We don’t know why but in the middle of the global COVID-19 pandemic we keep seeing Latinx legacy artists covering contemporary songs. La Tesorito herself, Laura León, blessed us with her amazing take on “Tusa” last Friday to our delight. Now it’s the turn of los gigantes de América themselves to give us their own contribution to this phenomenon.
Bronco have covered Zoé’s “Soñé” in their own tropical/norteño style and it works in surprising ways. The Lupe Esparza-led band have no problem adapting the abstract and poetic lyrics of León Lárregui, and musically, the band do their best to be as faithful to the song’s arrangement in its MTV Unplugged version, yet giving it their signature Bronco sound that it’s all their own. They even manage to sneak in a guitar riff that rocks harder than Zoé usually does.
The cover is another notch in Bronco’s career in the new millennium, which has been characteristically full of ups and downs, including both tragedy and lawsuits but also award nominations, festival appearances and a bio-series, and there have presented no signs of letting up.
“Soñé” —which originally appeared on the soundtrack to the Mexican cult film Amarte Duele— will be part of a tribute album to Zoé called Reversiones that will also feature, bizarrely, Mexican regional superstar Alejandro Fernández and Venezuelan reggae outfit Rawayana, among other artists to be confirmed. So keep your ears up for more weird covers.