Exitos [2001], La Historia [2003], Original Masters [2004], among others), along with numerous hit singles, several of which reached number one (“Enséñame a Olvidarte,” “Sueña,” “El Poder de Tus Manos,” “Eso Duele,” “¿A Dónde Estabas?,” among others). As a live attraction they proved nearly unrivaled, selling out four consecutive nights at Mexico City’s Auditorio Nacional and drawing more than 70,000 fans to their 2003 headline concert at Reliant Stadium in Houston, a record at the time. They also performed two sold-out shows at the 10,000-capacity Monterrey Arena in Monterrey, Mexico.

Intimamente (2004) presents Intocable in an unplugged format, delivering many of their hits in a subdued style. The album earned them their first Grammy Award for Best Mexican/Mexican-American Album. Their tenth EMI release, 2005’s Diez, was accompanied by a second disc functioning essentially as a tribute album featuring covers by forward-looking Latin alternative artists such as Kinky, Tego Calderón, and Natalia Lafourcade; it likewise received a Grammy.

The ensemble ventured beyond familiar territory with 2006’s Crossroads: Cruce de Caminos, co-produced by Martínez and Lloyd Maines (father of Dixie Chicks frontwoman Natalie Maines). The project incorporated country songs and honky-tonk-inflected Tex-Mex alongside classic norteño material. It topped both the Latin Albums and Mexican Regional Albums charts and reached number 59 on the Billboard 200. Although 2008’s 2C performed less strongly, it still attained number five on Mexican Regional Albums. The band maintained an active touring schedule and continued issuing compilations. In 2010 Billboard designated them Mexican Regional’s Group of the Decade. The self-released 2011 album on the Good/Music label, following their departure from EMI, yielded six charting singles and a Grammy nomination for Best Norteño Album. Its first two singles, “Robarte un Beso” and “Prometí,” both reached number one on U.S. regional radio charts; the third, “Arrepientete,” reached the Top Five. Intocable became the first norteño band to perform an NFL halftime show at Dallas Cowboys Stadium. The fourth single, “Llueve,” received its live premiere at the 2012 Premio Lo Nuestro ceremony, where the group won every category in which they were nominated. Billboard presented them with a Lifetime Achievement Award that same year.

Intocable subsequently signed with Fonovisa. Their label debut, 2013’s En Peligro de Extinción, responded deliberately to what the band viewed as an increasingly polished pop orientation in Latin—and particularly Mexican Regional—music production. Characterized by prominent electric guitars and live drums, the lead single “Te Amo (Para Siempre)” dominated the Latin and Regional Airplay charts as well as Digital Sales for multiple weeks. Intocable did not rest on these accomplishments, touring Mexico, the United States, and Latin America in support of the album for nearly two years. EMI persisted in releasing compilations that kept the band visible. Following the 2015 Fonovisa release XX Aniversario en Vivo, the group participated in a global benefit telecast for St. Jude Children’s Hospital and donated all proceeds. Two weeks later they issued the pre-release single and video for “Tu Ascencia,” which entered the Top 15 on Regional Mexican Songs and the Top 10 on Digital Songs. On 23 January 2016 they formalized an ongoing partnership with St. Jude’s for continued fundraising. In March they headlined the SXSW SXAmericas All Latino Showcase. A second single, “Arrepentido,” appeared in May ahead of the June release of Highway—their first full-length album in three years and their seventh to top the Top Latin Albums chart. They spent the ensuing two years touring before returning to the studio in late 2018. In February 2019 they released the single “Beso Incompleto,” a fusion of Latin rock and Tejano elements, as a preview of the full-length Percepción, issued on 15 March ahead of a North American tour. The album entered the Top Ten at streaming during its release week. Intocable received a lifetime achievement award at that year’s Premio Lo Nuestro ceremony.