Santa Catarina is a city and municipality in the state of Nuevo León, Mexico that is part of the Monterrey Metropolitan area.

The name of this city comes from the Catholic Saint Catherine of Alexandria. The city of Santa Catarina was not "founded" in a traditional manner; at the beginning, it was only a resting point for travelers between Monterrey and Saltillo. The first recorded name was "Estancia de Santa Catarina" (Shelter of Santa Catarina).

During the French Invasion of Mexico in the second half of the 19th century, the president Benito Juárez spent some days in Santa Catarina while traveling to Monterrey, and it was during this time that he elevated its status to Village. The category of Village was maintained until 1979 when the state government elevated its status to City.

Santa Catarina is located about 15 kilometers southwest of central Monterrey. As of the Mexican census of 2005, its population was 259,202 in the city and 259,896 in the municipality. The city and municipality both rank sixth in population in the state. The municipality has an area of 984.5 km² (380.12 sq mi) and includes numerous very small localities outside of the city itself.

Nuevo León (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈnweβo leˈon]), officially Free and Sovereign State of Nuevo León (Spanish: Estado Libre y Soberano de Nuevo León), is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 51 municipalities and its capital city is Monterrey.

It is located in Northeastern Mexico. It is bordered by the states of Tamaulipas to the north and east, San Luis Potosí to the south, and Coahuila to the west. To the north, Nuevo León has a 15 kilometer (9 mi) stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border adjacent to the U.S. state of Texas.

The state was named after the New Kingdom of León, an administrative territory of the Viceroyalty of New Spain.

Besides its capital, other important cities are Guadalupe, Santa Catarina, San Nicolás de los Garza, and San Pedro Garza García, all of which are part of the Monterrey Metropolitan area.

Nuevo León was originally founded by Alberto del Canto, although frequent raids by Chichimecas, the natives of the north, prevented the establishment of almost any permanent settlements. Subsequent to the failure of del Canto to populate Luis Carvajal y de la Cueva, at the head of Portuguese and Spanish settlers, requested permission from the Spanish King to attempt to repopulate the area which would be called the New Kingdom of León, it eventually became (along with the provinces of Coahuila, Nuevo Santander and Texas) one of the Eastern Internal Provinces in Northern New Spain.

Santa Catarina (Brazilian Portuguese: [ˈsɐ̃ta kataˈɾina] ( listen) "Saint Catherine") is a state in southern Brazil with one of the highest standards of living in Latin America. Its capital is Florianópolis, which mostly lies on the Santa Catarina Island. Neighbouring states are Rio Grande do Sul to the south and Paraná to the north. It is bounded on the east by the Atlantic Ocean, and to the west it borders the province of Misiones, Argentina. Most of its inhabitants are descendants of Portuguese, German, and Italian immigrants.

The beaches along the coast of 561 kilometres (349 mi) are a great attraction for tourists visiting the smallest state of the South Region. Florianópolis, the capital, is on an island and is one of the Brazilian cities that receives the most foreign tourists. To the south, Garopaba is the preferred destination of surfers looking for good waves. In the mountain region, São Joaquim is an attraction during winter because of its low temperatures. Blumenau, in the interior of Santa Catarina, is the stage for one of the biggest events of the country: the Oktoberfest, a traditional beer party originated from Germany, that happens in October. The heritage of the Italian, German and Portuguese immigrants can be seen in the architecture and the customs of the state. Joinville is Santa Catarina's largest city.

Rigoberto Tovar García (March 29, 1946 – March 27, 2005) was a Mexican singer best known as Rigo Tovar. Famous for his cumbias, Tovar infused traditional Mexican and Latin music with modern instruments like the electric guitar and synthesizer and popular styles such as rock and soul music.

Tovar was born and raised in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico. After moving to Houston, Texas, his musical career began to take off in the early 1970s. Blending cumbia, tropical, and modern pop rock, he quickly gained a large following. In 1971, Tovar released his first album entitled Matamoros Querido which garnered two hits, "Matamoros Querido" and "Lamento De Amor".

During his career, Tovar broke several attendance records in Mexico and throughout Latin America (many of which still stand to this day), sold over 30 million albums, and continues to influence countless artists of all genres.

Through extensive radio play and touring in Mexico and the United States, Tovar achieved great popularity and success. At the height of his fame, he was known as "El Ídolo de México" (Mexico's Idol) and "El Ídolo de las multitudes" (The Idol of the Masses). The release of the 1976 album, Amor y Cumbia catapulted him to superstar status not only in Mexico but many other areas of Latin America as well as the United States. His adoring public coined the phrase "Rigo es Amor" which is translated in English as "Rigo is Love". This was attributed to the love songs he performed and the passion he poured into them. His music, voice and image were so endearing to so many that he became the living embodiment of love. It was routinely yelled out at his concerts and is still used when people speak of him.