WESLACO, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A construction worker with a resemblance to Grupo Bronco’s lead singer has been trending on social media in recent weeks as people across the Rio Grande Valley have helped make him and his unique dance moves a viral sensation.
However, with comments mentioning “Bronco 956” on social media, many people still may be wondering who he is and why he is suddenly so popular.
Known as Bronco 956, Jose Urbina identifies himself as part of the working class raza and often frequents the Alamo pulga. Urbina recently became famous on TikTok for his resemblance to Jose Guadalupe Esparza, the lead singer of the grupero band Bronco.
The Esparza look-a-like spoke with ValleyCentral on Friday about his recent rise to Valley social media stardom through TikTok and word of mouth.
Urbina said one day somebody decided to record his dance moves and before he knew it he was a viral sensation on TikTok. Although he said the public gave him the name Bronco 956, the dance moves are his alone.
Mike Gallegos, owner of The Craft in Weslaco, said he has been seeing Urbina at the Alamo pulga for years before stumbling across his videos on TikTok.
“I heard he even stirred up a ruckus at the free market,” said Gallegos, who added that crowds of people wanted a chance to meet him.
Urbina stated the Alamo pulga crowd began to get increasingly bigger every Sunday for him over the last few months. This past weekend, the location reached record attendance and some people were even forced to go back home because there was no parking, he said.
Urbina’s popularity in the Rio Grande Valley has landed him appearances as a featured guest at local bars. Gallego’s said he even reached out to the local celebrity to get him to make an appearance at The Craft.
Now, his fame is extending to Facebook and across social media–and local hotspots. One post showed a Valley resident spotting him at a grocery store and mugging with Bronco 956 for a selfie. In another post, a woman shares a video captioned “Okk #bronco956 #itsavibe #viral he is living his best life” that shows him arriving in a white truck with dark windows onto a red carpet, like a true Hollywood celebrity, as he shares a few of his dance months and enters into a Weslaco venue.
Many other videos show people dancing with him on dance floors.
Urbina said his work life has changed dramatically since the Bronco 956 attention began. With booking appearances and managing appointments, Urbina said his construction work is no longer receiving the same attention.
Fans often request that Urbina sing one of the songs from Bronco, which he finds difficult given he is not a singer. Despite that, the public remains star struck by the local.
The hashtag #Bronco956 is trending on TikTok with videos of women showing off their photos and dancing videos with the Bronco look-a-like.
According to Google trends, Bronco 956 searches have spiked in the Rio Grande Valley significantly in the past month. Urbina has also sparked the interest of Google searches from Houston and San Antonio. Related searches include “El Bronco de la pulga.”
“Bronco 956” has even been searched from Google users in Los Angeles, California, according to Google Trends.
