Latest news with #AgushtoPapá
Los Angeles Times
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Música Mexicana podcast Agushto Papá joins iHeartMedia
Agushto Papá is turning up the volume and reaching wider audiences. On Monday, iHeartMedia announced that the popular música Mexicana podsters, Agushto Papá, will be joining My Cultura Podcast Network, an initiative that elevates Latino storytellers in audio. 'The hosts [of Agushto Papá] have built this series into a cultural force, connecting with a new generation of listeners through humor, personal stories and a deep passion for Mexican music,' said Will Pearson, President of iHeartPodcasts, in a statement to The Times. 'This partnership reflects our network's ongoing mission to elevate and amplify creators who speak authentically to Latino identity and community.' Forging a partnership with the No. 1 podcast publisher (according to Podtrac) is a dream come true for young regional music enthusiasts Jason Nuñez, Diego Mondragon and Angel Lopez, who launched Agushto Papá Podcast in Nuñez's parent's garage. ' We're super blessed to be in the position that we are in because of the people supporting us,' said Nuñez about the partnership. 'It feels good to be one of the first [of] Gen Z to have a podcast on the platform.' Since 2021, the trio has played an essential role in chronicling the rise of música Mexicana, which has grown in popularity in the last couple of years. ' When it started, it was just talking about what what we love and what caught our attention,' said Lopez. 'There was no sort of plan there.' Their laid-back setting and off-the-cuff interview style gave promising regional acts the opportunity to showcase their raw talent and personality. Popular genre singers like Becky G, Ivan Cornejo, DannyLux and more have appeared on their programming, which spans across all social media platforms, including Instagram, YouTube and TikTok, where the trio has amassed over 674,000 followers. But the impact of Agushto Papá goes beyond music. Earlier this year, they used their platform to call for more support from artists amid the sweeping ICE raids that targeted predominantly Latino communities. Nuñez and Mondragon have also been vocal about their experience as recipients of DACA, a work relief program for undocumented youth arrivals that has come under attack in recent years by the Trump administration. Now with the support of My Cultura Podcast Network, the podcasters want to bring more of themselves and their community into the national conversation. Their new programming with iHeartMedia will be set up to receive calls and messages from listeners. ' We're gonna make some really cool stuff happen,' said Lopez. 'The past two seasons have been very artist-focused, but we just opened up this new season talking about our experiences at the concerts,' said Mondragon, referring to their latest podcast episode, where they break down the feverish backstage world of Neton Vega's concert. Since launching in 2021, My Cultura Podcast Network has become home to more than 60 Latino programs, including 'Lone Lobos' with Xolo Maridueña and Jacob Bertrand and 'More Better' with Stephanie Beatriz and Melissa Fumero. Maria Hinojosa's Latino USA, the longest-running Latino-focused news and culture program in the country, also joins the network today. In June, actor Eva Longoria and her Hyphenate Media group— who is set to direct and produce a film adaptation of Xochitl Gonzalez's novel 'Anita de Monte Laughs Last' — joined Wilmer Valderrama as stakeholders in the network. The 'That '70s Show' actor also hosts the podcast 'Dos Amigos' alongside Freddy Rodriguez. ' Knowing that all these resources exist and they're available to us, it's really exciting to see how far we're gonna be able to take it,' said Mondragon. New episodes of 'Agushto Papá' will be posted weekly on Mondays as part of the My Cultura Podcast Network.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Agushto Papá' challenges música Mexicana artists to speak up on immigration raids
As looming fear over ongoing ICE raids in the greater Los Angeles area continues, one group of music enthusiasts is using their platform to call out for more visibility and support from famed artists — underscoring tense conversations about influence in the Latino music scene. Since 2021, the "Agushto Papá" podcast — founded and hosted by Jason Nuñez, Diego Mondragon and Angel Lopez— has played a key role in chronicling the rise of música Mexicana by giving up-and-coming artists a platform to showcase their talent and personalities. Popular genre acts like Xavi, Eslabon Armado, Becky G, DannyLux, Ivan Cornejo and more have appeared on their YouTube channel, which has amassed over 635,000 subscribers to date. However, on Monday, the trio strayed away from their standard entertainment content, uploading an Instagram reel reflecting disappointment over ICE sweeps, which have targeted communities of Paramount, Huntington Park, Santa Ana and other predominantly Latino communities. 'It's super unfortunate to see what's happening within our Latino community,' Nuñez states in the clip. 'I think it's very important that we stay united and spread as much awareness as possible.' The video initially highlighted efforts by Del Records, who are providing free legal assistance to members of the community who are facing deportation orders; earlier this year, the Bell Gardens label was caught in a web of guilty court verdicts due to their links to cartels. Still, the label is one of the few Latino-led music entities outspoken about providing resources for affected individuals, 'but I definitely think they shouldn't be the only ones,' added Nuñez in the video. Podcast co-host Lopez prompted viewers to tag their favorite artist in the comment section if they would like for them to speak up, he said, 'I think it's fair and just that [artists] show some of that love back to the community that's in need and that is hurting.' 'I think that [artists] do play a big role because I think we see them as role models or leaders in our community,' said Lopez in a Tuesday interview with The Times. 'These are times when we need those leaders to speak up and for us and people that maybe can't speak up as well.' The topic of immigration hits close to home for two of the members; Nuñez and Mondragon are both DACA recipients and openly discuss their unique experience on the podcast. The Obama-era program, which provides temporary relief from deportation and work authorization, has also come under attack in recent years by Trump-appointed judges and is currently recognized as unlawful by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, although application renewals remain. 'I feel betrayed because with ["Agushto Papá"], we have a lot of artists and companies and labels reach out to us to promote albums, tours,' said Mondragon. 'We've actually reached out to some of these companies [and] they've been ignoring us.' While Mondragon won't disclose names, he says that many individuals have not spoken out because, "their artists are not born in the U.S." To that he quips, "We don't have papers as well, and we're still using our platform." There's a sense of betrayal, the group says, especially given how various artists and labels came out to support Californians during the January wildfires, 'but now when it comes down to bringing awareness to things that are happening to their people, it's just unfair that they're keeping quiet,' says Nuñez. Still, the "Agushto Papá" podcast is not alone in this sentiment; if you scroll across the comment sections of trending música Mexicana acts, you'll likely come across comments asking them why they're staying silent about recent sweeps, which immigration-leaders say have totaled at least 300 people. 'I think my big let down is that these companies/artists are vocal about their culture, their heritage, their ethnicity every chance they get, but now I feel like they're picking and choosing only when it matters,' said Lopez. In days following public demonstrations and protests, several Mexican American artists have vocalized their support of the immigrant communities including big acts like Ivan Cornejo, Becky G, and Chiquis. On Tuesday, the boisterous San Bernardino band Fuerza Regida, uploaded a statement to their 9.1 million followers, sharing support for the Latino community. The podcast trio later thanked in a follow-up video. "There's still a lot of artists that are staying silent and we hope by this week they speak out about what's going on," states Mondragon in the video, urging artists to spread awareness, or perhaps, if they're bold, front a portion of their millions to the community, even if it means opting for first class instead of their private jet, he says. Get our Latinx Files newsletter for stories that capture the complexity of our communities. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
