Los Invasores De Nuevo León

Los Invasores de Nuevo Leon originated as a celebrated norteño ensemble based in Monterrey, Mexico, when vocalist Lalo Mora assembled the lineup in 1978 with backing vocalist and accordionist Javier Rios, bassist Homero de Leon, and drummer Eliud López. Early engagements included private gatherings, street fairs performed from pickup-truck beds, neighborhood stages, and neighborhood cantinas. Studio work commenced in 1981 for DLV Discs. Regional breakthrough arrived the following year through the single “Mi Casa Nueva,” which later earned gold certification in Mexico. Those early releases for the imprint became staples on local radio and listener playlists, producing repeated chart entries across the next decade. Mora exited in 1993 to launch a solo career, after which Isaias Lucero joined as his replacement. The resulting debut album Playa Sola likewise reached gold status. Lucero departed soon afterward, prompting the arrival of Rigo Marroquín on bajo sexto, vocalist Rolando Marroquín, and bassist Luis Perales, which expanded the group to a sextet. Regional success of the Jardín de Amor album secured a recording contract with EMI Latin. International exposure began with the 1997 release Ventanas al Viento, while the same-year blockbuster Vuelvo Contigo became the band’s first platinum recording; it topped the Mexican regional charts and earned gold certification. Its single “A Mí Qué Me Quedó” turned into a nationwide staple, remained on radio rankings for five months, and was named Song of the Year. The track achieved double-platinum status in Mexico and gold certification in the United States.

The decade concluded with a twentieth-anniversary bolero compilation and a live album before Los Invasores de Nuevo Leon opened the new century with the charting full-length Tiempo al Tiempo. A 2002 collection of previously unpublished boleros titled No Soy de Palo highlighted compositions by Luis Elizalde, Fidencio Villareal, Luis Padilla, José Guadalupe Esparza, and Ríos. Señal de Alerta in 2003 marked the first occasion the group assembled an extensive selection of cumbias, boleros, and rancheras drawn from across the Mexican landscape; the album charted and sold sufficiently to inspire the same approach for 2004’s Los Más Buscados, which incorporated corridos as well. The following year’s Corridos de Peligro elevated the corrido format and anticipated the alterna movimiento through its intense set of narcocorridos, though radio airplay proved limited because of the subject matter even as live audiences responded strongly. Amor Aventurero reached the Regional Top 40 in 2008. En Manos del Tiempo in 2009 balanced the tone with party and romantic material. Dejate Llevar performed better at radio and received airplay throughout Latin America. Composer Espinoza Paz supplied “Aferrado,” the lead single from the romantic collection Aferrado al Amor; follow-up single “Que Te Lleve la Pena” reached the Top 20. In mid-2013 the group issued the single “A Ver Quien Gana,” which signaled a pivotal shift by returning Mora to the front as lead vocalist. The album Amistades represented a creative resurgence by again spotlighting the singer’s talents alongside Ríos; Marroquín remained, yet his brother exited and was succeeded by Angel Hernandez, with Javier Benavides assuming lead-guitar duties. Following a reunion tour with Mora, the band signed with Remex Music. Their first single for the label, “Con la Luz Prendida,” written by Lalo Ayala, garnered strong airplay and paved the way for the full-length Mi Héroe. Los Invasores de Nuevo Leon began 2015 with the single “Si Se Me,” which earned broadcast exposure across Latin America, although the accompanying album Sin Presumir failed to chart. In fall 2016 the ensemble reached a recording milestone with the album simply titled No. 50.