Mexican-American group Kumbia Kings was created by A.B. Quintanilla and encompasses the style of hip hop, R&B and cumbria, hence the name. The group produce songs in both English and Spanish, attracting audiences all over the world.
The Kumbia Kings debut album entitled Amor, Familia y Respeto, was released in 1999 and immediately sold over 500,000 copies earning the group a well-deserved Grammy nomination. Just two years later their second album Shhh! was released and within the first week, it had soared to #2 among all Latin releases, remaining firmly at the top for nearly 2 years.
By 2003 the Kings reputation was stretching far and wide and they had received a nomination for the “Latin Artist of the Year” at the American Music Awards, along with countless other musical awards and achievements. 2003 was a pivotal year for the musicians as it saw the release of their album 4. The latter was a bilingual project that saw innovative fusions of reggae, R&B, pop, vallenatos, hip hop and electro-cumbia hits fuse together.
Latin all-stars, such as El Gran Silencio, Juan Gabriel, Aleks Syntek, and Grammy winning group Ozomatli brought an extra dimension to the Kings’ all encompassing style. In 2004 The Kumbia Kings released Fuego, another album that went on to sell over 500,000 copies and maintained the Kings’ “Gold Standard” status in the music industry. In 2006 the Kings were still going strong and they won their first Latin Grammy for their album, Kumbia Kings Live, in the Best Tropical Regional Mexican Album title.
