Mexican ranchera singer/songwriter José Alfredo Jiménez authored some of the most beloved standards in mariachi ranchera repertoire, including “El Rey,” “Si Nos Dejan” and “Te Solte la Rienda.” On the 30th anniversary of his untimely death, a host of Latin rockers pay homage to this iconic figure in an album that runs the gamut from rap and hip-hop (Cartel de Santa’s rendition of “Ella,” for example) to retro-rock (Elefante’s “Fugitivo”). “XXX” (as in 30), kicks off, naturally, with “El Rey,” which in this version by Moderatto dissolves into an amusing Elvis-style tribute. The ensuing remake of “Así Es Mi Amor,” with new music by Jaguares’ Saúl Hernández, is gorgeous and nostalgic. And although some of the tributes suffer from predictability—many inexplicably announce the track in the intro, as if the listener were too dense to figure it out—each take is distinctive and, at the very least, captures the ear. Rancheras, it turns out, are truly universal, and not just regional.—LC
