La Historia De Los Exitos CD

In early 2009, Fonovisa Records celebrated its 25th anniversary with the release of two double-CD compilations: Las 25 Mas Romanticas con los Supergrupos (The 25 Most Romantic Songs with the Supergroups) and La Historia de los Exitos (The History of the Hits). The former focuses on groups exclusively, whereas La Historia de los Exitos spotlights a combination of groups and solo artists -- and on both compilations, one is reminded how major a role Fonovisa has been playing in the regional Mexican market. That isn't to say that Fonovisa releases regional Mexican music exclusively; the label has, along the way, signed some Latin artists who aren't Mexican-oriented (for example, the Puerto Rican singer Noelia). But regional Mexican music has accounted for a big chunk of Fonovisa's profits -- and it certainly dominates La Historia de los Exitos, which boasts major hits by regional Mexican stars such as Los Tigres del Norte ("La Puerta Negra" and "Golpes en el Corazon"), Bronco ("Que No Quede Huella"), Los Rieleros del Norte ("Dime Quien Es"), Conjunto Primavera ("Necesito Decirte"), the seminal Banda el Recodo ("No Me Se Rajar"), and the edgy banda singer Jenni Rivera ("De Contrabando"). But this compilation steps outside of regional Mexican music with Enrique Iglesias' "Si Tu Te Vas," and it's important to note that Mexican superstar Marco Antonio Solís (who is heard on his solo smashes "Si No Te Hubieras Ido" and "Mas Que Tu Amigo" as well as "Tu Carcel" with his former group Los Bukis) is primarily a romantic Latin pop singer even though he is quite capable of performing or composing rancheras when he wants to. Solís has a huge Mexican following, and millions of non-Mexican Latinos all over the Spanish-speaking world also buy his albums religiously. Nonetheless, regional Mexican music is still a crucial part of La Historia de los Exitos, which is full of definitive gems and has no problem illustrating Fonovisa's importance in the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s. ~ Alex Henderson