Espinoza Paz

Sinaloan singer-songwriter Espinoza Paz is among the most diverse, insightful, poetic songwriters to emerge from Musica Mexicana in the early 21st century. Possessed of a smooth, resonant baritone singing voice, he's recorded a slew of charting material, and composed for top tier talent (including David Bisbal and Paulina Rubio). His own El Canta Autor Del Pueblo in 2008, went top ten. It was followed by 2009's Yo No Canto, Pero Lo Intentamos, 2010's Del Rancho Para El Mundo, 2011's Canciones Que Duelen, and 2012's Un Hombre Normal -- all Top 200 finishers. 2016's No Pongan Esas Canciones, and 2018's A Veces, and Las Compuse Para Ti, peaked at or near the top of the Mexican Regional Albums. In 2018, he released Hombre Normal, Vol. 2, Hombre, while Que No Se Caiga el Ritmo appeared in 2019. The ballads set Imborrable was recorded in 2020 and followed by the live, three-volume, Que Te Duela Más Que A Mí in 2021. Paz returned to studio recording with 2024's cumbia-themed El Moreno Natural. Born Isidro Chávez Espinoza in La Angostura, Sinaloa, Mexico, Paz wrote his first song at age 11. He later emigrated to Sacramento, California, in 1996 and worked as an agricultural laborer, but after his mother passed away, he chose to return to his homeland and pursue a career as a singer/songwriter. His breakthrough came via El Coyote, a popular sinaloense banda vocalist, who recorded his songs and made them into hits, beginning with "Besitos en el Cuello," "Prohibido," and "Para Impresionarte" in 2005-2006. Soon Paz was penning songs for a long list of regional Mexican artists, including Sergio Vega, La Arrolladora Banda el Limón, Banda Cuisillos, Julio Chaidez, Banda de Jerez, Jenni Rivera, Chuy Lizarraga, Adair Elizalde, El Potro de Sinaloa, El Chapo de Sinaloa, and Duelo, among numerous others. Most notable was his collaboration with Banda Cuisillos, who performed five of his songs on their hit comeback album, Mil Heridas (2007), including the smash hit title track. That same year Paz embarked on a recording career of his own, releasing his full-length solo album debut, Paz en Tu Corazón, in association with Nueva Generacion Music Group. Another independently released album, Amigo con Derechos (2008), followed before Paz was offered a recording contract with the major label Universal Latino, which released the album El Canta Autor del Pueblo (2008) on its Machete Music subsidiary. Featuring previously released favorites such as "El Celular" and "Amigo con Derechos," El Canta Autor del Pueblo spawned the hit single "El Proximo Viernes," which broke into the Top 20 of the Billboard Hot Latin Tracks chart. Later in 2008 the compilation album Mis Éxitos con Tololoche was released by Disa. Paz proved a double threat on the charts. Not only were his own recordings selling, but he was writing major hits for other artists, established and upcoming. His 2009 single "Lo Intentamos" the pre-release for 2009's Yo No Canto, Pero Lo Intentamos, hit the top spot on the airplay charts and Top Latin Albums charts and went platinum in Mexico. The list of those who sought his songs during this period included La Arrolladora Banda el Limón, Jenni Rivera, Calibre 50, Julión Álvarez, and Duelo. The run of hits continued. His new albums over the next few years all hit made the charts: 2010's Del Rancho Para el Mundo (his multi-platinum best-selling album), 2011's Canciones Que Duelen (numbers two and one respectively on the Latin Albums charts), and his 2012 compilation Un Hombre Normal went five-times Gold in Mexico. His singles rode high in various charts as well. In 2011, Paz won Songwriter of the Year at both the Billboard and BMI Latin Music Awards ceremonies. On top of this, his duet singles with Jenni Rivera ("No Llega el Olvido"), Maria Jose ("Así o Más"), and Paulina Rubio ("Me Voy") did well at radio, on the charts, and in sales. At the end of the year, a dispute with his manager and label caused Paz to make the surprise announcement that he was retiring. Though he did not record any new albums, he did make appearances on duet singles with Gerardo Ortiz ("Te Pudiera Deci") and Tito Torbellino ("Te La Pasa") the following year. In 2014, he performed at the Latin Grammy Awards backed by Banda el Limon and issued the number six single "Por Que La Engane?" In 2015, he recorded the duet single "Siempre en Mi Mente" with Juan Luis Guerra, and issued a solo track, "Perdí la Pose"; the latter was nominated for Song of the Year at the Latin Grammys. The strong chart performances of his singles over the previous three years paid off in 2016. The digital only Para Mi Ex, for independent O Music, peaked at number one on the Mexican Regional charts that year. Paz independently released four albums in 2018: Las Compuse Para Ti on Valentine's Day, A Veces in May, Literalmente in August, and Mujer in November. All were issued by Viernes Music --the first pair charted at Mexican Regional Albums. Paz followed that act with three full length titles in 2019: Hombre Normal, Vol. 2 (January), Hombre (February), and Que No Se Caiga el Ritmo (November). While none charted, Paz was undaunted as he remained busy writing for others. During the pandemic, Paz issued a set of banda love songs titled Imborrable. Immediately following, he released the three-volume, live retrospective, Que Te Duela Más Que A Mí. Paz toured in 2022 and issued two charting singles in "Ese Soy Yo," and "Eres Amor," and served as guest duet and writing partner of Juan Fernando Velasco on the single "Chao Lolas." 2023 marked a return to inrtense recording activity. Paz issued no less than ten singles under his own name including the homesick ballad, "Enloquecido," the ranchera "Suenos Con Alas," and "Yo Baila Con Bando." His mariachi single "El Original," featured Pipe Bueno as a duet partner. Paz also found time to be a featured guest on Luis R. Conriquez's "Ciega Por Ti," and a duet partner to Memo Garza on the glorious romantico "La Sonrisa Obligatoria." Paz was bitten hard by the cumbia bug in 2023. Though he'd written and performed them across his career, he decided to record an entire album. Rather than cover standards in the style, he spent the last few months of the year through Feburary 2024, writing, demoing, and finally recording these compostions with a full band including an expanded horn section and backing vocal chorus. In April 2024 he released El Moreno Natural. He producxed the 15-song set comprised of 15 orignals. Its lone guest was singer Mariana Seone; she sang a duet on the uptempo single "El Cojin." Two weeks after the album's release, Paz issued the non-album ballad "La Mitad de la Mitad" as a stand alone single in preparation for touring across the Americas.
© Jason Birchmeier, Thom Jurek /TiVo