Kumbia Kings

Kumbia Kings
Company type	Musical group
Industry	Music
Founded	1997 in Corpus Christi, Texas, United States
Founder	A.B. Quintanilla
Headquarters	Corpus Christi, United States
Products	Music albums, live performances

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Kumbia Kings, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 30 November 2025

The Kumbia Kings are a Mexican-American ensemble specializing in cumbia music, originating from Corpus Christi, Texas. Founded by A.B. Quintanilla, their sound merges elements of cumbia, hip hop, and R&B, with lyrics performed in both Spanish and English. The group was produced by Quintanilla—brother of the late Tejano legend Selena—and Cruz Martínez, who is married to singer Alicia Villarreal. While Quintanilla contributed on bass guitar, Martínez played keyboards; both were responsible for co-writing the band’s repertoire.

Throughout its existence, the band underwent several personnel changes, with notable departures including artists such as Frankie J, DJ Kane, and members from Kingz One (K1). Following internal disagreements, Quintanilla, along with Irvin "Pee Wee" Salinas and Chris Pérez, exited to establish the group Kumbia All Starz. Meanwhile, Martínez formed Los Super Reyes with the remaining musicians.

In October 2009, both Quintanilla and Martínez revealed plans for a Kumbia Kings reunion tour scheduled from late 2009 through early 2010.

History

Los Kumbia Kings released their debut album Amor, Familia y Respeto in 1999, which sold in excess of 500,000 units and received a nomination for a Grammy. Their 2001 follow-up album Shhh! debuted at number two on Latin charts and maintained popularity for almost two years. By 2003, the group earned a nomination for "Latin Artist of the Year" at the American Music Awards, alongside various other honors. The bilingual album 4, launched in March 2003, combined styles including R&B, pop, reggae, hip hop, vallenatos, and electro-cumbia. It featured collaborations with prominent Latin artists such as Aleks Syntek, Juan Gabriel, and Grammy-winning band Ozomatli. Their fourth studio effort, Fuego, released in October 2004, also surpassed 500,000 sales, achieving "Gold Standard" certification within the industry. On November 2, 2006, Los Kumbia Kings secured their first Latin Grammy Award for Kumbia Kings Live in the category of Best Tropical Regional Mexican Album.

2006: The split

In late 2005, co-founder A.B. Quintanilla ceased performing with Kumbia Kings. By the end of 2006, disputes over finances between Quintanilla and fellow co-founder Cruz Martínez resulted in the group's division. Martínez and the remaining members continued touring until early 2007 when legal battles emerged concerning ownership of the "Kumbia Kings" name. To prevent expensive litigation, both founders agreed to surrender rights to the band’s name. Subsequently, each created new groups that mirrored the successful Kumbia Kings style.

In mid-2018, Cruz Martínez resumed performances using the Kumbia Kings name within Mexico’s festival circuit, featuring both original and rotating musicians. Due to prior legal arrangements, neither founder is permitted to promote or earn revenue from the name within the United States; however, this limitation does not extend to Mexico or South America. No fresh recordings have been issued under this version because Quintanilla retains approval rights.

Meanwhile, Quintanilla continued touring with Los Kumbia All Starz; their album released in October 2006 achieved strong commercial success. Martínez signed with Warner Music Latina and launched "Los Super Reyes" in June 2007. Their debut record El Regreso de los Reyes, released on August 14, 2007, included the hit single "Muévelo". This group featured former Kumbia Kings members Alex and Roy Ramírez—originally part of Kingz One—whom Martínez described as a familial reunion.

Los Super Reyes expanded their touring reach across Latin America, later performing in Japan and Spain by late 2008 due to international acclaim for "Muévelo", which earned platinum and gold certifications in both the U.S. and Mexico. Their next album, Cumbia con Soul, was issued in early 2009. A.B. Quintanilla characterized Los Kumbia All Starz as a continuation of Kumbia Kings’ legacy but distinct from Los Super Reyes and Kingz One.

2009–2010: Reunion tour

On October 26, 2009, A.B. Quintanilla and Cruz Martínez revealed plans for the Kumbia Kings to reunite in the fall of that year. The reunion concert took place on November 21, 2009, at Palacio de los Deportes in Mexico City, bringing together 18 members from both Kumbia All Starz and Super Reyes. Performers included Quintanilla, Martínez, Jason "DJ Kane" Cano, Alex "PB" Ramírez, Roy "Slim" Ramírez, Anthony "Nino B" López, Abel Talamántez, Chris Pérez, DJ Crazy J Rodriguez, Juan Jesús "JP" Peña, and Ricky Rick. The show featured appearances by Flex as well as performances by both groups with their well-known tracks and tributes honoring Michael Jackson and Selena Quintanilla. The event concluded with all artists joining on stage to perform a selection of classic hits.

After the concert, rumors circulated about a potential new Kumbia Kings album that would include original vocalist DJ Kane; however, this project never materialized.

2017–present: Reunited

In April 2022, Los Kumbia Kings All Starz, led by A.B. Quintanilla, took the stage at the Fiesta San Antonio festival in Texas. This marked an important reunion for the group within this annual celebration.

Band members

The following is a list of official Kumbia Kings members prior to the group's division in 2006 when they were still operating under the original name.

Former members

Abraham Isaac "A.B." Quintanilla III – bass guitar (1999–2006)
Cruz "CK" Martínez – keyboards (1999–2006)
Jason "DJ Kane" Cano – vocalist (1999–2003)
Francisco Javier "Frankie J / Cisko" Bautista, Jr. – vocalist (1999–2003)
Andrew "Drew" Maes – vocalist (1999–2003)
JB Barrientes – vocalist/dancer (2000–2004)
Fernando "Nando" Domínguez III – vocalist (2003–2006)
Frankie "Pangie" Pangelinan – vocalist (2003–2006)
Abel Talamántez – vocalist (2003–2006)
Irvin "Pee Wee" Salinas – vocalist (2003–2006)
David Schmid – vocalist (2012–2014)
Anthony "Nino B" López – dancer (2003–2006)
Juan Jesús "JP" Peña – dancer (2003–2006)
Chris Pérez – guitar (2003–2006)
Chris "ChrisBot" Domínguez – keyboards (2002–2005)
Robert "BoBBo" Gómez III – keyboards (2005–2006)
"El Animal" Noe "Gipper" Nieto, Jr. – accordion (2003–2006)
Robert "Robbie" Del Moral – drums (1999–2006)
Jesse "O'Jay" Martínez – drums (1999–2003)
Roy "Slim" Ramírez – percussion (1999–2003)
Alex "PB" Ramírez – keyboards (1999–2003)
Frankie "Frankie Boy" Aranda – percussion (1999–2003)
Ronnie "Campa" Delgado – timbales/percussion (2003–2006)
DJ Crazy J Rodriguez – DJ/remixes (1999–2003)
Jacob Ceniceros – vocalist (2004)
Jorge "Peanut" Peña – percussion (1999–2002)
Jorge "Pekas" Caballero – percussion (2005–2006)
Jai Gonzalez – percussion (1999–2001)
Adolfo Garcia – percussion (2000–2003)

Discography

Amor, Familia y Respeto (1999)
Shhh! (2001)
All Mixed Up: Los Remixes (2002)
4 (2003)
Los Remixes 2.0 (2004)
Fuego (2004)
Kumbia Kings Live (2006)

External links

Official website archived as of April 10, 2006
Kumbia Kings profile at Discogs