Los Huracanes Del Norte to bring 50th anniversary tour to Fantasy Springs
Roberto Heraclio “Rocky Jr.” García didn’t join the Norteño band Los Huracanes Del Norte until 2005, but it’s been a part of his entire life.
García joined the band — which includes his father, Heraclio “Rocky” García, and three uncles — to play the bajo sexto (Mexican 12-string guitar) and provide vocals. Rocky Sr. and the group’s accordion player, Jose Luis “El Chapete” Mejía, weren’t compatible with singing harmonies together on romantic-themed material, but Rocky Jr. was.
“I would jam with El Chapete and was singing along with him and my dad. My dad said, ‘You know what? I bet it’s time for you guys to come in here and start singing together,’ García told The Desert Sun during a recent phone interview. “I guess the reason I went in was to get me closer to my dad and travel with him, since I missed all that growing up and going to school.”
Los Huracanes Del Norte is celebrating its 50th anniversary and will perform Jan. 29 at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino.
Norteño music, a 19th century genre of Mexican music that incorporates polka and waltz tempos, has been popular in the United States and Mexico for decades.
García said this tour differs from what the group is used to. The bandmates are opting to perform in venues for early-evening shows to accommodate families and older fans that can’t attend the late-night shows in nightclubs and dance halls.
‘It’s a rough lifestyle'
The band has recorded over 900 songs since 1973, had several hits and toured throughout the U.S. and Mexico. García said his father and uncles would go out for a month and be home for three days before hitting the road again during the '80s and '90s. He described his childhood in Portales, New Mexico as “hectic.”
“They’re figuring out now they missed out on a bunch of stuff,” García said. “I thank God for what my family is, who my parents are and the business they picked. It’s a rough lifestyle, and it’s not for everyone. This Mexican band deal is hard work and a lot of sacrifice.”
He and his four siblings would often be put to work on their rural property when Rocky Sr. was home, but when the band hit the road again, the family was joined by four cousins and there was an opportunity to slack off a bit.
“We’d always panic right when they were coming back,” García said. “We’d all be hustling to get stuff cleaned up around the house and homework they left for us. That was weird too, because every time my dad would come home, instead of us being excited, we were worried that we didn’t get something done.”
Though most kids were discovering alternative music and hip-hop, García was listening to Mexican music on the radio. He wasn’t bilingual until the third grade and the family didn’t listen to music with English lyrics — they “listened to what we knew.” That meant the single radio station in their area playing regional Mexican music.
“Listen to radio here and you hear country, metal, oldies, classic rock and all these different music stations. Mexican people have one station in their region that plays everything to do with Mexican music,” García said. “We didn’t have YouTube and all that stuff, so we listened to (regional Mexican music) and would hear about stuff through word of mouth.”
The band has a loyal multi-generational audience, and he was often nervous about messing up and not knowing how to act on stage during his first three years, but the crowds were supportive.
“When they started introducing us kids, they accepted us and took us on like we’ve been in the band forever,” García said.
There’s a difference in how the band tours now — the musicians spend more time at home. García said his father and uncles are now grandparents. He enjoys watching his daughter play basketball and spending time with his son.
If the band is on tour, he can be found on the tour bus watching YouTube videos of other Mexican bands, or doing what he really enjoys — driving the bus.
“I usually put in six hours whenever we’re out on the road, because I’ll get real anxious in the back laying or sitting around,” García said.
If you go
What: Los Huracanes Del Norte Concert
When: Saturday, Jan. 29
Where: Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, 84-245 Indio Springs Parkway, Indio
Tickets: $39 to $59
Information: fantasyspringsresort.com
Desert Sun reporter Brian Blueskye covers arts and entertainment. He can be reached at brian.blueskye@desertsun.com or on Twitter at @bblueskye. Support local news, subscribe to The Desert Sun.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Los Huracanes Del Norte bring 50th anniversary tour to Fantasy Springs
