[4] His family members worked as day laborers, but they also played mariachi during their spare time.

[1] Cano's grandfather Catarino was a self-taught guitarron player, and his father Sotero was a musician who played all of the mariachi stringed instruments.

[1] Cano traveled to the northern city of Mexicali in 1950, where he joined the Mariachi Chapala and quickly became its arranger, although he was ten years younger than most of the band members.

Cano took over the band as its leader and renamed it Mariachi los Camperos, meaning "Countrymen".

He stepped down as leader of Mariachi los Camperos in the 2000s due to declining health, but continued to perform with the group.