Courtesy photo
Tortilla Factory, the iconic Tejano band founded by the late Tony “Ham” Guerrero, has released a new version of the classic hit “Somos Novios” featuring Paula Deanda and Gilbert “El Coyote” Deanda. The song is a remake of the #1 hit from the band’s 1973 self-titled album, which showcased the vocal talents of Coyote, who passed away in 2013.
The new version of “Somos Novios” is a duet between Paula Deanda, the neice of Coyote and a successful pop and R&B singer, and her uncle’s voice. The song is a tribute to the legacy of Coyote and Tortilla Factory, as well as a celebration of their musical roots.
Alfredo Guerrero, the son of Tony “Ham” Guerrero and the current leader of Tortilla Factory, shared details on the song with Tejano Nation.
“I was able to reinforce ‘Somos Novios’. This song hit #1 on the Billboard Latin. My daddy always said the songs that separate the singers from the real singers are the ballads. Coyote was like no other singer I’ve ever heard. The most simple humble man I knew, with an incomparable voice. Actually, the one singer that Coyote has been compared to is Marc Anthony and now to have his niece Paula DeAnda, another voice that is incomparable, record on this song as a duet is a historical moment in music. Paula put her entire heart and soul so beautifully that hearing her together with Coyote brings tears to my eyes,” said Alfredo.
“It’s an honor for me to do that, which was very emotional for me,” Paula told Tejano Nation. “One, because he’s no longer here and has a beautiful voice and just recording the song was everything. I wish we could have done it sooner, but now we do have it, so that’s good.”
He also thanked the producers and musicians who worked on the song, including Genesoul aka Haskel Jackson, Gilbert Velasquez, Henry Brun, David Lee Rodriguez, Donald S. Garza, Hector Ramirez, and Chente Barrera.
The song is available on all digital music platforms today and is expected to be a hit among Tejano fans and music lovers alike.
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