Los Creadorez del Pasito Duranguense are one of the top-drawer duranguense groups on the scene. Fronted by the charismatic Alfredo Ramirez, Los Creadorez churn out high-octane duranguense that relies heavily on synths, brass, tambora, and a rattling, martial snare. LISTOS, MONTADOS Y ARMADOS is an ideal introduction to the group (and the style). Whether on upbeat dance numbers like "Este Adios" or lilting story songs like "El Collar de Guamuchil," Ramirez and los Creadorez prove the duranguense style is here to stay.

On this 2007 outing, the Chicago-based ensemble Los Creadorez Del Pasito Duranguense De Alfredo Ramirez (or Los Creadorez, for short) offers up a lively set of short and sweet tunes rooted in the polka-like Mexican duranguense style. Highlights of the album include the vibrant "Paloma Palomita," which benefits from playful guitar and banjo breaks, and the lighthearted "El Circo."

Chicago's Duranguense movement has spawned numerous popular acts, and Conjunto Atardecer is one of the most lively and well-known. Since most of the scene's musicians were born and raised in Chicago's Mexican communities, the true connection with Mexico's Durango is largely conceptual, but the music reflects the dusty plains and outlaw sensibility associated with Durango via myth. Adept at corridas, rancheras, and their own brand of rust-belt conjunto, Conjunto Atardecer's music is enough to turn any living room into an authentic cantina, and any cantina into an instant party. EL DECIMO Y SIGUEN LOS NO. 1 DEL PASITO DURANGUENSE is a great place to start with the group, since it provides a representative sampling of their buoyant sound, and evokes the tall hats, shiny boots, and big belt buckles of the Duranguense scene.

Additional personnel: Sergio Campos (percussion).

Duranguense outfit Los Creadorez del Pasito Duranguense are a Chicago-based group fronted by Alfredo Ramirez, one of the pioneers of the American Duranguense movement. Along with co-founder Ismael Mijarez, Ramirez formed Los Creadorez and gave the rootsy Mexican regional music a fresh, contemporary twist. LOS FAVORITAS DE CORRIDOS, RANCHERAS Y MAS is an excellent example of the Creadorez' particular magic. Containing, as the title suggests, corridos (narrative ballads) and rancheras (traditional folk songs), LOS FAVORITAS is a straight blast of banda music, energized by the well-established know-how of Ramirez and company.

Chicago's Duranguense movement has spawned numerous popular acts, and Conjunto Atardecer is one of the most lively and well-known. Since most of the scene's musicians were born and raised in Chicago's Mexican communities, the true connection with Mexico's Durango is largely conceptual, but the music reflects the dusty plains and outlaw sensibility associated with Durango via myth. Adept at corridas, rancheras, and their own brand of rust-belt conjunto, Conjunto Atardecer's music is enough to turn any living room into an authentic cantina, and any cantina into an instant party. EL DECIMO Y SIGUEN LOS NO. 1 DEL PASITO DURANGUENSE is a great place to start with the group, since it provides a representative sampling of their buoyant sound, and evokes the tall hats, shiny boots, and big belt buckles of the Duranguense scene.

Conjunto Atardecer: Mario Madrigal (vocals, keyboards); Heraclio Cepeda (vocals, tamboron); Emmanuel Ruacho (saxophone); Daniel Rubio (tuba, keyboards); Roberto Villa (drums).

On this 2007 outing, the Chicago-based ensemble Los Creadorez Del Pasito Duranguense De Alfredo Ramirez (or Los Creadorez, for short) offers up a lively set of short and sweet tunes rooted in the polka-like Mexican duranguense style. Highlights of the album include the vibrant "Paloma Palomita," which benefits from playful guitar and banjo breaks, and the lighthearted "El Circo."

This rousing compilation brings together songs that can generally be classified as rancheras. Ranchera music is a sprightly Mexican folk song that often usually features accordion, flutes, horns, ruffling percussion, and tight-knit vocal harmonies. Ranchera music bears a striking resemblance to the hearty, carnivalesque sound of Central European and Balkan folk forms, yet the music is distinctly Mexican--and all the more so for ranchera's tradition of patriotic themes. The performers here are distinctive and varied, and include Los Brujos de la Sierra and Isabela (whose stirring diva stylings offer a nice reprieve in the male-dominated set list). In addition to rancheras, LAS MAS BAILABLES DEL PASITO DURANGUENSE also contains a number of cumbias. The cumbia, which originated in Columbia, is a high-octane dance form that incorporates Latin, European, and Caribbean influences. The percussion on the cumbias is more fleshed out than on the rancheras, and the overall feel is noticeably different ("La Ampollet...