Courtesy of Chaz Records
Renowned Tejano artist Rick Balderrama has released a deeply emotional new single, “Hermanito Mio,” dedicated to his brother Richie Balderrama. This touching tribute comes after Richie bravely faced significant health challenges, culminating in a successful liver transplant operation earlier this year. The song, produced by Severo “Sevy” Contreras at Slackmonster Studios, serves as the lead single from Rick’s highly anticipated eighth album.
In an exclusive interview with Tejano Nation Radio host Romeo, Rick shared the journey behind the song and his brother’s recovery. “We’re doing great, man. We are both doing great. He’s doing very good. I gave him 70% of my liver. His color changed already,” Rick recounted. “He still goes to the hospital once a week just to make sure his levels are right and everything like that. But for the most part, he’s feeling good and doing good. Not like it was for almost nine years he had been going through this, you know. He needed a full liver.”
Rick’s determination to help his brother was unwavering. “I would always tell him, ask your doctor if he qualifies for partial. So finally, they told him, you’ve been taking care of yourself. You qualify for partial. So when he told me that, man, I said, yeah, of course. He’s my brother. We’re a very close-knit family. So I stepped up,” Rick explained. “It took me six months. I lost 33 pounds. You know, eating well, getting sick, periodically. And thank God, I was able to qualify to give him 70% of my liver.”
The song “Hermanito Mio” is a heartfelt expression of Rick’s love and gratitude towards his brother, sons of late Tejano legend Henry Balderrama. “I had this thing in my head that I wanted to do a song for my brother, just to let him know how I felt about him. It’s not a sad song. It’s just how I feel about him. And the way my dad brought us up, you always take care of your brother,” Rick shared. The song was co-written with Joe Revelez and recorded at Slackmonster Studios with Sevy Contreras, who Rick describes as “a brother and a half.”
Rick Balderrama — Hermanito Mio
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In addition to the single, Rick has also completed a music video for “Hermanito Mio,” which will be released in the coming weeks. “I’m very, very thrilled and happy with it. Shout out to my very good friend of mine, Lawrence (Casarez). He did a great job with the video, putting it together, and the storyboard. And, you know, it’s a great little team, man,” Rick said.
Rick’s dedication to his brother and his music is evident in every aspect of this project. As Richie continues to recover and regain his strength, the Balderrama brothers are looking forward to performing together again. “We put a little, I call it a show. We want to call it a show. You know, of course, all the new material. And of course, a lot of people ask for my dad’s, you know, all oldies but goodies, right? We got to throw that in there as well,” Rick mentioned.
The release of “Hermanito Mio” marks the beginning of a new chapter for Rick Balderrama, both personally and professionally. With his brother by his side, Rick is ready to share his music and their story with the world. “Hermanito Mio” is available on all digital music platforms.
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