by Marisa BrownGrupo Montéz de Durango, the most famous practitioners of the Pasito Duranguense, or the Durango Step, a rhythm-driven hybrid of quebradita and merengue invented by Mexican-Americans in Chicago, the city from where the members of Grupo Montéz de Durango hail, found success in both the U.S. and Mexico since the release of their debut album, Rama Seca, in 1997. With a lineup that mainly rotated between José Luis Terrazas on drums, Alfredo Ramírez Corral on lead vocals, Ismael Mijarez on bass, Daniel Terrazas Avila on keyboards, Paco Lopez on keyboards, César Ruelas on trombone, and Armando Aguirre Ramirez on tamboura, as well as other guest musicians, Grupo Montéz de Durango went on to release many more records, including 1998's Tu Mirada: Coleccion Original, 2002's Sube y Baja, 2003's De Durango a Chicago, and 2006's Borron y Cuenta Nueva.