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Intocable

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thu 6/12/2008

 
Untouchable. Intocable in black hats and outfits.

Intocable might sound like a superhero name, but front man Ricky Muñoz knows his band is far from being "untouchable."

In 1999, the Latin Grammy-winning Tejano group founded by Muñoz and friend René Martínez in Zapata, Texas was involved in a car accident while on tour in México. Two of its members, Jose Angel "Pepe" Farias and Silvestre Rodriguez, were killed along with the band's road manager – just a few months after the band performed for an estimated 65,000 fans at the Houston Astrodome.

Muñoz considered retirement but pushed ahead, telling the San Antonio Express-News that the group's fans had brought them back: "We got hundreds of calls, letters, postcards... [w]e really felt the people were on our side." Intocable returned to the stage six months later. The band is now comprised of Muñoz (vocals-accordion), Martínez (drums), Sergio Serna (percussion), Johnny Lee Rosas (acoustic bass), Dany Sánchez (vocals-acoustic bass), Juan Hernández (MC) and Felix Salinas (electric bass).

Combining the Norteño rhythms of Ramon Ayala with pop melodies and arrangements, Intocable built its devoted fan base by touring constantly. The band has kept its set list fresh by releasing nearly an album a year since its major label debut in 1994. In 2005, Intocable's tenth anniversary, the band released X, a double CD featuring the hit single Aire; the second bonus disc features covers by artists like Pepe Aguilar, Tego Calderón and Kinky.

For those unsure if they should call Intocable Tejano or Norteño, Ricky Muñoz has an answer: "We don’t necessarily fall under a specific genre, we are a vanguard group … groups like Los Tigres Del Norte or Intocable always stay in the minds of the people, because we have and create our own style of making music."