VIA PRESS RELEASE | Craft Latino is thrilled to announce the long-awaited reissue for the legendary album Alma enamorada from the Godfather of corridos, Chalino Sánchez. Back on vinyl for the first time in over 30 years, Alma enamorada includes norteño classics and legendary corridos (descriptive narratives) including the title track, “Los Chismes,” “Armando Aguirre” and more.
The newly remastered reissue, available for pre-order today and releasing on November 15, features (AAA) lacquers cut from the original analog tapes by Clint Holley and Dave Polster at Well Made Music, and original artwork replicated on the LP jacket. A one-of-a-kind Alma enamorada picture disc variant (limited to 400 copies)—the first Chalino Sánchez picture disc ever—plus a bundle option that includes a collectible Chalino Sánchez T-shirt are available for pre-order at discosmusart.com.
Recorded in 1991, and released by Discos Musart in 1992, Alma enamorada showcases Chalino’s unmistakable style and profound connection to norteño music. The recording highlights Chalino’s collaboration with norteño band Los Amables del Norte from Sinaloa, Mexico, led by accordion player and vocalist Nacho Hernández, who recorded several albums and toured with Chalino.
The album features timeless tracks, including evocative love ballads that make up some of the most popular songs on the album, including “Alma enamorada” written by Rafael Elizondo, about a “soul in love.” Another standout is the witty, upbeat ballad and fan favorite written by Chalino “Los chismes,” in which a man professes his love for his fiancée, letting her know he loves her, and nobody can change that with gossip.
With this masterful yarn, Chalino adds a lighthearted balance to the arsenal of emotionally intense corridos, demonstrating Chalino’s versatility as an artist. The remaining love ballads, “María de la luz,”composed by Miguel Lomeli, and “Prenda del alma” by Mexican singer, musician and composer Raymundo Pérez y Soto, are both beautifully written songs about heartbreak and longing.
As listeners dive deeper into the rest of the album, the back-to-back corridos are a storytelling ride, with six of them penned by Chalino himself. His most popular corrido on the album is the cautionary tale of staying clear of a customs officer, “Armando Aguirre,” who is never caught sleeping, intelligent and tough. “Anastasio Pacheco,” written by singer and composer Julián Garza, also known as El Viejo Paulino, and covered by various artists, is also a favorite among corrido fans.
It tells of a wealthy man in the 1900s who was killed over a dispute about stolen oxen. Chalino’s composition, “Coquio Castro” is another narrative-driven knockout that tells about a tough young man from Sinaloa who is humble but wild, and won’t walk away from a fight. His enemies plot to kill him, but Coquio is ready with his 45. The album’s love ballads and corridos alike have cemented its place in the hearts of fans, connecting immigrant communities to their roots with tales of unrequited love, bravery and so much more.
Chalino Sánchez’s own life at times mirrored the dramatic stories he told in his music. Born Rosalino Sánchez Félix on August 30, 1960, in Sinaloa, Mexico, Chalino lived a life marked by controversy and resilience, fleeing to Tijuana as a teenager allegedly after a fateful incident involving a shootout with a local crime boss who had insulted his family’s honor. After crossing into the U.S., Chalino settled in Los Angeles, working odd jobs, including some with his brother Armando. The jobs are rumored to have included washing cars, being busboys and working for a notorious mafioso with two prosthetic arms. After the tragic murder of his brother in 1984, Chalino found himself in a Tijuana prison where he wrote his first corrido in honor of his brother.
Despite his untimely death over three decades ago, Chalino Sánchez remains an enduring cultural icon. Sánchez’s raw and unfiltered voice, combined with his authentic storytelling, pioneered the genre of narcocorridos, a subgenre of regional Mexican music that narrates the lives and experiences of those entangled in the world of drug trafficking. His collaboration with Discos Musart / Balboa Records produced influential albums like Alma enamorada and Nieves de enero.
His legacy lives on through tracks such as “Prenda del alma,” “Los chismes,” “El Pitallón,” “El navegante,” “Una tarde,” and “El pávido návido.” Chalino’s relationship with Discos Musart was pivotal in shaping his recording career. After he worked for years independently, Musart recognized Chalino’s unique voice and authenticity, giving him a platform to share the unfiltered stories of his life and the struggles of those around him to a wider audience. These studio recordings continue to resonate with fans worldwide, solidifying Sánchez’s enduring legacy. His work with the label immortalized his voice and his experiences for future generations.
