Alicia Villarreal

by Drago BonacichAfter participating in different bands in her native city, regional Mexican singer Alicia Villarreal joined successful Grupo Límite, playing along with accordionist Gerardo Padilla, guitarist Sergio Ponce, bassist Jesús Cantú, percussionist Carlos Ramírez, and drummer Juan Cantú. Grupo Límite debuted with the release of Por Puro Amor in 1995, becoming a top-selling group soon after. Alicia Villarreal's first solo album, called Soy Lo Prohibido, was produced by Homero Patón and released by the Latin division of Universal in 2001. Cuando el Corazon Se Cruza appeared in early 2004, and Orgullo de Mujer, an album that cracked the Billboard 200 and earned Villarreal a Grammy nomination, followed two years later.