Raza Obrera (English: ''Working Class'') is a

Regional Mexican Regional Mexican music refers collectively to the regional subgenres of the country music of Mexico and its derivatives from the Southwestern United States. Each subgenre is representative of a certain region and its popularity also varies by ...

band known for their unique style of music and its prominent use of the

harp The harp is a stringed musical instrument that has individual strings running at an angle to its soundboard; the strings are plucked with the fingers. Harps can be made and played in various ways, standing or sitting, and in orchestras or ...

, along with the

accordion Accordions (from 19th-century German language, German ', from '—"musical chord, concord of sounds") are a family of box-shaped musical instruments of the bellows-driven free reed aerophone type (producing sound as air flows past a Reed (mou ...

and

charango The charango is a small Andes, Andean stringed instrument of the lute family, from the Quechua people, Quechua and Aymara people, Aymara populations in the territory of the Altiplano in post-Colonial times, after European stringed instruments we ...

. They are based out of

Newark, California Newark ( ) is a city in Alameda County, California, United States. It was incorporated as a city in September 1955. Newark is an enclave, surrounded by the city of Fremont. The three cities of Newark, Fremont, and Union City make up the Tri-C ...

, United States, and are originally from

Aguililla Aguililla is a city in the Mexico, Mexican List of states of Mexico, state of Michoacán. It is the municipal seat for the Aguililla (municipality), surrounding municipality of the same name. The municipality has a population of roughly 15,000. ...

Michoacán Michoacán, formally Michoacán de Ocampo, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Michoacán de Ocampo, is one of the 31 states which, together with Mexico City, compose the Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. The stat ...

, Mexico. Their style is a combination of rough Pacific-style Norteño and Big Harp Conjunto from Michoacán. Another Regional Mexican band with a similar style is

Los Canarios de Michoacán LOS, or Los, or LoS may refer to: Science and technology * Length of stay, the duration of a single episode of hospitalisation * Level of service, a measure used by traffic engineers * Level of significance, a measure of statistical significanc ...

History

The band was started in 1996 by members José Luis Arroyo (drums, vocals), José Luis Horta (

, Vocals), Roberto González (

), Simón Rivera (

) and Rigoberto Peña (bass, vocals). The band signed with Ego Records in 1996 and released their debut album ''El Águila González'' and became involved in the U.S

scene. Raza Obrera is known for their

corrido The corrido (Spanish pronunciation: Help:IPA/Spanish, oˈriðo is a famous narrative metrical tale and poetry that forms a Ballad (music), ballad. The songs often feature topics such as oppression, history, daily life for criminals, the vaqu ...

s based on controversial issues relating to the Mexican working class.

Members

* José Luis Arroyo – director, lead vocals, drums * José Luis Horta – lead vocals,

* Barocio - harp * Iván Oso Rea –

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Wood * Bass or basswood, the wood of the tilia americana tree Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in th ...

* Misa Reyes –

bajo quinto The Bajo quinto (Spanish: "fifth bass") is a Mexican string instrument from the guitar family with 10 strings in five double courses. It is played in a similar manner to the guitar, with the left hand changing the pitch with the frets on a finge ...

* Pedro Venegas –

keyboard Keyboard may refer to: Text input * Keyboard, part of a typewriter * Computer keyboard ** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping ** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware Music * Mus ...

Former members

* Rigoberto Peña – vocals, bass * Simon Rivera – harp (Died in 2025) * Roberto Gonzalez –

* Hugo Pedraza – keyboards * Nelson Rivas – bass

Discography

*
El Aguila Gonzalez
' (1996) (First album) *
El Cocinero
' (1997) *
Corridazos Prohibidos
' (1998) * Corridazos Prohibidos Vol. 2 (1999) * Colgó el pico la paloma (1999) *
Arpacumbiando: Caliente, Caliente
' (2001) *
El Dia de los Malandrines
'(2001) * Arparrelampagueando (2002) (Last album on Ego Récords) *
Arpacumbiando, Vol. 2
'(2002) (First album on Fonovisa) *
Rolononas Pa'la Raza
'(2003) *
Ritmo, Amor, y Pueblo
' (2004) *
El Campirano: Puros Corridos
'(2004) *
14 Nuevas: Pa' Celebrar El 10° Aniversario con Nuestra Raza
' (2006) (First album with Three Sound Récords) *
Paniqueando y Parrandeando Con una Mera
' (2007) *
Atado A Ti
'(2010) *
Caminos de Michoacan
'(2013) * 10 Consentidas de la Raza (2016) * Corridos al Estilo Michoacán (2018)

Billboard chart history

*72- ''Arpacumbiando Vol. 2'', Raza Obrera, August 17, 2002 *72- ''Linea De Oro: Caliente, Caliente Y Muchos Exitos Mas...'', Raza Obrera, June 16, 2007

References

External links

Official website

Raza Obrera Billboard
{{Authority control Mexican musical groups Musical groups from Michoacán