Ana Bárbara is celebrating the birthday of the late Vicente Fernández in a special way. Today (Feb. 17), the Mexican icon released her duet “La Jugada,” which was recorded with El Rey de la Música Ranchera before his passing.
Before Fernández’s passing in Dec. 2021, he and Ana Bárbara finished recording “La Jugada” at his studio at his Tres Potrillos ranch in 2017. Bárbara co-wrote and co-produced the song with Junio Cabral, while Fernández handled the vocal direction. For the “Bandido” singer, it’s a dream come true to finally release their duet on what would’ve been Fernández’s 83rd birthday.
“I can’t find the words to express my gratitude to the great excitement of seeing the dream of uniting my voice with that of my great idol Don Vicente Fernández crystallize,” she shared in a statement. “I know that thanks to the magic of technology and through his marvelous interpretation, he will be eternally present in his music, and to quote a phrase from this fits perfectly: ‘Although you are not with me, it is my love that accompanies you.’ With our hands on our hearts, we share this song.”
“La Jugada” is a beautiful ranchera ballad. Ana Bárbara and Fernández sing to each other about a fleeting romance that still lingers on their minds. It’s incredible to hear Fernández’s voice once again on a new song. Ana Bárbara proves to complement Chente well with her equally emotional performance.
The music video for “La Jugada” was filmed in two parts. Fortunately, before Fernández’s passing, Ana Bárbara was able to film with him in March 2020 at his Tres Potrillos ranch in Guadalajara. In Dec. 2022, she filmed the scenes that the video was missing alongside a white horse.
On Mar. 21, Ana Bárbara will be honored at the BMI Latin Awards. She will receive the BMI Icon Award for her nearly 30-year career. She will be the first singer-songwriter in the regional Mexican music genre to be honored with the award.
Listen to “La Jugada” below. The music video comes out today at 3 p.m. PT.