Jesse & Joy cross boundaries, blend languages, in concert 11/19 in Phoenix

In the past decade, Jesse & Joy have become one of the top acts in the Latin-music world. Their records — sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes whimsical — are impossible to miss on Spanish radio. Critics love them, and they’ve got five Latin Grammy Awards to prove it. Everyone wants to work with them; they have collaborated with such major players as Alejandro Sanz, Pablo Alboran and Juan Luis Guerra.

The next step? Well, English-language success could be just around the corner.  But it’s not part of some calculated cash grab. In their case, it’s perfectly natural.

“We’re both really sensitive in what we project to our fans,” says Jesse Huerta, 33, who forms the duo with his sister. “We don’t want there to be this perception that we’re greedy. We want our fans to know who we are and why we sing in Spanish and English. It’s just who we are.”

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Two cultures

Jesse & Joy were both born and raised in Mexico City. Their dad was Mexican; their mom hails from Wisconsin. And growing up, one rule was emphasized: No Spanglish in the house.

“My mom had this little bubble at home,” Jesse says, calling from Mexico City. “When she got married, she didn’t speak any Spanish. She spoke to us in English, and our dad spoke to us in Spanish. There was no mixing. She was very specific about that.”

It worked: Both siblings speak flawless English without a trace of an accent.

“Our parents knew if we were speaking Spanglish and switching back and forth, that’s how we would have gotten used to speaking,” says Joy, 30. “It’s been a great experience, but we were kind of outcasts as children.”

It seems that sounding like one of the kids on "Full House" isn’t always a good thing, especially when you’re a youngster who just wants to fit in.

“We'd speak Spanish and then all of a sudden we could speak in English if we had to,” Jesse says. “The other kids would be, ‘Oh, the little Americans!’ But then the older you get and the more people you meet, we realized we had this great, extra power that not everyone has.”

They were also influenced by American music, soaking in such artists as Neil Young, the Carpenters, Creedence Clearwater Revival and Aretha Franklin. That’s also courtesy of their mom.

“It was like growing up with two languages and two cultures,” Joy says. “So even though we were living here in Mexico City, a lot of things remind us of the United States. We are really connected to both.”

Musical beginnings

The two got into music as youngsters, borrowing instruments from the evangelical church the family attended. They landed a record deal in 2006 and released "Esta Es Mi Vida." There was immediate buzz; pop duo Sin Bandera contributed to the disc, which spun off such hits as “Llegaste Tú” and “Espacio Sideral.” Their sound was there instantly: Contemporary acoustic-based soft-rock, featuring Jesse on multiple instruments and showcasing Joy's rich, emotive vocals.

But there was one thing about the duo's music that a lot of fans didn't know. A lot of their songs are written in English, with Spanish lyrics added later.

“Some phrases and emotions are just more easily said in English,” Joy says. “We basically let the music guide us. It’s not, 'Oh we're writing in English today.' It's just whatever comes out.”

The 2012 album “¿Con Quién se Queda el Perro?," or “Who Gets the Dog?,” moved them into superstar territory, earning triple-platinum certification in Mexico and inspiring a sweep at the Latin Grammys. The deluxe edition also features a sensitive English version of John Lennon’s “Imagine," which hinted at where the duo might head.

Jesse says Warner Bros., the group's label, urged them to experiment more with English for their follow-up, last year's “Un Besito Más.” The disc features a playful track primarily in English called "More Than Amigos." Another song, the powerful "Ecos de Amor," is in Spanish on the album but has been released as a single in both languages. "Echoes of Love," the English version, sounds tailor-made for American radio with Joy's sweeping vocals; in England, it has made the BBC Radio 1 playlist. The track is produced by Jesse and Fraser T. Smith, a heavy-hitting Brit who has also produced discs by Sam Smith and Adele.

"The record company said we had too much material we weren't using," Jesse says. "We were worried in that we don't want people thinking we're trying to use the Latin market as a stepping stone. It's our career. It's what we're passionate about. But something like 'Ecos de Amor' — that's us writing in English and then rewriting it in Spanish."

Awards and fame

The Spanish-language single is up for Record of the Year and Song of the Year at the Latin Grammys on Thursday, Nov. 17, while the album is in the running for Best Pop Vocal Album and Album of the Year.

Obviously, the duo isn't neglecting its massive Spanish-speaking audience (they have more than 15 million followers on Facebook). The album already has produced two other major hits in "No Soy Una De Esas," a funky, strutting collaboration with Alejandro Sanz, and the moody "Dueles," which has racked up more than 48 million views on YouTube and boasts a bilingual video.

"We are both of these cultures," Jesse says. "It's not Jesse & Joy following trends. When people were trying to sing in both languages, we didn't. Now we have this opportunity, and it just feels sort of natural. We can't separate who we are."

Family ties

That also goes for the siblings' relationship. Do not expect any public, Oasis-style squabbles between these two, who speak to each other almost every day.

"We let the music be the boss of what we do," Jesse says. "As individuals, we obviously have different opinions. We know we have different skills. But when it comes to music, it has to give us both goosebumps. That's our focus."

Joy agrees.

"You can't separate the fact that we're brother and sister, and we know that comes with huge baggage. In the beginning, it was fun and exciting. It was like being in international waters: 'Mom and Dad aren't around to say who is right and who is wrong!' But after a few years we got the hang of it, and we learned we're so blessed and lucky to have each other."

She says, "It's as if we were a soccer team, and it's about getting the ball into the ... into the ..."

She reaches for a word, then giggles.

"Into wherever it's supposed to go," she continues, laughing. "That's not my English, by the way, that's just because I'm not into sports."

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Jesse & Joy

When: 8 pm. Saturday, Nov. 19.

Where: Marquee Theatre, 730 N. MIll Ave., Tempe.

Admission: $37-$150. 

Details: 480-829-0607, luckymanonline.com.