1983-1999: Formation

The group was formed in 1983 and formalized in 1987 in Tijuana, Baja California by musicians Mario Quintero Lara, Mario Moreno, Joel Higuera and David Servín Raya, who came from Sinaloa and settled in Baja California to pursue a musical career.^[10][11] Initially they played in small venues or family parties, until they decided to move to Los Angeles to play in the Latin club circuit.^[10]

The band began to enjoy recognition both in their native Mexico and in the United States, where they settled. During the 1990s, the group recorded around twenty albums, including Me robaste el corazón (1994), Mundo de amor (1995) and Amor platónico (1998). Between 1996 and 1997 they managed to place six titles simultaneously on Billboard's Top Latin Albums chart, becoming the only band to do so to date.^[10] After recording several albums with the label Alacrán Records, in the middle of the decade they obtained a recording contract with Emi Latin.^[1]

In 1999, Mario Quintero received his first four BMI awards for the songs "Es verdad", "El tucanazo", "Secuestro de amor" and "Hacemos bonita pareja". A year later he was recognized as composer of the year at the same event, along with other artists such as Kike Santander, Robi Draco Rosa and Shakira.^[12] During his career, Quintero has won more than thirty BMI awards as a composer.^[5]

2000-2009: International consolidation

The band began the 2000s with nominations to Lo Nuestro and Latin Grammy Awards for the album Al por mayor and with the release of the album Me gusta vivir de noche, nominated for the 2002 ALMA Awards.^[10] Their next albums, Jugo a la vida (2002) and Imperio (2003), were nominated for the Grammy Awards (in the category of Best Mexican/Mexican-American Album) and the Latin Grammy Awards (for Best Norteño Album).^[12] After achieving nominations for Lo Nuestro Awards in 2002 and 2004, in 2006 the band signed a recording contract with Univision Music Group label, with which they released the album Siempre contigo, recorded live at a performance at the Zócalo in Mexico City.^[10] A year later they recorded the album El papá de los pollitos at the Signature Sound studio in San Diego, California.^[13]

In December 2007 they became the first norteño music group to win an international film award when they received the "Un Certain Regard Angel Film" prize at the Monaco International Film Festival for their participation in the documentary Los ilegales, directed by Miguel Ángel Varela Fimbres.^[6][14] In July 2008 they were invited by the Mexico Tourism Board to compose and perform the song "México es tu casa", which was used to promote tourism in the country.^[15]

In September, the band received a star on the Las Vegas Walk of Fame. At the ceremony, Congressman Rubén Jesús Kihuen declared September 11 as the official day of Los Tucanes de Tijuana and issued a "Certificate of Praise" in honor of their trajectory.^[7] The album Soy todo tuyo was nominated at the Grammy Awards for Best Norteño Album in 2009, and a year later the album Retro-corridos received a nomination in the same category at the Latin Grammy Awards.^[12]

2010-2019: Participation in major festivals

On February 4, 2010, the suit used by Mario Quintero in the band's performances was exhibited at the Grammy Museum in the "Great Latin Stars" display, along with outfits by Celia Cruz, Ricky Martin, Banda el Recodo and Los Tigres del Norte. During the event, the group gave an interview and an acoustic performance.^[16] That same year they were nominated as Norteño Artist of the Year at Lo Nuestro Awards,^[12] a distinction they repeated in 2011, when they also performed the song "Soy todo tuyo" at the event's gala.^[17] In October 2011 they received the Legacy Award for their artistic career at the Billboard Mexican Music Awards, in a celebration held at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles.^[18] Likewise, the album El árbol received nominations at both the Grammy and the Latin Grammy Awards, in the categories of Best Regional Mexican Music Album and Best Norteño Album, respectively.^[12] In August 2012, several groups representing the norteño genre such as Banda El Recodo, La Original Banda El Limón, Calibre 50 and Banda MS recorded an album of corridos in tribute to Los Tucanes de Tijuana.^[19] The same month, Alfredo González was recognized as Accordionist of the Year at the Premios de la Calle, held in Los Angeles.^[20]

In September 2012, the documentary Hecho en México was released, a film directed by British filmmaker Duncan Bridgeman about Mexican cultural diversity, in which the band participated along with other musical exponents of the country such as Molotov, Alejandro Fernández, Gloria Trevi and Rubén Albarrán.^[21] In November, the group won a Latin Grammy Award in the category of Best Norteño Album for their record 365 días.^[3] Los Tucanes de Tijuana had already been nominated five times in that same category.^[1]

In June 2013 they contributed the song "La canción de Cuco" for the soundtrack of the animated film El Americano: The Movie, directed by Ricardo Arnaiz and Mike Kunkel.^[22] On July the band was recognized as "Ambassador of Norteño Music" at the Mexiga Festival held in the town of Villagarcía de Arosa in Pontevedra, Spain, and a month later they received recognition from the Council of Mexican Federations for their participation in the aforementioned soundtrack and for their support of immigration reform.^[23] In March 2014, the album Corridos Time Season One: Soy parrandero achieved the top spot on the Billboard Regional Mexican Albums chart.^[24]

In June 2014, Telemundo invited Los Tucanes de Tijuana to compose and perform the theme song for the series Señora Acero.^[25] Three months later, Quintero participated along with Luis Fonsi and Olga Tañón as one of the judges on the reality show Yo soy el artista, produced by the same network.^[26] On September 15, the band performed at the celebration of the Grito de Independencia in Culiacán, Sinaloa. For the first time in their career, their repertoire consisted of cumbias, ballads and rancheras, as they did not perform corridos during their presentation.^[27] They ended the year with a concert at the Cárdenas Festival, held at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California.^[28]

In early 2016, Los Tucanes de Tijuana appeared on the premiere of El Americano: The Movie.^[29] The same year, Quintero was again invited by Telemundo to compose and produce the song "El Chema", which was used as the theme song for the series of the same name and performed by Banda El Recodo.^[30] In January 2017, the band was invited by FOX to be part of the opening video for Super Bowl LI, between Atlanta Falcons and New England Patriots.^[31][32]

In April 2018, the BBC visited Master Q Music studios to conduct a series of interviews with the band members to be included in the documentary Sound of the Border, a film about the impact of Norteño music on the U.S.-Mexico border.^[33] In November 2018, they were recognized during the "Homenaje a los Grandes de México" at the 2018 Premios de La Radio, organized by Estrella TV.^[34]

In February 2019, Mario Quintero and Alfredo González participated in the eightieth anniversary celebration of Don Cruz Lizárraga's Banda El Recodo. At the event, they sang the corrido "La clave nueva" as a duet at the Teodoro Mariscal stadium in Mazatlán.^[35] A month later, Quintero was recognized with the BMI Presidential Award in recognition of his musical trajectory.^[36] After appearing on the surprise stage at the Festival Pa'l Norte in Monterrey in March,^[37] in April Los Tucanes de Tijuana became the first norteño music group to perform at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California.^[38] The same month they participated in #ElEvento40, a rock and pop concert held at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City,^[39] and in the Semana Santa Festival in Mazatlán.^[40]

2020-present

After appearing in February 2020 at the SAP Center in San Jose, California along with Los Tigres del Norte,^[41] in March they performed on the second day of the Vive Latino Festival at the Foro Sol in Mexico City, an event that mainly hosts rock musicians.^[42] On September they gave a virtual concert from Tijuana for the national holidays. The free event, presented by the municipal president Arturo González Cruz,^[43] registered an audience of more than 300 000 live spectators and meant the return of the group to the city where they started their musical career after twelve years. In 2008, members of the band were banned from Tijuana by the then Secretary of Security Julián Leyzaola due to the content of some of their songs.^[44][45][46] In 2023, the ban was lifted by the city with an announcement that they would play their first show in the city in 15 years. On December 30, 2020 Joel Higuera, accordionist of the band between 1987 and 2002, died of a heart attack.^[47][48]

On August 25, 2021 the band was invited by the San Diego Padres to throw out the first pitch at the game they played against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Petco Park in San Diego.^[49] In the event they promote a free concert at the same venue, which was held on September 26 of the same year as part of the Hispanic Heritage Month.^[50]

Studio albums and compilations

Live albums

• 2006 - Siempre contigo
• 2007 - 20 Aniversario (en vivo desde Hollywood)

Singles

Grammy Awards

Latin Grammy Awards

Lo Nuestro Awards