La Arrolladora Banda El Limón was founded by clarinetist René Camacho, brining together over a dozen other musicians to form the band. They were active for over three decades before they recorded their debut album, becoming well established regionally. In 1997, they made their recording debut, which quickly established them to a wider audience and sent them straight to the top of the music scene.
Titled "¡Mas Arrolladora Que Nunca!" the album was the band's first on La Sierra Records, with the band going on to release a total of eight albums on the label. Produced by Fernando Camacho and arranged by René Camacho, the band were prolific, releasing an album every two years between 1997 and 2001. Their building success spread the band's fan base to a wide audience, moving moving outside of their native Mexico and finding fans across the United States.
With their rising popularity, the band moved to Disa Records, a label affiliated with Univision Music Group, making their debut release on the label in 2002 with "Grandes Boleros Arolladores." La Arrolladora Banda El Limón again released albums at an incredible rate, often recording one or more per year. As well as their studio recordings, the band released several live recordings, including "En Vivo Desde Culiacán , Sinaloa" (2004) and "Sold Out Desde Los Angeles" (2009), which captured their incredible musicianship.
In 2009, La Arrolladora Banda El Limón topped the Billboard charts for the first time with their album "Más Adelante" proving that the band had become one of the most popular exports from Mexico. The band then reissued their albums released on La Sierra Records, packaged as a compilation series by Sony Music, including "Personalidad: 20 Exitos" (2002) and "La Historia de la Arrolladora" (2008). As a whole, they have released over 25 albums. Their talents were recognised in 2011, when their album "Todo Depende De Ti" received a Latin Grammy Award for 'Best Banda Album.'
Born in California, U.S. however with close familial ties to Sinaloa, Mexico, the young singer spent much of his childhood immersing himself in Mexican-orientated music. At the age of 20 Ortíz made his recording debut on the live album “En Vivo Las Tundras” in 2009. It wasn’t however until 2010 that the singer-songwriter made his breakthrough with his debut studio album “Ni Hoy Ni Mañana”. The major-label release spawned the singles “A La Moda, “El Trokero Lokochón”, and “La Última Sombra” sky-rocketing Ortíz to mainstream success, and later earning the singer a Grammy nomination for Best Norteño Album. The record charted within the Billboard 200 Top 5 and made way for the singer’s subsequent live album “Morir y Existir En Vivo” and sophomore album “Entre Dios y El Diablo” in 2011.
The full-length “El Primer Ministro” followed in 2012, after which Ortíz was awarded the Male Artist of the Year, Norteño Album of the Year, Norteño Aritst of the Year, and Artist of the Year Award at the Mexican Billboard Music Awards. The album “El Primer Ministro” was later nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Regional Mexican Music Album, following which Ortíz released his fourth full-length album “Archivos de Mi Vida” in 2014. The same year the singer-songwriter became the judge on the 11th season of the talent competition “Tengo Talento, Mucho Talento”. The album “Hoy Mas Fuerte” appeared in 2015 featuring a pop collaboration with 3Ball MTY and América Sierra entitled “La Noche es Tuya”.
La Arrolladora Banda el Limón is quite an enigma of sorts as the multi-instrumentalist Mexican music outfit has existed in some form or another since the 1960s. It was not until they had established themselves on the live circuit and had toured around the world numerous times that they eventually got around to recording their debut album in 1997. Since then they have been putting out albums at a lightning pace as if to make up for lost time during the 70s and 80s between Sony Music and Disa Records.
The live operation is incredibly well thought out simply due to the large amount of musicians in need of accommodation when designing a stage show. Although there are over twelve musicians onstage, they are so incredibly in tune with one and other that the music sounds absolutely pitch perfect throughout the show. Under the command of leader René Camacho the group performs a showcase of world class Latin pop which is rich with brass, strings and wonderful vocal layering. Any fan of world and latino music, La Arrolladora Banda el Limón are a must-see band.
Write your review of Gerardo Ortíz here...The Mexican singer/songwriter started his career at a young age, gaining second place in a children’s reality TV talent show back in 2003. These shows tend to have one of two effects on artists, but Gerardo Ortiz was lucky that he is one of the few who go on to make it after their experiences in the manufactured bands. With a Grammy Award nomination under his belt, he is now an incredibly successful artist, with his track Damaso had over 37 million views in YouTube.
He opened the show by running on stage to the sound of his authentic Mexican band playing an extended introduction to the title track from Today Or Tomorrow, whilst he introduces himself and the set that he was about to play. The show was a launch tour for Archives Of My Life, and he played through the album in its entirety, along with great dance moves. His band members play their instruments whilst wandering around the stage, to reflect the laid back and friendly messages in Ortiz’s songs.
All of the instrumentalists were incredibly talented, as well as Ortiz with his incredible voice. He really performed a knock out show, and It’s on that no one should miss if you get the change to go.