Las Jilguerillas

Widely regarded as one of Mexico’s most significant and lasting musical legacies, the ranchera duo Las Jilguerillas has long stood among the nation’s premier artistic assets. The Higuera sisters, Imelda and Amparo, both natives of Michoacan, first harmonized as youngsters before Dueto America—Carolina and David Gonzalez—brought them to wider attention; in the eyes of many observers, Las Jilguerillas later assumed the mantle of that celebrated pair. Across more than four decades their repertoire remained anchored in rural traditions, centering on ranchera while also encompassing banda, son, and corridos. Imelda carried the principal melody while Amparo supplied harmony and second-voice lines, supported from the outset by an elite roster of Mexican instrumentalists. Their initial sessions were produced and arranged by Gilberto Parra; after his tenure, Cornelio Reyna took over the same roles until his passing in 1997. In total the duo issued more than sixty-five albums and circled the globe repeatedly. Following Imelda’s death in 2004, Reyna’s widow—the distinguished mariachi and ranchera singer Mercedes Castro—stepped in to fill the vacated role.