Anyone familiar with Mexican regional music knows that Los Tigres del Norte are larger than life. With nearly five dozen albums recorded in almost 50 years, the Hernández brothers of Rosa Morada have become synonymous with norteño music – and they’ve brought together fans on both sides of the border like few artists have.
So it’s not entirely out of line for an upcoming documentary profile of the San Jose, California-based banda legends to be shot in dramatic black & white, with a pounding, string-heavy soundtrack worthy of a high-stakes political thriller. It may seem like something out of a telenovela playbook, but doubters need only watch the first seconds of the ostentatious trailer for Jefes de Jefes to realize this documentary is next level.
Starting with beautifully shot footage of Los Tigres’ concerts, a mind-boggling cast of talking heads – including everyone from Kate del Castillo to Ry Cooder, Denisse Dresser, and Josh Kun – and a revealing, heartfelt interview with bandleader Jorge Hernández, it’s clear that director Olallo Rubio was intent on doing justice to these living musical legends.
Paying special attention to the social, cultural, and political context from which Los Tigres have come; Jefes de Jefes takes us from Mexico City to New York, San Diego, and Sinaloa to explore that one-of-a-kind, imitable chemistry Los Tigres del Norte have with their fans: everyday people who find a voice for their struggles and joys in band’s iconic ballads.
