The Kumbia All Starz are a Cumbia music group from Corpus Christi, Texas created by A.B. Quintanilla. Kumbia All Starz are not to be confused with Los Kumbia Kings although some members are originally from Los Kumbia Kings.
Their 2006 album debut Ayer Fue Kumbia Kings, Hoy Es Kumbia All Starz reached #1 on Billboard’s “Latin Pop Albums” chart, #2 on the “Top Latin Albums” chart, and #68 on “The Billboard 200.”[1]. The album spawned two charting singles for the band, “Chiquilla” (which reached #7 on “Hot Latin Tracks”, #9 on “Latin Regional Mexican Airplay”, #26 on “Latin Pop Airplay” and #31 on “Latin Tropical Airplay”) and “Parece Que Va A Llover” (which reached #33 on “Latin Regional Mexican Airplay”).
Many members of Kumbia All Starz and Los Super Reyes were formerly together as Kumbia Kings, which had lots of success but unfortunately, this was bittersweet for the group amidst the controversy and love/hate relationship between the co-founders of Kumbia Kings, A.B. Quintanilla and Cruz Martínez, as well as the other members and ex-members of the group. A.B. Quintanilla left the group and early in the summer of 2006 formed Kumbia All Starz.
Cruz Martinez continued with Los Kumbia Kings until he decided to change the name of the group he now headed to Los Super Reyes. Many of the members of the Kumbia Kings opted to stay with Cruz and released their first album as Los Super Reyes in August of 2007. Their first single, entitled “Muévelo” has topped Latin radio airwaves in the U.S. as well as Latin America.
A.B. Quintanilla successfully petitioned Mexican courts to claim the naming rights to “Los Kumbia Kings”, though there really was not much opposition. As fellow Kumbia Kings founder Cruz Martinez never pursued litigation to retain or share the naming rights with Quintanilla.
The name “Los Kumbia Kings” is retired according to Quintanilla, though rumors persist that “Los Kumbia Kings” will resurface at a later date with new band members.
Controversy again erupted on February 1 of 2008, when group member Pee Wee publicized his leave from Kumbia All Starz to pursue a solo career.
A press release from A.B. Quintanilla confirms rumors that Pee Wee has left the Kumbia All Starz. According to the letter, the split was amicable and there will be a search for a new member via the group’s MySpace page.
The Pee Wee controversy continued onto an interview on Univisión’s Don Francisco Presenta. In the interview, Pee Wee declared that the rumors of pursuing a solo career were invented by the Kumbia All Starz leader, A.B. Quintanilla.
He continued stating that during a tour in Mexico, the members did not receive pay for their performances, and that A.B. Quintanilla called him, along with all of Kumbia All Starz’s other members, replaceable. Also continuing that A.B. Quintanilla’s new manager had called his mother to tell her she had 24 hours to leave her home.
In the summer of 2008 Oscar De La Rosa, leader of La Mafia challenged A.B. Quintanilla and his group Los Kumbia All Starz to a battle of the bands. A.B. Quintanilla responded by making a video saying that he accepted and that the battle would be held at Robstown, Texas on August 2, 2008.
A press conference was held in San Antonio, Texas on July 30, 2008 where both groups answered questions to the fans. The two stages were set side to side and the rules were each group had to sing 3 songs in a row.
The battle began as they tossed a coin to see who would sing first. Oscar called heads and heads it was, so he elected A.B. Quintanilla to go first. For his first 3 songs he chose 3 Tejano songs he wrote and he got his two special guest singers Elida Reyna to sing the first two and Jesse Turner of Siggno to sing the third one. Then La Mafia sang “Estás Tocando Fuego” and two more 90’s Billboard hits.
For Kumbia All Starz’s second turn, their lead singer DJ Kane and Ricky Rick performed the hit single “Shhh!” and two other songs with the dancers from DJ Kane’s group when he was a solo singer, John and JD. La Mafia then performed with 3 more songs.
Kumbia All Starz sang 3 more songs, then A.B. Quintanilla asked Oscar De La Rosa if they could sing one more song, and Oscar agreed, and so Ricky Rick and Melissa Jiménez got on stage and performed the hit song “Rica Y Apretadita”. La Mafia then sang 3 of their biggest hits, and after that the crowd was screaming for more, so they sang one more song. At the end of the night La Mafia was declared the winner.