Montez de Durango:
The Kings of the Duranguense genre

Montez de Durango is a living legend and the most important reference of the Duranguense style in regional Mexican music. A project that was born in 1996 in the city of Chicago and today almost thirty years later, continues to evolve constantly, under the leadership of José Luis Jr, Daniel and Cristian, sons of its founder, José Luis Terrazas.
Its origin is a combination of nostalgia and dedication. José Luis Terrazas worked as a computer programmer, but spent his weekends selling records and cassettes of music in Chicago’s “Swap Meet” or “Flea Markets” markets, open-air markets and inside a building known as “Swap Meet” or “Tianguis”.
Many customers came to José Luis’s booth looking for discontinued music that was difficult to find, especially records by Mexican groups from Chicago. That was how he came up with the idea of forming a group that would revive those melodies and sell the album at his stall and record store called “Terrazas Music”.  This is how Montez de Durango was born, initially made up of musicians originally from Durango living in Chicago that José Luis recruited.
Little by little the group began to offer presentations at local events and in this way it was gaining recognition; but it was their song “Camino A Tepehuanes”, which allowed the group to enter the regular rotation of the radio station La Ley 107.9 in Chicago, conquering audiences in other states outside of Illinois, such as Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana and Missouri and Texas among many others.
What years later would be known as the Duranguense genre, was first an exploration that Montez de Durango made with his album Con Sabor a Tamborazo Vol. 1. Terrazas took the initiative and combined elements of the Tamborazo Zacatecano with Gruperas and Regio Montanas instrumentations such as “Los Montañeses del Álamo”; in this way Montez de Durango replaced the electric bass with the tuba and charcheta using keyboards as well as including the Tambora to his percussion section. These new elements were in perfect harmony with the traditional sounds of northern Mexico, resulting in a mix that captured the attention of his fellow Duranguenses in Chicago and the music industry.
As the group became more popular, organically a particular way of dancing their music was also born. The history of the group is that it was initially 2 boys who went often to their events in the city of Aurora, Illinois, who began to dance in a different and peculiar way since it lent itself to dancing alone and the steps were good along with the speed that certain songs were going.  Montez de Durango when they saw them dance they began to imitate the two boys and in the same way people imitated the group, the dance was expanding by the people in dances, until it reached the city of Chicago, they never thought that in such a short time it would also soon reach so many different cities and countries.
At some point when Montez de Durango began to fill the dance halls in Chicago they began to see people wearing guayaberas because the halls were getting too hot with so many people. Jose Luis Terrazas decided that the group will start using Guayaberas because of the freshness it offers while playing. In just weeks it became fashionable to wear Guayaberas in the Chicago area and also in such a short time it became fashionable in the United States and Mexico.
At the beginning of 2002 Jose Luis Terrazas signed with “Disa Latin Music” the most important company in Mexican music.That same year the group released their album “El Sube Y Baja” from which they released their first two national and international radio hits “El Sube Y Baja” and “Hoy Empieza Mi Tristeza” that would lead the group to detach their career, selling hundreds of thousands of copies, nominations for Premio Lo Nuestro and Billboard Awards, as well as their first tour throughout the United States and Mexico.
 
This curious route of the music of Montez de Durango is a testimony to the dynamism that any cultural expression can have. The history of the Duranguense reminds us how music can be a bridge between dispersed communities, whose identity can be reinterpreted and adapted by new generations.
In the case of Montez de Durango, his music not only represented a bridge back to his roots, but also a channel for innovation within the Mexican music scene.
Today Montez de Durango is preparing to celebrate its thirtieth anniversary and continues to be a cultural phenomenon that has contributed enormously to the genre of Mexican music, retaining a leading role in the current panorama.
Their resounding and sustained success is demonstrated by their millionaire sales, hundreds of millions of reproductions of their albums and an intense concert tour that only stops two weekends each year. Iconic albums such as Borrón y Cuenta Nueva, El Sube y Baja, De Durango a Chicago, and Y Sigue La Mata Dando have cemented their reputation as true innovators in the scene.
During the last two years the group has been producing two ambitious projects that will include unreleased songs by composers such as “Espinoza Paz”, “Régulo Caro”,”Salvador Hurtado”, among others, and there will also be some covers of “Juan Gabriel” and “Los Temerarios”.  These two albums will be released in two parts, the first this summer 2024 and the second before the end of the same year. The group’s excitement about it is evident, especially since they consider that this could be one of their best works in terms of track selection and musical arrangements.
Montez De Durango will begin the “Durango Fest 2024” tour this June in more than 33 cities throughout the United States. Durango Fest, a music festival celebrating the culture of Durango, is the brainchild of Jose Luis Terrazas and his sons. The group will also be performing in countries such as Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador in 2024.
With an abundant history, Montez de Durango continues to make its mark on Mexican music and his immense legacy resonates deeply in the hearts of his audience.
 
 
 
 
 
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA
It is important to mention that for Montez de Durango the state of Nevada and mainly the city of LAS VEGAS has been key since for more than 25 years they have made a musical presence in events, festivals, anniversaries and all those events to which they have been invited to participate.
They have been presented in these places to mention…..
– Stardust Casino
– New Orleans Arena
– Latin Grammys “Mandalay Bay”
– Vegas Convention Center
– Westgate Convention Center
– Silver Nugget Event Center
– Broadacres Marketplace
– Freemont Street Experience
– Horseman’s Park
– Buffalo Bills Arena
– Fort Cheyenne Event Center
– Cannery Hotel and Casino
Its leader and founder JOSÉ LUIS TERRAZAS has also participated in most of the work meetings and conventions of Musical Entrepreneurs that have been held quarterly at the Westgate Hotel.
They were recently present at the last meeting of businessmen that took place this July 2024 living with artists, businessmen and the public present.
Most of the events where Montez de Durango has performed throughout his musical career in Las Vegas have had impressive acceptance from his audience filling each event held
 
 
Las Vegas has meant the second home after Chicago for Montez de Durango, where they have conquered thousands of hearts with their unique musical style.
MONTEZ DE DURANGO the leaders and creators of this great movement of the Pasito Duranguense.