I watched Los Tigres Del Norte At Folsom Prison
You should watch/listen
The easy take to have in regards to Los Tigres’ recent release is that it’s an aging group with waning success making a gimmick recording to get people talking, but you’d be referring to the original Folsom Prison recording by Johnny Cash and not to this one. I don’t mean any disrespect to the greatness of Johnny Cash but there simply cannot be comparison to what Los Tigres Del Norte represent to Norteño music. Los Tigres have never had a drug scandal, never stopped selling out arenas, and never stopped pumping out songs. The fact that they haven’t had a hit of the magnitude of “La Puerta Negra” or “Jefe de Jefes” in recent years is not so much a statement on the new songs but more so the colossal impact of the biggest of Tigres Del Norte hits.
To put it as plainly as possible, los Tigres Del Norte are irrefutably giants and this project is much more than just a live concert.
At the very beginning of it all Jorge Hernandez, who is the principal vocalist and main narrator in many of the band’s songs along with Hernan speak as to why they of all the possible groups to record a prison album would do so.
“We’ve come to Folsom prison to be with those that got lost along the way and have been forgotten…50 years after the most famous concert at a prison in all of history…It was here 50 years ago where Johnny Cash presented himself in front of an audience where there barely were any Latinos. The country has changed since 1968, and the prison population has also changed. In California, where Folsom is located, 46% of all inmates are of Latino origin.”
One of the biggest and most influential of all Mexican if not Spanish speaking musical groups of all time has come to Folsom to shed a light and humanize the Latino prisoners of this country. To show whoever would listen that despite what the president and other people in power have espoused about the “Hispanic invasion” that the people who are in those prisons are human too.
Throughout the recording and especially in the Netflix documentary we see and hear the band speak with inmates at Folsom Prison and a handful of them tell their stories. What’s most striking in all of them is the vulnerability with which they speak. There were times when I found myself on the verge of tears. There’s one particular inmate, Melchor Juarez, who shares his story of how he was unfairly accused of a crime and because he sent every single available cent of his money back home was unable to get a competent lawyer and is now serving SERIOUS time. It’s crushing, it’s enraging, it’s baffling, it’s…normal? I can’t help but think how many other stories like his there are. Right when I’m about to explode with rage and send out some sort of useless tweet Melchor says that he’s found peace in God knowing that He’s innocent and I’m rendered speechless.
The men and women of Los Tigres Del Norte at Folsom Prison are resilient, are profound, and are immensely strong. I’m better for knowing their story and you should know them too. Get pissed off too, but at the very least see that even the ACTUAL CONVICTED criminals have a depth that goes beyond their crime.
Los Tigres Del Norte At Folsom Prison is available on Netflix or you can Listen here:
Additionally:
The one thing I found the Netflix doc lacking in is in addressing injustice. I wish there was more of a call to action or something but I guess that depends on me and you to actually do something AFTER we’ve been moved.
Did You listen to?
The latest Irrelevant Information Podcast? There’s been some good ones…
https://podnews.net/podcast/1435429231/listen
There’s ALSO a second show on The Irrelevant Podcast Network, which is a meditation aide. Talking To Houseplants
https://podnews.net/podcast/1476588204