There is no stage too small for San José’s Los Tigres del Norte, yet none can contain its impact. For the last 60 years, the Mexican norteño band has built a career around its communities, collecting stories from its devoted audience and spinning the struggle of Latino life into song. My dear friend and Alt.Latino co-host Felix Contreras, in a tearful introduction to this performance, sums up Los Tigres del Norte’s mission best: “For as long as I can remember, these gentlemen have been giving us back our humanity.”
At the Tiny Desk, Los Tigres del Norte opens with an immigrant anthem that clearly proclaims: “I didn’t cross the border / The border crossed me.” And in our office space, that message is hit with the same certainty as a struck guitar chord or an accordion riff. This is just one of many stories that validate the experiences of the Mexican families this band loves. But on a global scale, that role transforms: Los Tigres del Norte plays on behalf of Latin America, speaking truth to power: Somos más Americanos.…