Los Yonic's
Los Yonic's have been a top-tier mainstay on Mexico's grupero scene since the release of their debut album, Que lo Sepa el Mundo, in 1975. Founded by drummer Johnny Ayvar and fronted by guitarist and frontman Jose Manuel Zamacona, they shifted the focus of grupero music from its origins in nostalgic Spanish-language covers of Anglo rock songs during the early 1970s to electrified originals rooted in traditional and regional Mexican music like rancheras, cumbias, and romanticos. After releasing their self-titled breakthrough album, 1986's Déjame Vivír, they ruled the decade as both their single and albums peaked at or near the top of the Hot Latin Songs and Mexican Regional Albums charts, including 1987's Corazon Vacio, 1991's Por Que Volvi Contigo, and 2004's Nuestras Consentidas. They placed more than 20 singles in the Top Ten and more than a dozen albums in the Top 50. As a touring entity, they were as popular in the U.S. as they were in Mexico, touring north of the border almost constantly. 2013's Romances registered inside the Top 20 almost solely due to their constant touring presence. 2019's Los Grandes del Amor was issued as a combo album with Los Rehenes and Bronco.
Los Yonic's were formed in San Luis Pedro, Mexico during the mid-'70s by drummer and musical director Johnny Ayvar, with his brothers Bruno on bass and Joaquin on percussion with Jose Manuel Zamacona (lead vocals, guitar), Luis Monroy on piano and keyboards, and Carlos Cadena and Victor Nogueda on saxophones. Like dozens of other gruperos at the time, their initial focus lay in covering popular American rock & roll songs from the '60s in Spanish. After relocating to Acapulco, they began to shift their musical focus to original and commissioned material, using electric instrumentation in framing new articulations of cumbia, tropical, ranchera, and boleros. Their debut album, Que lo Sepa el Mundo, offered a taste of the new sound, but the band was still maturing. By the time they issued their third long-player, 1978's Tres Tristes Tigres, Oscar Perez had joined Monroy as a second keyboardist. The lineup remained steady as they toured in Mexico and Southern California building a fan base, but radio play remained elusive.
Their fortunes began to change with 1981's Le Falta Un Clavo a Mi Cruz. Monroy left, as did Cadena and Nogueda. The band hired Guilllermo Rocha as a second guitarist, and three saxophonists/flutists in Edward Rincón, Francisco Hernandez, and Vicente Martínez. This lineup recorded Pero No Me Dejes, their first album to chart at home. Two years later, they broke through with Déjame Vivír; it reached the Top Ten on the Mexican Regional album charts. With the exception of Johnny Ayvar, Zamacona, and Perez, lineup changes were nearly constant. Each change, though, only increased their popularity. Between 1986 and 1997, they placed five albums and no less than 25 singles inside the Top 50 on both the American and Mexican charts. Their constant touring made them superstars in U.S. cities such as Los Angeles, Phoenix, Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, and Miami. Albums such as 1989's A Tu Recuerdo, 1992's Volveré A Conquistarte, and 1995's Mal Herido all achieved gold certifications.
Though 2000's Me Acordé de Tí sold fewer copies in Mexico, the band continued to rule the American Latin and Mexican albums charts. Another development that year included the departure of founder Johnny Ayvar. Zamacona became the band's de facto leader; he and Perez were the only original members. Jose Manuel Zamacona, Jr. the singer's son, became the second lead vocalist. With the realization that their recordings sold better in the U.S., Los Yonic's redoubled their touring efforts there, and began building an audience base in the U.S. that rivaled their Mexican one. They expanded their reach to cities such as Detroit, Tucson, Washington, D.C and elsewhere, and their efforts paid off.
From 2004's Nuestras Consentidas all the way to 2013's Romances, they placed no less than nine albums on the Top Latin Albums charts, which included three Top Tens. Two of them, 2006's Palabras Tristes and 2013's Romances, also landed well inside the Top 20 on the Latin Pop Albums charts.
2017 saw the release of Asi Te Quiero Yo on Disa and Romanticos por Siempre, a split with Industria del Amor on Discos America. The latter went Top Five on the Mexican Regional chart followed by combo releases including 2018's Voces with Los Bondadosos and La Migra, and 2019's Los Grandes del Amor with Los Rehenes and Bronco.
In March 2021, founding vocalist Jose Manuel Zamacona was diagnosed with Covid-19 and hospitalized. He died in July, leaving Los Yonic's future uncertain.
© Stacia Proefrock & Thom Jurek /TiVo
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Singles
Latin America - Released by Universal Music Mexico on Jan 1, 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
35 Aniversario
Latin America - Released by UMLE - Fonovisa on Jan 1, 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Lo Más Escuchado De
Latin America - Released by Universal Music Mexico on Jul 19, 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Con Amor
World - Released by Universal Music Mexico on Jan 1, 1983
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Los Yonic's
World - Released by Universal Music Mexico on Jan 1, 1985
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Los Grandes de Amor
Bronco, Los Rehenes, Los Yonic's
Latin America - Released by Discos America on Nov 29, 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Pero No Me Dejes
World - Released by Universal Music Mexico on Jan 1, 1984
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Volveré A Conquistarte (De Colección)
Latin America - Released by Universal Music Mexico on Jan 1, 1992
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Ayer, Hoy Y Siempre Con… Los Yonic's
Latin America - Released by UME - Global Clearing House on Jul 26, 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Íconos 25 Éxitos
Latin America - Released by UMLE - Fonovisa on Jan 1, 2012
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FAVORITAS CON AMOR
Latin America - Released by UME - Global Clearing House on Jan 1, 2002
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Pétalo Y Espinas
Latin America - Released by Universal Music Mexico on Jan 1, 1987
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Lo Más Romántico De
Latin America - Released by Universal Music Mexico on Jan 22, 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Siempre Te Amaré
World - Released by Universal Music Mexico on Jan 1, 1988
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Corazón Vacío
Latin America - Released by Universal Music Mexico on Jan 1, 1986
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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En Su Punto
World - Released by Universal Music Mexico on Jan 1, 1980
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Nuestras Consentidas... Y Tú. Con Mariachi
Vocal Music (Secular and Sacred) - Released by Fonovisa on Jan 1, 1998
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Gran Encuentro (20 Éxitos Originales)
Latin America - Released by UMLE - Fonovisa on Jan 1, 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Solo Baladas
Pop - Released by Universal Music Mexico on Jan 1, 1980
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
THE BEST OF
Latin America - Released by UME - Global Clearing House on Jun 30, 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo