Los Temerarios have been delivering the music of romance both live and recorded for nearly a half-century, but the brothers at the core of “The Daredevils” are splitting up after the current Hasta Siempre Tour. Adolfo and Gustavo Angel kicked off their final run of concerts on Valentine’s Day with the first of five dates at Arena Ciudad de México in Mexico City and will satiate audiences in Las Vegas with Saturday and Sunday shows before moving on to the next phases of their careers.
It is a historical turn of events for Mexican pop music as well as the Angel brothers. Now a duo, Los Temerarios emerged in the ’80s as one of the leading grupero hitmakers along with Michoacán’s Los Bukis and Nuevo León’s Bronco. Adolfo and Gustavo hail from the central-north state of Zacatecas.
Adolfo, older than Gustavo by five years, would plot the course and find opportunities to play keyboards until he received a red Yamaha of his own. From there, his fate was sealed, as was Gustavo’s as a guitarist and singer. The two formed Conjunto La Brisa, which became Los Temerarios in 1983, with their cousin Fernando Angel on bass, and began recording with Javier Alba on bass and lead singer Samuel Guzman.
Bassist Carlo Vidal and Carlos Abrego would be on board for Los Temerarios’ rise to the heights of fame as Adolfo guided the band’s career and shaped its music. Comfortable as the wizard behind a see-through curtain, his keyboard playing increasingly characterized the sound of Los Temerarios and influenced other grupos. The sound was electric, including the drum kits, and Adolfo made innovative arrangements at points along the way, including the adaptation of ranchero elements.
It’s Gustavo who sings lead now, although Adolfo famously stepped forward on “Sé Que Te Amo” from 2002 No. 1 album Una Lágrima No Basta. Vidal and Abrego were gone by that time, and Fernando would leave Los Temerarios after a final concert in the Angels’ hometown. From then on, it was primarily a brothers act augmented by live musicians onstage and studio musicians on record.
Adolfo increasingly needed less help in the studio and practically became deified for his composition skills. It can be said for a number of Mexican pop acts, Los Temerarios’ music provided soundtracks for life and love, but for millions of fans, the band’s relaxing music is the sound of romance. One can do no wrong playing 1994’s Camino del Amor during an intimate dinner, or 1992’s Mi Vida Eres Tú during an anniversary celebration.
Los Temerarios has had eight No. 1 albums, 17 top 10 hits and four No. 1s on Billboard’s Latin charts. A new album after the tour has been promised, but after the final two concerts at L.A.’s BMO Stadium in December, the final chapter in the story of Los Temerarios will come to a close. For fans who grew up with their music, it is the end of an era.
Mandalay Bay, 8 p.m. Aug. 3-4, starting at $68 plus tax and fee. axs.com
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