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Archive for September, 2006

Abraham Quintanilla III remained at the forefront of Latin pop for years on end, primarily as a producer with a long track record, but also as the brother of Selena, as a hit songwriter, and as a polarizing troublemaker. His recording career began alongside that of his iconic sister, with the release of Selena y los Dinos (1984), the first of many albums that he would produce and co-write. As Selena’s star rose, so did his. And when her star went dark, following her tragic slaying in 1995, Quintanilla withdrew from the limelight for a while, co-writing occasional songs for Selena followers like Thalía and Olga Tañón. In 1999, he returned to the big time with A.B. Quintanilla y los Kumbia Kings, a bilingual hitmaking collective that fused traditional Mexican music (cumbia, above all) with urban American styles (hip-hop, funk, R&B, reggae), topping it all off with a slick sheen of easily enjoyable pop accessibility. Los Kumbia Kings, always preceded in billing — or, later, “presented” — by Quintanilla, scored too many hits to list, and following their debut album, they began hitting number one with regularity. The group unraveled, however, following the release of their fourth album, 4 (2003), as all the leading members of the group, including frontmen Frankie J and DJ Kane, left bitterly and mounted recording careers of their own. In the media, this bitterness was always coupled with references to “the business” and how they’d learned a lot in Los Kumbia Kings. The subtext, it’s safe to deduce, is that the guys weren’t getting paid their fair share by Quintanilla, who had a track record of co-writing songs that may have not been his to begin with — and so it has been argued to no clear resolve. In any event, penny-pincher or not, Quintanilla proved himself to be a savvy producer and co-writer, as no matter whom he worked with, he scored hits. For instance, Los Kumbia Kings remained successful even after their mass regrouping, and following another intra-group feud over money, Quintanilla enjoyed instant success with a new group of his, the Kumbia All Starz.

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