In 2015, Regional Mexican star Ariel Camacho died at 22 in a car accident in his native Sinaloa, Mexico. His band, Los Plebes del Rancho de Ariel Camacho, has continued keeping his music and legacy alive, releasing Friday (May 21) a joint album with Christian Nodal dubbed Recordando a una Leyenda.
“It’s been a huge responsibility,” founding member César Sánchez tells Billboard. “There’s been many ups and downs but we continue to evolve and give it our all.”
Released via JG Music under an exclusive licensing agreement with Universal Music Mexico, the 10-song album is an homage to nine of Camacho’s timeless hits in addition to their original collaboration “2 Veces.”
The idea of a tribute joint album was born after Los Plebes and Nodal’s first collaborative effort in 2017 with “No Pasa de Moda.” It was during the pandemic, however, that they solidified the album.
“We recorded the album in three days,” Sanchez says. “We’re happy with how everything turned out.”
The closing bonus track, “2 Veces,” hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Regional Mexican Airplay this week and entered Top 10 in Latin Airplay. Like the rest of the album, it fuses Los Plebes’ distinctive sierreño sound with Nodal’s innovative ranchero and mariachi melodies.
“This song was born naturally during a hangout,” Sanchez notes of the track co-composed by Horacio Palencia, Edgar Barrera, and Christian. “We have liked it since the first time we heard it and enjoyed recording it so much that we’re happy people are connecting with it.”
For Sanchez, who kicked off his career alongside Camacho in 2013, every song on the album hits home because he was part of the making of all of the original tracks.
“We’re all conscious that Ariel is seeing us from above and that he’s very proud of us for not letting his boat sink,” he concludes.
Standout tracks on Recordando a una Leyenda, as recommended by the group itself, include “Por No Perderte te Perdí,” “Ya Lo Supere,” “Amarga Derrota,” and focus track “Hablemos.”
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