Regional Mexican acts unite for co-headlining tour

By Leila Cobo

MIAMI (Billboard) - In a move that breaks the mold of traditional regional Mexican concert promotion, two marquee groups, Intocable and Los Horoscopos de Durango, are joining forces for a 40-stop tour of the United States.

The Unidos tour is slated to kick off June 13 at the Convention Center in Visalia, California, to coincide with the release of albums by Horoscopos and Intocable. As is the case with the traditional regional Mexican "dance" circuit, the show will visit fairgrounds, theaters and convention centers.

But the tour -- overseen by management/promotion company Nueva Generacion Music Group -- marks a departure for the circuit because it features co-headliners and is being marketed as a major pop event, with a Web site, MySpace page and YouTube promotion. It's also being promoted as a brand -- Unidos -- that is slated to return annually.

"People can go to the Web page, call an 800 number, buy merchandise and albums," Nueva Generacion founder Martin Fabian says. "We want people to say, 'It was worth it.' We don't want to simply feature the same old dance."

Unidos tickets will cost between $30 and $50, depending on the venue and city. Guest acts will include El Gringo, who will open many of the shows, and Banda Pequenos Musical.

"We've always spoken about concepts, about joining forces and going different places," Fabian says. "We are already planning for an international leg."

Reuters/Billboard