VIA PRESS RELEASE | Craft Latino celebrates the Godfather of the Corrido, Chalino Sánchez, with a special reissue for the legendary 1992 album Nieves de enero (Discos Musart). The newly remastered album will return to vinyl for the first-time in over 30 years and includes norteño hits “Nieves de enero,” “Florita del alma,” “El crimen de Culiacán,” and “Hermanos Mata.”
In stores August 30, on what would have been the late superstar’s 64th birthday, and available for pre-order now, Nieves de enero features all-analog mastering by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio, and original artwork replicated on the LP jacket. An exclusive “Ahumado” (Smoky) color variant (limited to 300 copies), plus a bundle option that includes a limited-edition Nieves de enero T-shirt are available for pre-order at discosmusart.com.
Just over 30 years after his infamous death, Chalino continues to be a mainstay in the culture and on music playlists all over Mexico, the United States and beyond. Originally released in 1992, Nieves de enero showcases Chalino’s collaboration with Nacho Hernandez and Los Amables del Norte. The collection includes the timeless title track, originally penned by Mario Molina Montes and popularized by Chalino, along with hits such as “Florita del alma” and the haunting “Me persigue tu sombra.”
The love songs on this album are as legendary as the man himself, but the essence lies in the poignant corridos that connected immigrant communities all over the United States to their homes south of the border. Epic tales of tragedy and bravery like “El crimen de Culiacán,” “Hermanos mata,” “Juan Ayón,” and “Martin Félix,” each play out like gritty, real-life docudramas that resonate.
That connection rooted in authenticity that Chalino made with his adoring public is reflected perhaps most acutely in his own corrido-like life. Rosalino Sánchez Félix, born on August 30, 1960, in Sinaloa, Mexico, tragically met his end at 31 in Culiacán, Sinaloa. His tumultuous life began with controversy, 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 US, Chalino settled in Los Angeles, working odd jobs including 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 his brother’s murder in 1984, Chalino found himself in a Tijuana prison where he penned his first corrido in honor of his brother titled “Armando Sanchez.”
From his time in prison, Sanchez’s raw, untrained voice captured authentic narratives, pioneering narcocorridos when they were taboo. His affiliation with Musart/Balboa Records yielded chart-topping albums like Alma enamorada and the renowned Nieves de enero, and songs such as “Prenda del alma,” “Los chismes,” “El pitallón,” “El navegante,” “Una tarde,” and “El pávido Návido” before his untimely demise.
