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Yolanda Perez is among the female vocalists who specializes in banda, a style of Mexican music that historically has been dominated by male artists. Banda music, which is known for its unique combination of horns and its chugging tubas, has flourished in Mexico as well as the southwestern part of the United States; Perez is one of banda's Mexican-American performers and has lived in the U.S. her entire life. Born in Los Angeles on May 20, 1983, and raised in that heavily Latino city, Perez had a very bilingual upbringing. The vocalist grew up speaking English and Spanish fluently and is capable of singing in both languages. Perez usually performs in Spanish -- which is banda's official language -- although she will occasionally sing in English and provide a banda interpretation of a soul or doo wop classic. And like the late Tejano star Selena and fellow banda/corrido vocalist Jenni Rivera -- who is known as La Diva de la Banda (the Diva of Banda) and la Primera Dama del Corrido (the F...