Calibre 50 () is a regional Mexican band. Formed in Mazatlán, Sinaloa, in 2010. The band has had several lineup changes, with the current roster consisting of lead vocalist Beto Gastélum, accordionist and backing vocalist Juan Saucedo, sousaphonist Alejandro Gaxiola, and drummer Erick García.
The band is one of the most streamed regional Mexican acts in recent history. Their musical style employs a fusion of norteño and banda music, known as norteño-banda, with low notes played by a sousaphone instead of a bass guitar as is traditional in norteño music.
History Before forming Calibre 50, Edén Muñoz had been the accordionist and vocalist in the norteño-banda group, Colmillo Norteño. With Muñoz, the group scored the hit songs "Sueño guajiro" and "Hotel El Cid" in 2009, among others. Nevertheless, conflicts with the other members of the band led Muñoz to quit Colmillo Norteño in early 2010, and he founded his own band later that year, recruiting Armando Ramos as guitarist and backing vocalist, Martín López as sousaphonist, and Augusto Guido as drummer. The name of this new band was "Puro Colmillo Norteño", and they recorded their first album, "Renovar o Morir", under that name, as well as their first single ("El infiernito"). However, the original Colmillo Norteño sued them over the name, and after a legal dispute Muñoz' band was forced to change their name later in 2010. They chose the name by which they are known today: Calibre 50. The name of the band comes from the comparison "with an element that will symbolize the strength and impact that the project has on the lives of the members, as well as those who like the Regional Mexican genre."
Calibre 50 first achieved notoriety for their controversial songs; among them corridos. Their first nationwide hit was "El tierno se fue" ("The nice guy is gone") in 2011, a ranchera written by Lalo Ayala which contains many innuendos and describes a sexual act in detail. Throughout its history, the band has recorded different styles of songs such as rancheras, corridos, ballads, cumbias, charangas, boleros, and huapangos.
In January 2014, drummer Augusto Guido left the band to work on his own group, "Los de Sinaloa"; he was replaced by Erick García. Two months later, sousaphone player Martín López also left the band to work on another project, "La Iniciativa". He was subsequently replaced by Alejandro Gaxiola.
In March 2017, Calibre 50 made history when the band became the first Regional Mexican act to perform on the Conan show on an episode that took place in Mexico City. Calibre 50 made their Rodeo Houston debut on March 11, 2018, to a sold-out crowd.
On April 26, 2018, Calibre 50, along with Colombian Urban singer J Balvin, received an award from Pandora Radio for being the first artists to surpass a billion streams on the platform.
In October 2020, the group broke the record for the most number-one songs on the Billboard Regional Mexican Airplay chart with 17 songs. Since then, they have broken their own record with 10 additional songs reaching No. 1; totaling 27 No. 1 songs on the Billboard Regional Mexican Airplay chart.
In late January 2022, Edén Muñoz left Calibre 50 to embark on a solo career. On March 1, 2022, after several auditions, the band presented in a press conference their new lead vocalist, Tony Elizondo. On April 8, 2022, Calibre 50 presented in another press conference their new accordionist and additional backing vocalist, Ángel Saucedo.
On April 1, 2023, guitarist and backing vocalist Armando Ramos left Calibre 50 after 13 years to start his own band, "Al Tiro". The very next day, on April 2, 2023, accordionist and backing vocalist Ángel Saucedo left Calibre 50 after only one year to begin a solo career. Armando Ramos and Ángel Saucedo were replaced by Oscar Arredondo and José Mario Gastélum, respectively. Tony Elizondo also became a guitarist for the band.
Gastélum and Arredondo's tenure in Calibre 50 would last less than a year, as both quit the band in early 2024. In April of that year, it was revealed that Beto Gastélum was the new lead vocalist. Gastélum, like Edén Muñoz, had previously served as the lead vocalist for Colmillo Norteño. Also, Martín López, Calibre 50's original sousaphonist from 2010 to 2014, returned to the band as a new accordionist. For several months, both he and Gastélum were accordionists for Calibre 50 during live concerts before López left the band again in October 2024.
In March 2025, Juan Sauceda was added as Calibre 50's new accordionist, leaving Beto Gastélum to focus solely on lead vocals. On December 1, 2025, Tony Saucedo announced his departure from Calibre 50 to start a solo career, leaving the band without an official guitarist.
Members Beto Gastélum, lead vocals Juan Sauceda, diatonic accordion, backing vocals Alejandro Gaxiola, sousaphone Erick García, drums
Past members Edén Muñoz, lead vocals and diatonic accordion Armando Ramos, secondary vocals and twelve-string guitar Martín "Trompudo" López, sousaphone, diatonic accordion and backing vocals Augusto Guído, drums Ángel Saucedo, backing vocals and diatonic accordion José Mario "Marito" Gastélum, lead vocals and diatonic button accordion Óscar Arredondo, backing vocals and twelve-string guitar Tony Elizondo, secondary vocals and twelve-string guitar
Discography Albums
2010: Renovar o Morir (Originally issued under the name "Puro Colmillo Norteño", later reissued as Calibre 50). 2011: De Sinaloa Para El Mundo 2012: El Buen Ejemplo 2013: La Recompensa 2013: Corridos de Alto Calibre 2014: Contigo 2015: Historias de La Calle 2016: Desde El Rancho 2017: En Vivo desde el Auditorio Telmex 2017: Guerra de Poder 2018: Mitad y Mitad 2019: Simplemente Gracias 2020: En Vivo 2020: Desde el Estudio Andaluz Music 2021: Vamos Bien 2022: Corridos de Alto Calibre, Vol. II 2023: Tiempo al Tiempo 2023: Cumbias En Vivo y Algo Más 2024: Las Culebras 2024: El Sueño Americano 2026: El Mundo es del Que Se Anima
Extended Plays
2014: Siempre Contigo (Spotify Sessions) 2021: En Vivo desde el Rancho San Vicente 2025: Siempre Amigos
Singles
2012: Mujer de Todos, Mujer de Nadie 2013: Aquí Estoy 2014: El Inmigrante 2014: Tus Latidos 2014: Una Mala Elección 2014: Contigo 2015: Aunque Ahora Estés con Él 2015: La Gripa 2015: Contigo (Versión Pop) 2016: Amor del Bueno 2016: La Bola 2016: Siempre Te Voy a Querer 2016: Pa' Qué Me Hacen Enojar 2017: Las Ultras 2017: Contigo (En Vivo Auditorio Telmex) 2017: Javier el de Los Llanos (En Vivo Auditorio Telmex) 2017: Ni Que Estuvieras Tan Buena (En Vivo Auditorio Telmex) 2017: Corrido de Juanito 2017: Frijoles con Panela 2017: De Buen Perfil ft. Banda Carnaval 2017: Se Los Lleva Por Delante 2018: Mitad y Mitad 2018: Tu Patrocinador 2018: Una Mala Racha 2018: Mi Sorpresa Fuiste Tú 2018: A Mover los Pies 2018: Qué Tiene de Malo (Alternate Version) ft. El Komander 2018: A las Cuántas Decepciones with Los de La Noria 2018: Culiacán vs. Mazatlán 2019: Simplemente Gracias 2019: Más Ganas le Meto 2019: Chalito 2019: Solo Tú 2019: Chalito (En Vivo) ft. El Fantasma 2019: El Amor No Fue Pa' Mí (En Vivo) ft. Grupo Firme 2020: Que Sea with Joan Sebastian 2020: Barquillero 2020: Volver a Volar 2020: Decepciones with Alejandro Fernández 2020: Te Volvería a Elegir 2020: Quiérete a Ti 2021: 100 Años with Carlos Rivera and Maluma 2021: El Mensaje ft. Los Dos Carnales 2021: Vamos Bien (En Vivo) 2021: Olvidarte, ¿Cómo? (En Vivo) with Banda Carnaval 2021: Chito (En Vivo) 2021: El Triste Alegre (En Vivo) with Banda Carnaval 2021: Hoy Empieza Mi Tristeza (En Vivo) with José Manuel Figueroa 2021: A La Antigüita (En Vivo) 2021: Te Quiero Tanto, Tanto (En Vivo) 2021: Ni Mandándote a Hacer (En Vivo) 2021: Tú Eres Mi Amor (Versión Regional Mexicana) with Río Roma 2021: Les Salió Travieso el Niño (En Vivo) with Los de La Noria 2021: Crónicas de la Batalla with Los Dos Carnales 2021: Cuidando el Territorio with Beto Sierra and Santa Fe Klan 2021: Qué Bonito with Pancho Barraza 2022: Miranos Ahora 2022: El Mexicano es Cabrón ft. Emmanuel Delgado 2022: El Callado 2022: El Canelo ft. Emmanuel Delgado 2022: Chalito (Versión Norteño) 2022: Así Que Te Vas with Valentín Elizalde 2023: El M Grande with Valentín Elizalde 2023: Dirección Equivocada 2023: Y Yo Sin Ti 2023: ¿Quién de las Dos Será? 2023: Hablar de Ti 2023: Vengo de Verla 2023: Nuestro Amor 2024: Días Buenos, Días Malos 2024: Nada Que Ver 2024: Maybe 2024: El Amor de Mi Vida 2024: El Sueño Americano 2025: Los Consentidos de Don Chuy ft. Banda Carnaval 2025: Vuela Alto ft. Banda Carnaval 2026: Me Enamoré Solo 2026: Te Amo (collaboration with Josi Cuen and Jorge Medina) 2026: Mi Problema
Awards and nominations
Year Award Category Recipient Result Ref.2012 Premios Lo Nuestro Mejor Artista Revelación del Año/Regional MexicanoCalibre 50 2015 Premios Juventud Mi Letra Favorita/Música"Contigo" 2015 Premios Juventud Mejor Tema Novelero/Novelas "Aunque Ahora Estés con Él" 2017 Premios Lo Nuestro Grupo o Dúo del Año/Regional MexicanoCalibre 50 2017 iHeartRadio Music Awards Mejor Artista de Música Regional MexicanaCalibre 50
References