One of the biggest news stories of the week for all music-loving Latines is the Los Bukis reunion. After 25 years apart, Los Bukis came back together to play their biggest hit ever, “Tu Cárcel,” on frontman’s Marco Antonio Solis’s streaming event Bohemia En Pandemia on Sunday, May 9. Fans, young and old, were thrilled.
Formed in 1973, Los Bukis’s musical approach gave grupero music a sophisticated, highly romantic and stylish overhaul that made them huge stars. They then crossed over to pop radio and opened the door for regional Mexican music to become a worldwide massive musical force. But in 1996, the band broke up.
To celebrate their reunion, here are a mix of covers that span many rhythms and genres to pay tribute to the legacy of the Ario de Rosales, Michoacán legends.
Julieta Venegas – Tu Cárcel
When you think about it, Julieta Venegas and Los Bukis share a lot of common ground, both playing romantic and lush music about love and heartbreak. Venegas contributed this cover of “Tu Carcel” to the Marco Antonio Solis tribute album Todos Somos MAS; she makes the song entirely her own while keeping everything that made the original bang so hard.
Raulin Rodriguez – "Y Ahora Te Vas"
Raulín Rodríguez’s most successful era overlaps with Los Bukis’s prime, so it comes as no surprise that El Cacique covered one of their hits. Rodríguez proves that bachata and the Bukis brand of regional Mexican music have more in common than you’d think, yet it’s still amazing how the Dominican icon takes “Y Ahora Te Vas” to another level.
Alex Bueno – "A Donde Vayas"
The hyper speed of merengue might contrast with Los Bukis’s laidback approach to dance music. Yet, turning the tempo up and making it sweat definitely works in “A Donde Vayas.” Although Bueno had also made his name in the bachata genre and perhaps could’ve played it safer by going that route, the Dominican singer took a chance that paid off.
Los Auténticos Decadentes – "Mi Fantasía"
Another contribution to the Todos Somos MAS tribute album, Argentina’s Los Auténticos Decadentes give “Mi Fantasía” a rock steady beat full of percussion, trumpets and Jamaican vibes, giving one Los Bukis’s most well known songs a fun as hell makeover.
Kemo The Blaxican ft, Sick Jacken – “El Negocio”
At first glance, “El Negocio” is the polar opposite of the classic Bukis vibe. The former Delinquent Habits member delivers a gritty tale of life in the streets backed by a boom bap beat. However, the song would not have been the same without sampling the Bukis signature hit, “Tu Carcel,” giving it the perfect spin no one expected.
BONUS: Las Chicas del Pais – "Si No Te Hubieras Ido"
This is technically not a Bukis song but we’re giving it a pass. Although Marco Antonio Solis released the most widely known version in 1999; the song dates back to the early ‘80s, when he wrote it for singer Marisela who recorded in 1984. It inspired Dominican powerhouse merengue act Las Chicas del País to make their version in 1988.