“On Sept. 8, 2023, we have Los Tigres Del Norte!” Mayor of Pomona Tim Sandoval said as he introduced the iconic Mexican Norteno band to a full house at Fox Theater. The crowd went absolutely wild throughout the night.
Two weeks before Hispanic Heritage Month began, fans from all over the Inland Empire and Los Angeles county lined up mid-day, getting ready to see one of the biggest Mexican Norteno bands live and for free. The concert was seven years in the making, a result of the work put in by Mayor Sandoval and Pomona’s Latinx community.
With over seven Grammy awards and 16 nominations, Los Tigres Del Norte has millions of fans across North and South America, regularly playing sold-out tours and selling over 32 million copies across all of their albums. They are now one of the most recognized groups in the Norteno genre, popularized by their songs covering the Mexican diaspora and political movements.
Los Tigres Del Norte were formed in San Jose in the early ‘70s. The band’s active members include Jorge Hernandez (director, lead vocals and accordion), Hernan Hernandez (Electric bass and vocals), Eduardo Hernandez (accordion, saxophone, 6- string bass and vocals), Luis Hernandes (6-string bass and vocals) and Oscar Lara (drums).
Evelyn Solis Cabrera PZ ’25 was one of the concert’s many attendees. She, alongside many other fans, saw this event as important and impactful for the Inland Empire community.
“It brought a lot of Latino students from the 5Cs and a lot of Mexican and Latino families from around the Inland Empire together,” Cabrera said.
Jesus Ceja PZ ’24 shared his feelings on how this concert bonded the Latinx students here at the Claremont Colleges.
“5C Latinx Students found something to do off campus that they really love,” Ceja said. “First years that were there had this cool little concert to go to [in] their first weeks of being here. And I know that was a bonding experience for them.”
Winning the hearts of many fans old and young, Los Tigres Del Norte played some of their best-selling and most popular songs that had every person in the theater singing and dancing. Throughout the concert, they had many ‘surprise songs’ for the crowd, including renditions of “Por Tu Maldito Amor” and “Hermoso Carino” by the beloved “Rey de la música Ranchera” Vicente Fernandez, which Kassandra Soriano Martinez PZ ’25 found especially inspiring.
“I was shocked, but I was very happy for them,” Martinez said. “Just because it’s such a big accomplishment for the Hispanic community and it just goes to show how all their work is actually paying off. I think that was one of the best parts of the night.”
“I was about to cry,” Martinez said. “ I think [Vicente Fernandez is] also a big part of the Hispanic community as well. His songs are bangers so I love that they also did that and it just made the crowd more riled up.”
The band also paused during the show to engage the audience in a friendly singing battle between the men and women in the crowd with the song “Los Mandados.” The band seemed to think the women took the win, and so did Luis Mendoza Ramirez CM ’25.
“I was trying to pull my weight for the men but the women won for sure,” said Mendoza Ramirez.
They also brought in a live mariachi band and Folklorico dancers, who also held flags of all Latin American countries to represent Latinx pride and culture. The band closed out the show with some classic songs such as “La Puerta Negra” and “Un Dia a La Vez.”
At the end of the show, Mayor Sandoval surprised not only the audience but also the band with a street sign, announcing the band will soon have a street named after them in the city of Pomona.
One side of the sign displayed the name “Calle Hernandez” (Hernandez Street) in honor of the Hernandez brothers, who started the band. On the other side was the name: “Los Tigres Del Norte.” After Mayor Sandoval unveiled the street sign to the crowd, everyone started screaming and cheering.
Martinez described what the moment meant for her and the Hispanic community at large.
“I was shocked, but I was very happy for them,” Martinez said. “Just because it’s such a big accomplishment for the Hispanic community and it just goes to show how all their work is actually paying off. I think that was one of the best parts of the night.”