Juan Cirerol

Born 1987 in Mexicali, this Mexican singer-songwriter trained in classical guitar from age thirteen and cut his teeth in punk bands before turning to a raw, self-taught strain of country, corrido and folk. His 2010 album Ofrenda al Mictlán, recorded in Mexico City for Vale Vergas Discos with visual artist Txema Novelo, drew comparisons to a Mexican Johnny Cash and placed the single "Corrido Chicalor" among the Guardian and Music Alliance Pact's best tracks of 2011. Singing of border poverty, drugs, religion and desert boredom in a cracked, unvarnished voice, Cirerol has built a devoted following across Mexico and the US on the strength of prolific songwriting and unfiltered live performance.