Los Tigres del Norte Doesn’t Fear Retaliation From Trump for Supporting Harris: ‘We Will Continue to Move Forward’
Los Tigres del Norte has always been known for addressing political issues and social justice in its songs, with strong and direct lyrics, and for giving a voice to immigrants who have come to the U.S. in search of a better life. Amid recent immigration raids by President Donald Trump’s administration, the band’s latest single, “La Lotería,” is no exception.
“It always breaks your heart to leave your land because the tree no longer provides good shade … It’s not that they want to change their flag; although far away, they always long for their roots,” goes the song released on Feb. 6 under Fonovisa.
“I think it comes at a time when we were already seeing what was coming,” Jorge Hernández, lead vocalist and leader of Los Tigres del Norte, tells Billboard Español. “The song is narrated according to how life has led us.”
Last year, during presidential candidate Kamala Harris’ campaign, Los Tigres performed at her rally in Phoenix. The appearance aligned with the Mexican band’s continued support for Democratic candidates during U.S. presidential elections. In the past, it has endorsed Hillary Clinton (2016) and Joe Biden (2020), and has used its platform to get Latinos to go out and vote.
“We had the opportunity to work on this Kamala Harris campaign, hoping that we would have the pleasure of having another type of government, but well, such is life. Now we have to adapt and do what we have to do,” Hernández says. “I think this moment is very important for all of us Latinos, it’s a crucial moment for everyone.”
“We also have to see what the Mexican government will grant to those people who for some reason have not been able to settle in the United States,” he adds about the fate of the people deported.
The norteño music band known for classics such as “De Paisano a Paisano,” “La Carta,” “Jefes de Jefes” and “Somos Más Americanos” left its native Sinaloa, Mexico, in 1970 — two years after the group’s foundation — and has established itself in San Jose, Calif., since then.
When asked if he fears any kind of retaliation from President Trump for being the voice of many immigrants in the U.S. and for having supported the Harris campaign, the musician stays focused.
“I don’t think negatively,” he says. “We have always participated when we are called not only in the U.S., in different countries and for different organizations. It’s part of our job. We have been identified with Latinos since the ’70s, so it’s nothing new for us. If there were to be something against us, well, we would have to see what process we would follow. For now, we are calm.”
“We did what we had to do as human beings and as citizens of this country and as citizens of our Mexican Republic,” Hernández concludes. “We will continue to move forward fighting for those people who have no voice.”
Sigal Ratner-Arias
Billboard