Calibre 50

Calibre 50 is an award-winning norteño quartet from Mazatlan, Sinaloa. Their provocative moniker, titled after an armor-piercing bullet, was chosen to symbolize their music. While many of their narcocorridos are officially banned from airplay at home, streaming word of mouth got their music to an ever-growing audience. Their stage show is a spectacle of musical intensity and engaging crowd interaction. Thier debut album, Renovar o Morir appeared in 2010, and won the Lo Nuestro Award. 2014's Contigo, and 2015's Historia de la Calle placed in the Top 200, and topped the Mexican Regional Albums chart. 2019's Simplemente Gracias went top ten on several charts. The band experienced a period of transition after the pandemic, undergoing several lineup changes. After lead vocalist/songwriter Eden Munoz left in 2022. They hired singer Tony Elizondo (now 12-string guitarist and backing vocalist), and another singer before hiring Beto Gastellum became the group's lead singer on 2024's La Culebras. Founded in 2010 after singer and songwriter Eden Munoz left Colmillo Norteño to start his own project, they gigs wherever they could -- from backyard parties to small restaurants -- they made a video of their song "The Infiernito." Their rowdy, celebratory live shows and the video, brought them attention from Disawho singed the band. They made their full-length album debut with Renovar o Morir undert the name Puro Colmillo Norteño in 2010. The album included the singles "Callejero y Mujeriego," "Culiacán vs. Mazatlán" (a duet with Gerardo Ortiz), and "El Tierno Se Fue." As Calibre 50 began to receive airplay and gain attention on YouTube. They werrwe sued over the name by Munoz's former band and was forced to change the name. As Calibre 50, they released De Sinaloa Para el Mundo that included the charting singles "El Tierno Se Fue" and "Te Estoy Engañando con Otra." Calibre 50 maintained a rigorous touring schedule, and reecoerded whenevert they were home. Released in 2012, El Buen Ejemplo delivered no less than four hit singles: "Mujer de Todos, Mujer de Nadie," "Bohemio Loco," "El Buen Ejemplo," and "Gente Batallosa." A duet with the band Carnivale, "Gente Batallosa," became the most played song of the year in Mexico and netted the band a Billboard Award for Song of the Year Vocal Collaboration. Calibre 50's work ethic was as inspiring as it was exhausting. They issued La Recompensa in February of 2013. Its first single, "Aquí Estoy," hit the top of the Regional Mexican airplay charts in both Mexico and the United States, followed in similar fashion by "Ni Que Estuvieras Tan Buena" -- also radio's most played song in the genre that year. Calibre 50 struck again in October with Corridos de Alto Calibre. This collection featured the single "El Immigrante," which not only topped the radio charts, but remained in the number one spot for over ten weeks in Mexico. The intense pace of the road and creative pressure in writing and recording resulted in personnel changes in 2014. Lopez and Augusto were replaced by Alejandro Gaxiola on tuba and Erick Garcia on drums for that year's Contigo. It not only netted the band a number one spot for the title track single, but its full-length made the top five. Calibre 50 signed with Sony in late 2014. In January of the following year, Univision premiered the telenovela Que Te Perdone Dios (a remake of 2000's Abrázame Muy Fuerte). The band was enlisted to deliver the theme song, "Aunque Ahora Estés con El." Released as a stand-alone single, it too went top five on various charts. The quartet released a notoriously controversial pre-release single, "Se Nos Volvió a Pelar Mi Apá," which was banned from airplay, affecting its chart position. They followed it with "La Gripa," which was released simultaneously in November with the Sony album Historia de la Calle. The 14-track set offered a wide variety of Calibre 50 music showcasing northern corridos, cumbias, and rancheras that hit number one on the Latin Albums chart. It also included a cover of Joan Sebastian's "Amor Limosnero." In July 2016, the pre-album single "Amor del Bueno" went to number one on the Regional Mexican Songs download and airplay charts. In early September, the band issued three more singles, each a week apart from its successor: "Bola" was followed by "Siempre Te Voy a Querer" (which peaked at number five) and "Pa' Qué Me Hacen Enojar." The Desde el Rancho album was issued at the end of the month. It peaked at number one on the Mexican Regional Albums chart and remained on the list for more thana year. The following year saw the band release the concert LP Vivo Auditorio Telmex at the same time they began posting clips of new tracks on the Internet. These raw, hardcore corridos, sounded like demos. It was a strategy for fans to discover the band had rerturned to its roots. The single "Las Ultras" was nominated for Best Dance Song at that year's Premios Juventud and the album landed at number three on the Top Latin Albums chart. In September, Disa issued the 15-track Guerra de Poder. Its single, "Corrido de Juantito," topped the Mexican Regional Airplay chart. Led by five charting singles including its number one title track, Mitad y Mitad was issued in July of 2018, and entered the Mexican Regional Albums chart in the top spot a week later. The top five Simplemente Gracias followed in 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic put a stop to touring and shows across the globe in 2020; realizing this, Calibre 50 released Desde Estudio Andaluz Music, a collection of hits played live. They followed with the non-album video single "Barquillero," that racked up more than 45 million views and spent four weeks at number one. It appeared on Vamos Bien, that hosted another number one single, "A La Antiguita...." The Eden Munoz-penned ballad was offered to many artists including Banda MS and Pepe Aguilar, all declined to record it. Calibre 50's version registered almost 84 million streams after a month. Near the end of January 2022, Munoz announced his departure to pursue a solo career. He was replaced by Tony Elizondo (now the band's 12 string guitarist and backing singer), and new accordionist and backing vocalist, Ángel Saucedo. Their yearlong tenure would produce the studio album Tiempo al Tiempo, that hosted the charting single "Días Buenos, Días Malos." On April 1, guitarist Armando Ramos departed after a 13 years to form and lead Al Tiro. On April 2, Ramos and Saucedo were replaced by Oscar Arredondo and José Mario Gastélum, respectively. Their membership would last less than a year. In April 2024, Beto Gastélum became lead vocalist. He, like Muñoz before him, was lead vocalist for Colmillo Norteño. In addition, Martín López, Calibre 50's original sousaphonist (2010-2014), returned as accordionist. A month later, they issued La Culebras. The 11-track set was composed of five orignals, three covers, and three live performances featuring guest vocalist El Coyote
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