BIOGRAPHY for Pancho Barraza

 

Francisco Javier Barraza Rodríguez, who everyone knows as Pancho Barraza, is originally from Juan José Ríos, Sinaloa, Mexico.

 

At the age of 22, while he was a high school music teacher in the town of Villa Union, he started professionally as a vocalist and bassist, as part of the versatile group Karisma. At the same time, he joined the choir of the town’s church.

 

His talent and gift for composing led him years later to become part of “Banda Los Recoditos,” where he became the lead singer and managed to stand out with his own songs. In addition, he created the romantic style in the banda music genre, and that is how Recoditos began to be heard on Pacific radio, thanks to Pancho Barraza’s songs.

 

  Barraza came to play many times times to Las Vegas when he was the lead singer For Recoditos, performing in many of the popular casinos in the City of Las Vegas. 

 

Such is his restlessness to create and the confidence he has as a singer, composer, and musician that in 1995 he split from Los Recoditos to start as a soloist and form his own band, which he baptized with the name “Santa Maria.” From then on, the name of Pancho Barraza and his band Santa Maria began to be heard emphatically throughout the Pacific and part of the United States including Las Vegas, with songs such as “Mis canciones de amor,” “Ignoraste mis lágrimas,” “Gabriela de mis amores,” “Pasión de amor” and “Santa María Banda.” All these hits were included in his first production, titled “Mis canciones de amor,” as a soloist.

 

In April 1996, he released his second compact disc entitled “Cuenta conmigo,” which includes songs such as “Mi amor y mi agonía,” “Una tarde como cualquiera,” the title track “Cuenta conmigo,” “Te amo y te lo digo,” among others.

 

His musical ability is so great that the following year he decided to venture into ranchera music. He formed his mariachi Santa Maria and recorded the album “Invéntame un amor,” which included the hits “Pero la recuerdo,” “Solitario entre la gente” and “Cantares de medianoche.” Pancho Barraza was so well received with this album that the places where he performed were always packed to overflowing, which is why he deservedly earned the title of “El ídolo de las multitudes” Crowded Concerts Idol – The idol of the multitudes.

 

In 1998, he becomes “El vagabundo que te ama,” which was his new CD, from which he released a new hit in banda rhythm: “Mi enemigo el amor,” and one more in cumbia rhythm: “Aquella morena.” In addition, for the first time he recorded a corrido: “Historia de amores.” In June 1999, he surprises again with his production entitled “Del camino a la ciudad,” an album full of his inspiration and nostalgia for the difficult moments that any human being goes through.

 

“The idol of the multitudes” releases the album “Ya se fue” to start the year 2000. For the first time in his successful career, he includes songs by other authors. But he imprints them with his very peculiar interpretative style as is the case of “Un indio quiere llorar,” “Mi juramento,” “Ay amigo” and “Las rejas no matan.” This album also contains songs of his own inspiration such as “Compañera mía,” “Lola la bailera,” “No va a matarme tu amor,” and “La vaca pinta.”

 

At the end of that same year, he released “Una noche cualquiera,” a musical production in which Pancho Barraza once again demonstrates why he has become one of the public’s favorite singer-songwriters, performing songs such as “Con música romántica,” “El paso de la iguana,” “Háblame claro,” “Debajo de los laureles” and the title song of this album.

 

By mid-2000, at the same time, he released two productions. One of these is “Formas de vivir,” with which he shows his great versatility as an author, performer, and arranger. It is a complete album, accompanied by his own mariachi. It includes cumbia rhythm songs such as “Tienes que volver,” “Regresa por favor,” “Mi dama” and “Si por amor.” The other production with a banda rhythm is called “Vuelve por favor.” For the first time it includes a bachata, “Burbuja de amor” and a soca rhythm song, “Pu tun tun”.

 

With “Sinvergüenza y mujeriego,” he became one of the most popular artists, making a strong impact on radio stations and surprising both locals and foreigners with his mix of rhythms and great artistic quality, with unforgettable hits such as “Te esperaré.”

 

After 8 years of being absent from the music world, Pancho Barraza resumed his career with his record company RB Music, launching his album “Más fuerte que nunca,” which included songs such as “Yo estaba solo,” “Nunca cambies” and “Qué te pasó,” these became hits in Mexico and the United States. They play his music in radio stations across the nation and México.

 

His return to the stage has been a success, with sold outs in some of the most important venues in Mexico and the United States. As evidence, some are the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, California, the Rosemont Theater in Chicago, Illinois, La Monumental Plaza de Toros in Tijuana, without leaving aside that during the Feria Nacional of San Marcos Aguascalientes and Las Fiestas de Octubre 2018 held in Guadalajara, Jalisco has been the highest grossing artist in the palenque.

 

At the end of 2018, “El poeta del amor” (The poet of love) conquered hearts with the song “La mujer que amo,” whose video clip was made in various locations in Brazil, including the favelas, where only great artists of international stature such as Michael Jackson and Beyoncé have been able to film, thus becoming Pancho Barraza the first Mexican artist who manages to obtain permits to show these emblematic places in Brazil.

 

In the first months of 2019 he released the cut called “Un sueño” (A dream), which has an interesting musical fusion with the sounds of the Sinaloan band and reggae, making it extremely contagious to listen to. A great melody like this deserved to be accompanied by a story and a video clip to match, so “El ídolo de las multitudes” decided to travel for several days to Kingston, Jamaica for the filming of this one, where he shows a little of the culture of that country, something never seen before in the regional Mexican genre.

 

In the same year he released the album entitled “Un sueño,” in which he put all his dedication and inspiration to reach the hearts of the public, as each of the 11 songs included were written by his own hand, in addition to giving his own touch in the arrangements with a musical style that he himself has called Pancho Barraza genre, this material was recorded in Estudio 21 in Mazatlan, Sinaloa.

 

During 2019, he toured with the same name of the album, “Un sueño,” the most renowned venues in the United States and Mexico, including the Telmex Auditorium in Guadalajara, the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, the Rosemont Theatre in Chicago, the Arena Monterrey, and he was also performing in Las Vegas, Nevada as part of the celebration of the Mexican national holidays, performing at a sold out concert in the Entertainment Capital of the World. 

 

The year 2020 began with many novelties for the public, among them the release of the single “¿Por qué?,” which he co-wrote with Edén Muñoz, leader, and vocalist of Calibre 50.

 

In May of the same year, he released the cut “Mis canciones” (My songs), which was inspired by him. The video clip shows unforgettable moments he has lived in some of the most emblematic venues in Mexico and the United States, where the muse of his songs, his wife Gaby González, has been present. Pancho Barraza took advantage of these days of quarantine to record himself with his cell phone some shots in his house, and thus take care of the security measures and distance that are so important at this time.

 

At the end of 2020 he released “La fuerza del amor” in which he shows his eternal romanticism. The story of the videoclip took place in Mazatlan, Sinaloa, where Pancho Barraza chose the model to capture a beautiful love story that he lives every day, it is again his beautiful wife Gaby Gonzalez, and together they project that great feeling and connection that has led them to be together for more than 12 years.

 

Throughout his career he has received several awards for his brilliant career, among which are: Radio Awards in the United States, Premios Bandamax and Premios La Mejor in Mexico. In 2021 he celebrated 30 YEARS OF SUCCESSFUL ARTISTIC CAREER with the album titled “30 ANIVERSARIO, 30 CANCIONES, 30 DUETOS,” where he had the collaboration of great friends and colleagues. Some of the artists who participated in this album are GRUPO FIRME, ALFREDO OLIVAS, JULIO PRECIADO, CARIN LEÓN, EL FANTASMA, LENIN RAMIREZ, EDÉN MUÑOZ, BANDA RENOVACIÓN, among many others, making it a great treat for the public.

 

In 2022 he prepared the release of a new album, which he recorded completely with mariachi and unpublished songs of his own, as the first single is the song titled “AL SABOR DEL CHAMPAGNE,” which was a success on digital platforms and on the radio in the United States and Mexico, where it was at the top of the charts.

 

In 2023, Pancho Barraza has been in charge of pleasing his loyal audience, as well as the new generations with new music and a tour where in some presentations he has been accompanied by his children.

 

He kicked off 2023 with the release of the single “No creo merecerte” and announced his tour called “LEYENDA EN VIDA,” with which he will tour Mexico and the United States to showcase his spectacular show that has been distinguished for being one of the best and most complete in regional Mexican music. Then he presented the song “UN POCO DE AMOR” and on October 27th was the great premiere of his new single “Me voy a alejar,” authored by Adrián Barraza, his son. It is worth mentioning that this is the first time Pancho records an unreleased song that is not his own.

“ME VOY A ALEJAR” talks about a person who decides to say goodbye to his partner because he feels lost. 

 

The official video is about a similar story, in which a couple disintegrates because there is a third person in the relationship. Musically, this song includes the classic sounds of Pancho Barraza’s romantic band, however, the chords of the electric guitar also stand out.

 

On the other hand, last Thursday, October 26th, Pancho Barraza received a tribute and three awards from the Composers Expo Foundation in Anaheim, California, in conjunction with the government of the city of Los Angeles. These three awards recognize his career and contribution to Latino families through his music and compositions.

 

“The idol of the multitudes” has 33 years of artistic career, in which he has made the public vibrate with each of his songs. The singer-songwriter from Sinaloa currently continues with his tour “LEYENDA EN VIDA,” but the big surprise is that in 2024 he will begin a new tour of presentations with his sons, JULIO, ADRIÁN and JAVIER, this tour will be called “DINASTIA BARRAZA” and with it they plan to tour the most important venues in Mexico and the United States. Pancho Barraza performed last September at the Tropicana hotel and casino with a sold- out concert. 

 

On January 26th, 2024, Barraza will perform at the emblematic T- Mobile Arena  in Las Vegas, where he is a prominent figure. They are predicting a successful sold-out concert. Pancho is a well known artist, and for many years he has traveled to Las Vegas to perform, to attend conventions or just for fun!