Since the late '60s, San Jose, California's Los Tigres del Norte have been bringing their distinctive norteña music to audiences since 1972, and continue to set the standard to which other norteña bands aspire. Founding members included three Hernández brothers, Jorge, Raúl, and Hernán, and Oscar Lara, their cousin. Many of their songs were tinged with wry humor, or the dark side of drug and crime tales from the streets. Essentially, it was the stories Mexicans struggling to make it in America encountered every day. Among the Los Tigres' many releases were 1994's Dos Plebes, 1996's Unidos Para Siempre, 1997's Asi Como Tu, and 1999's Herencia de Familia. The following year, the band won a Grammy for Best Norteño Performance for Herencia de Familia at the first annual Latin Grammy Awards. Lost Tigres del Norte releases over the next few years included Corridos (2000), Reina del Sur (2002), and Pacto de Sangre (2004). In 2005 they issued Directo al Corazon; by that point the group's lineup included Jorge and Hernán Hernández, Lara, Luis Hernández, and Eduardo Hernández. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Music Guide