Born in 1983 to a humble family of farmers in Chiapas State, Julión Álvarez moved to Sinaloa at the age of 18. He began making headway in norteño music, performing in bars, and got his big break in 2002 when he joined Banda Sinaloense MS de Sergio Lizárraga. After several years, Álvarez left the group and formed his own, Julión Álvarez y Su Norteño Banda. They debuted with the album Corazón Mágico, led by a hit single of the same name. After that, the singer began releasing a string of successful albums at a torrid rate -- 11 between 2007 and 2014 -- that led him to become one of the leading figures of the genre. He has been nominated for several Latin Grammys, and also served as a judge for the talent show La Voz... México. Álvarez paid homage to a handful of his favorite banda artists and key musical influences with his 2016 album of covers, Mis Ídolos, Hoy Mis Amigos!!! ~ Mariano Prunes