Fidel Rueda

Carlos Fidel Rueda was born in Culiacan, Sinaloa, on March 23, 1983. His father kept an accordion lying around the house at all times, and Fidel soon took to spending his spare time playing the instrument. As Fidel's skill improved, he started singing as well. It was not long before he was invited to play for parties and events in the area. In order to record and perform more often, Rueda formed a group, Los Buitres de Culiacan. After a few years gaining experience, the band released its first album, entitled Que Role la Bolsita, under the Discos Sol label. The disc was well received, but it was the follow-up, Solo Para Mi, that opened up doors to perform throughout the region. As the band gained recognition, its release with the Herca Music label, Limonadas Verdes, solidified the group's popularity with the public. In 2006 Rueda chose to split from the band he had helped to build — out of frustration with the record label and his lack of control over repertoire and artistic decisions, Rueda chose to go solo. With an experimental sound featuring only drums, a few horns, and accordion, Rueda released his solo debut in 2007. The disc, entitled Paz en Este Amor, became a regional smash hit. Released by Universal's Machete Music, the disc landed a spot on the Billboard charts in both the Regional Mexican Airplay and Hot Latin Tracks categories. ~ Evan C. Gutierrez