Los Tigres del Norte

Los Tigres are unquestionably the elder statesmen of regional Mexican music, singing the hard truths of the immigrant experience without neglecting the romance and drama that makes for entertainment. Now the band takes on an even loftier role -- that of cultural custodians. Raices spit-shines classic folkloric songs and feeds them through the band's incomparable musicianship, and the result glows. It doesn't hurt that the release follows hot on the heels of a generous half-million donation to the UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center to preserve early recordings of Mexican music.