Los Tigres del Norte - Pacto De Sangre (CD)

All Music Guide

In Spanish, Pacto de Sangre means "Pact of Blood"not exactly the sort of title that makes one think of starryeyed romanticism, but then, starryeyed romanticism isn't the thing that los Tigres del Norte are best known for. The norteño/TexMex powerhouse hasn't totally excluded romantic lyricslos Tigres aren't immune to the pleasures of love, love, lovebut romanticism isn't their primary focus. Mention los Tigres' name to a longtime fan, and the first thing that comes to mind are biting, gritty, hardhitting accounts of the struggles and challenges that the Mexican working class has faced in both Mexico and the southwestern United States. If you're seeking regional Mexican music that is romantically comforting, you turn to Marco Antonio Solis, Intocable or Conjunto Primavera; if you're in the mood for a norteño equivalent of the Clash, Ruben Blades, KRS1, Bob Marley or Neil Young, you turn to los Tigreswhose reputation for gutsy, meaningful lyrics certainly isn't going to be damaged by Pac...to de Sangre. With this 2004 release, the norteño rebels continue to offer compelling accounts of Mexican struggles north and south of the border. The best sociopolitical songsthe Clash's "Career Opportunities," Gil ScottHeron's "The Bottle," Grandmaster Flash's "The Message" or Marvin Gaye's "Inner City Blues", for examplehave a way of making the political personal, and that is certainly true of this CD. Not that the listener has to relate to los Tigres' subject matter in order to appreciate Pacto de Sangre on a musical level; the polkainfluenced grooves are infectious even if one doesn't speak any Spanish. And not everyone who speaks Spanish will have firsthand knowledge of everything los Tigres write about; someone who has spent his/her entire life in Barcelona or Buenos Aires won't be writing songs about their experiences growing up in Mexican neighborhoods. But then, Bob Marley and Peter Tosh's accounts of black life in Jamaica touched millions of nonblack, nonJamaican listenersand similarly, many of the issues that los Tigres tackle on Pacto de Sangre (crime, poverty, economic deprivation) have international implications. Both musically and lyrically, Pacto de Sangre is an exciting addition to los Tigres' sizable catalog. - Alex Henderson, All Music Guide Read more Less