Porte Diferente

Porte Diferente are Regional Mexican norteño quartet. Fronted by vocalist and songwriter Brayan Andrade, they are signed to the Los Angeles-based Rancho Humilde label and specialize in corridos urbanos or "trap corridos," a subgenre of norteño registered with social media users initially for two reasons: their lyric fascinations with cars, gangsters, and romance are combined with a decidedly arid feel in their melodies that evoke the dusty qualities of their northern homeland and the American Southwest. Porte Diferente's storytelling and repetition are powerful and entrancing; they are spiritually related to the early 20th century badlands corridos of southern Mexico and, at times, rural banda. Formed in Tijuana in late 2018, the group's lineup includes Enrique Macias Jr. on bajoloche (acoustic bass), Miguel Ángel Salazar González on requinto (nylon six-string guitar), Miguel Angel Medina on guitar, and Andrade on lead vocals. Jimmy Humilde heard three original songs the band posted to SoundCloud: "La Piel Rayada," "El de la Chevy," and "No Soy lo Que Piensas." Impressed, he got in touch immediately, and after a short time, signed them to Rancho Humilde. He brought the group to Los Angeles to record late in 2019. In early 2020, the band delivered the video single for "Es Diferente," which registered more than a million views. Impressed with the reaction, Humilde quickly brought them in again to cut a handful of non-album singles that were released digitally and to radio in specialty markets. They registered across social media, bringing the band major industry attention. Porte Diferente appeared on Nataniel Cano's Corazón Tumbado album, collaborating with the singer on a cover of their own "No Soy lo Que Piensas." Although the group recorded a full-length album for an early summer release, it was marred by production difficulties, rendering it unusable. In August, they recut it over a couple of days. Released in October, the 16-song Es Diferente debuted at number one on the Regional Mexican Albums chart. ~ Thom Jurek, Rovi