An impressed Quintanilla took Volumen X under his wing, producing their debut album at his McAllen-based KOB Studio. Sigo Pensando En Ti was released by EMI Latin in 2004 and includes a balance of ballads and more up-tempo tracks. So far, two ballads, the title track and another called "Aqui Estoy," have been released to radio.
Volumen X stunned the Regional Mexican music community when the album earned a Latin Grammy nomination for Best Grupero Album last month. When the list of nominees was released, several Spanish-language media outlets wondered aloud about the little-known group that was nominated alongside artists like Ana Barbara and Bronco/El Gigante de America.
"Nominated the first year, for the first album out," Pauly Hernandez said. "It’s like we’ve won already." Guitarist and vocalist Leo Rojas said he hoped Grammy nominations and other achievements would be in the cards for Volumen X — someday. "We thought maybe one day we’d get there but not this soon," he said.
Volumen X is comprised of brothers Pauly, Pete and Joe Hernandez and two childhood friends, Rojas and Medina, all from Alton. Elfego, father of the Hernandez clan, works as the band’s manager. The tight-knit group stayed together, even through summers that included migrating to Michigan and Indiana for work. For the Hernandez family, traveling north was a yearly ritual; Rojas and Medina joined them so they could continue working on their music.
"We worked from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Monday through Friday," said Joe Hernandez, also known as "Loco Joe." "Then we played at dances on Friday nights, Saturdays and Sundays." After three years of traveling up north, Volumen X stayed in the Mission area for good. However they found that local crowds were not too responsive to their music.
"Our music is a contradiction to the music in the Valley," Medina said. "We don’t fit into the tejano or even norteño mold. We don’t dress like them, we don’t sound like them." With influences ranging from Ray Charles, Usher, Bronco/El Gigante de America and Los Temerarios, and musical styles like cumbias, Vallenato, rap, hip-hop and traditional Mexican rhythms incorporated in the album, it’s no surprise that Volumen X is hard to classify. |
