Los Llayras

Central Mexico's Los Llayras drew on influences ranging from cumbia to traditional Andean folk to grupero music to create their distinctive brand of tropical. After rising to popularity throughout the Latin American world, they issued a pair of U.S. compilations -- 20 Cumbias Andinas and El Tranvia del Amor -- before releasing Manantial de Amor, a collection of all-new material, in 1998. Prometiendo Amor followed a year later; Vuelve Mariposa appeared in spring 2001. ~ Jason Ankeny