After a month of auditions searching for a new lead singer, Tony Elizondo was officially announced Tuesday (March 1) as the new frontman of norteño band Calibre 50.
“We begin a new era in our career as we welcome Tony Elizondo,” the group captioned the announcement on social media, which included a photo of the Nuevo León-born artist with his new band mates.
Elizondo joins the chart-topping Mexican band following former frontman Edén Muñoz‘s departure back in January when he announced he was leaving the group he founded in 2010 and launching his solo career. Following Muñoz’s announcement, Calibre 50 opened auditions to aspiring singers in search of the next member to join remaining members Armando Ramos, Alejandro Gaxiola and Erick García.
Before being named winner of the competition, Elizondo shared his audition on social media saying he was simply grateful for the experience. “This was my audition for Calibre 50,” he wrote. “I’m so happy to have just been able to be part of this competition, I already feel like a winner.”
Now, the musician who started his career playing at local events is the frontman of a veteran group that’s a staple in Mexican music, and has placed 21 No. 1s on Billboard’s Regional Mexican Airplay chart and seven No. 1 albums on the Regional Mexican Albums tally.
The audition and the beginning of a new era also coincide with the band’s 12th anniversary. “We are celebrating 12 years of great success. A story is always written with different chapters so today we begin to write our next chapter,” Jesus Tirado, president of Andaluz Music (Calibre 50’s label), previously told Billboard. “We are grateful to God for so many blessings, and to the public for all their support and unconditional love. We are sure that the story continues because the union and respect in our company are what has led us to be what we are today.”
Below, a short clip of Elizondo singing “Corrido de Juanito” for his first performance with Calibre during a press conference.
