Carín León

With 2019's El Malo, Carín León left no question that he'd matured into one of the artists at the head of the 21st-century norteño revival. Hailing from Hermosillo, Sonora—one of Mexico’s northernmost states—he takes the music from the mountainous region to both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border. Equipped with a powerful tenor, León sings fondly about the quotidian life of small-town existence, his conquests and heartbreaks, in the process showcasing regional Mexican music’s rich variations: rancheras, corridos and banda. Music runs in his blood; born Óscar Armando Díaz de León Huez in 1989, he manifested a gene that could probably be traced to his mariachi grandfather. At 15 years old, León picked up the guitar, and shortly after he dove deep into the century-old art form that is norteña music, playing classics by the conjunto Los Nietos. In the early 2010s, he formed his first band, called Grupo Arranke, performing bass guitarist and lead vocalist on their three studio albums. In 2018, León went solo with Amanecida Con Todo Y Con Todos, a record that bubbles with rustic guitar riffs and a whirling brass section. But it was his follow-up, 2019's El Malo, that cemented the singer/songwriter as a fierce voice in the regional Mexican scene. No grass is growing under his feet, though; with 2020’s tour de force Borrachera Con Taka Takas, Carín León becomes a charming debauchee who lights up the dance floor through jovial drunken tales over thrilling polka rhythms.