Los Horoscopos de Durango Will Reunite After Resurgence: Interview

It’s been more than 20 years since duranguense’s heyday, but the same unfiltered chemistry and wit they became known for continue to define the sisters today. When duranguense was at its peak, thanks to its distinct swaying dance form and sound backed by the melodicas, synths, and sax, Los Horóscopos were the only women-led band in the genre.

“It wasn’t easy,” says Vicky. “We did have moments where businessmen wanted to behave badly… Our genre sucked for that. I can’t say it more nicely.”

The sisters recall the feedback their dad, Armando — who founded the group 50 years ago, well before the girls were born — received when he decided to rebrand the band and put Vicky and Marisol as its frontwomen in the early 2000s.

“They told him it was the worst mistake you can make,” says Marisol.

“I never paid attention to what they said,” adds Armando, who watches his daughters proudly during the interview. “I saw their talent since they were very young. They were all just talking nonsense.”

“And boom,” adds Marisol.

“Boom” was right. Horóscopos built an unmistakable brand as la güera y la morena of regional Mexican music: Marisol, the sillier of the pair, was characterized by her bottle-blonde hair, cropped vaquera shirts, and flared jeans, while Vicky, the sassier black-haired sister, would dress in sexy corset tops and tutus. Together, they introduced a unique fashion sense to a genre characterized by its pointy boots, guayaberas and hard-shell taco-shaped sombreros. 

“We complement each other, right?” says Vicky, looking at her sister, who nods. “Physically, the blonde, the black hair. But with our voices too.”

“Maybe it also had to do with the fact that we were real,” adds Marisol. “We were trying to always keep it real.”

Musically, most of Horóscopos’ biggest songs consisted of covers. Horóscopos — like other duranguense bands — found a unique way of modernizing classic, already-popular tracks, speeding them up, and adding a duranguense twist to them. They took bachatas like Aventura’s “Obsesión” and  Monchy y Alexandra’s “Dos Locos” and converted them into clarinet and tamborazo-backed bangers, and they reimagined ballads by Mexican group Pandora, Marisela, and Selena as dance-driven hits.

“I think it had a lot to do with the rhythm. Duranguense has always been a very happy rhythm. Since it started, people went crazy dancing and looked at the joy,” says Vicky. “A sad song or an angry love song also had joy in it with our genre.”

Horóscopos ended up reaching such high levels of success that they won back-to-back Latin Grammys for Best Banda Album in 2007 and 2009, beating out the likes of Joan Sebastián and Banda el Recodo. They collaborated with Gloria Trevi on her song “Cinco Minutos,” and in queer subcultures, Horósocopos found a devoted fanbase of fans who often felt excluded from a genre that continues to be male-dominated.

“I swear, I saw a video once and was like, ‘When was this? Why don’t I remember this?’” Marisol recalls. “It was two [drag queens] imitating us really really good. It’s an honor to see that people do imitations. It’s awesome. That means you’re doing something right, right?”

Since the band’s social media virality, Horóscopos have found younger fan bases that have connected deeply with the nostalgia of the genre at a time when appreciation for música mexicana continues to grow. Last year, duranguense bands El Trono de México and Montez de Durango told Rolling Stone that they had seen their ticket sales and social media reach grow significantly thanks to social media.

“All these new platforms didn’t exist when duranguense existed,” says Marisol. “I think if it had existed 20 years ago, maybe it would have opened doors like it does now.”

Harnessing that momentum, the group will perform in Los Angeles on July 18 and at Arena CDMX in Mexico City on Aug. 23, with more dates to be announced as part of what they’re calling La Gira de Oro – Antes Muertas Que Sencillas (“The Golden Tour.”) Tickets for the Los Angeles show are set to go on sale to the general public on April 25 at 10 a.m. PT following a presale on April 24 at 10 a.m.

They also plan to re-release their 2010 banda album, La Güera y La Morena, on streaming services and drop more music from the vault, including some collaborations.

“We separated four years ago, but people continued supporting and listening to our music. They were the ones who maintained the legacy,” says Vicky. “We have accomplished so much and we sometimes feel like we don’t see it, but we really did this shit.”

“It was really difficult for people to accept me, without her,” adds Marisol. “But it’s nice to come back, because we’ll always stick together. Now we’re back for real. We’re back.”