Banda El Recodo

Banda el Recodo is not only one of Mexico's most successful bandas, but one of its most eclectic. For over 80 years, the group has performed a mixture of Latin dance tunes, jazz swing, and classical music. They were the first banda to be recorded and have released more than 200 records, bringing their music from the barrios of Mexico to the international stage. They were the first Mexican recording artists to play all five inhabited continents: Europe, Asia, Africa, Oceania (Australia), and the Americas. In addition, they have been awarded more than any other Mexican Regional group, with 12 Premio Lo Nuestro a La Musica Latina and six Latin Grammys among their trophy treasure trove.

Formed in 1938, La Banda el Recodo was conceived by self-taught clarinet player Don Cruz Lizárraga (born July 1, 1918; died June 17, 1995). Although his formal education ended after his first year of junior high school, Lizárraga was a master as a musician and bandleader. Teaching himself to play clarinet, against the wishes of his father, he had to sell one of his pigs to raise the down payment for his first instrument. He raised the additional cost by picking corn for a neighbor. In the early '50s, Lizárraga joined a banda de musica sinaloense, gradually becoming the group's director