Mexican cumbia singer-songwriter. From a working class family, Tovar immigrated to Houston, Texas, where he worked as a waiter; he played and sang in rock and pop bands until he and his brothers formed the cumbia-based combo Conjunto Costa Azul in 1971. The band’s first album, Mi Matamoros querido (1972), with its blend of cumbia, rock and roll, bolero, ranchera, and balada became a hit that led to an unprecedented distribution deal for an ensemble of its kind. In less than eight years, the band became the most successful popular music band in Mexico and among Latinos in the ...