Los Dug Dug's

One of the earliest and most influential rock bands in Mexican history, Los Dug Dug's formed in Durango during the early 1960s. Originally called "Xippos Rock," the group was led by guitarist Armando Nava, who joined the band while still attending high school, and vocalist Jorge De La Torre. After graduation, Xippos Rock changed its name to Los Dug Dug's — a nod to the band's hometown of Durango — and hit the road, playing shows throughout the Tijuana region. During a brief visit to Texas, Nava purchased copies of the Beatles' earliest records and played them for the band. The Beatles' music proved to be massively influential on Los Dug Dug's, who became the first Mexican band not only to cover the Beatles, but to perform all of its original material in English, too. After briefly moving to New York City, the band returned to Mexico and began working on a debut album for RCA Records, although creative differences between Armando Nava and Jorge De La Torre resulted in De La Torre's departure from the band. Shortly after his exit, Dug Dug's was released in 1971, with the songs "World of Love" and "Eclipse" becoming hits throughout Latin America. With more and more Mexican groups choosing to perform songs in English, Los Dug Dug's chose to buck the trend and perform exclusively in Spanish on the band's next album, Smog. Released in 1972, Smog was followed by 1974's Cambia, Cambia and 1975's El Loco, although waning support from RCA soon resulted in the band's demise. Years later, Armando Nava opened the music club La Reunion in Mexico City, and the venue hosted multiple reunion shows from Los Dug Dug's during the 1990s and beyond.