Latest news with #Mexicana
Los Angeles Times
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Junior H announces $ad Boyz Live & Broken tour
As the summer winds down, one perpetual sad boy returns to the concert stage to welcome the romantic fall gloom. On Wednesday, música Mexicana star Junior H announced his United States tour: $ad Boyz Live & Broken. His 25-date run will kick off Aug. 31 in Tinley Park, Ill., and wrap up Nov. 7 at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. Junior H has played a critical role in defining the essence of corridos tumbados since he signed a a deal with Rancho Humilde Records, following his 2019 viral hit 'No Eh Cambiado.' The Guanajuato-born singer-songwriter is best known for generating some of the genre's most popular songs, such as 'Fin de Semana' with Oscar Maydon, 'El Azul' featuring Peso Pluma, as well as their ultra-famous collab hit, 'Lady Gaga,' alongside Gabito Ballesteros. But Junior H, whose real name is Antonio Herrera Pérez, has also etched his own lane outside of the genre's self-indulgent drug-fueled luxury lifestyle. As a hopeless romantic, the singer has adopted the term 'sad boy' to describe his persona. 'They started categorizing me with sad and sentimental music. So I accepted and we kept it going,' said Junior H in an April interview with The Times. 'Especially with men, I think it's important to show people that feelings are not bad and we can express them as we want.' It's been nearly two years since the regional singer released his most successful album yet, '$ad Boyz 4 Life II,' which peaked at No. 14 on the Billboard 200 chart shortly after its release. With crooning tunes like 'Mientras Duermes' and 'Y Lloro,' Junior H graces the sad sierreño territory, proving his versatility as an artist. '[With 'Sad Boyz 4 Life II'] we've been forcing ourselves to prove and show the people what we can do and that we can change our music. It doesn't have to be typical,' said Junior H. Earlier this spring, he also performed on the main stage at the 2025 Coachella Music and Arts Festival as a top-billed act. ''We can also do nice and beautiful music, not just music for the streets or the narcos and all that s—... We also do beautiful music and poetry,' he added. 'That's our goal: to show them that we do more than that.' Tickets for the $ad Boyz Live & Broken Tour go on sale Friday at 10 a.m. local time at $AD BOYZ LIVE & BROKEN TOUR — 2025 DATES Sunday, Aug. 31 – Tinley Park, Ill. – Credit Union 1 AmphitheatreFriday, Sept. 5 – Bristow, Va. – Jiffy Lube LiveSaturday, Sept. 6 – Wantagh, N.Y. – Northwell at Jones Beach TheaterSunday, Sept. 7 – Camden, N.J. – Freedom Mortgage PavilionThursday, Sept. 11 – Charlotte, N.C. – PNC Music PavilionFriday, Sept. 12 – Raleigh, N.C. – Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut CreekSunday, Sept. 14 – Atlanta – Lakewood AmphitheatreFriday, Sept. 19 – Laredo, Texas – Sames Auto ArenaSaturday, Sept. 20 – Edinburg, Texas – Bert Ogden ArenaSunday, Sept. 21 – Austin, Texas – Germania Insurance AmphitheaterFriday, Oct. 3 – Rogers, Ark. – Walmart AMPSaturday, Oct. 4 – Houston – Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion sponsored by HuntsmanFriday, Oct. 10 – Chula Vista, Calif. – North Island Credit Union AmphitheatreSaturday, Oct. 11 – San Bernardino – Glen Helen AmphitheaterSunday, Oct. 12 – Fresno – Save Mart CenterFriday, Oct. 17 – Wheatland, Calif. – Toyota AmphitheaterSaturday, Oct. 18 – Mountain View, Calif. – Shoreline AmphitheatreSaturday, Oct. 25 – Dallas – Dos Equis PavilionFriday, Oct. 31 – Phoenix – Talking Stick Resort AmphitheatreSaturday, Nov. 1 – Las Vegas – T-Mobile ArenaSunday, Nov. 2 – Albuquerque – Isleta AmphitheaterFriday, Nov. 7 – Los Angeles – Hollywood Bowl
Los Angeles Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Latin Grammys 2025 predictions: Bad Bunny, Natalia Lafourcade and Rauw Alejandro among the frontrunners
This year promises to be one of the most exciting editions of the Latin Grammys. As the Latin Recording Academy prepares to unveil the nominations for the award's 26th edition on Sept. 17, the eligibility period — from June 1, 2024 to May 31, 2025 — includes a number of high-profile albums that not only contributed to the ongoing Latin music boom on a global level, but also pushed the movement forward with their radical choices and genre-defying sounds. Now a vital part of the Latin pop DNA, the urbano genre continues to redefine and challenge itself, while the rootsy strains of música Mexicana have deservedly gained a privileged seat on the table like never before. The fields of folk, rock, electronica and tropical are still expanding, and artists such as Bad Bunny, Rauw Alejandro, Becky G, Fuerza Regida and Natalia Lafourcade are vying for awards with some of the most ambitious albums of their careers. De Los assistant editor Suzy Exposito and contributing writer Ernesto Lechner discuss their predictions on the songs and albums that are most likely to be nominated. The following conversation has been edited for length. Ernesto Lechner: This seems to be an easy year in terms of the two obvious candidates for Latin Gammy history. Bad Bunny's 'Debí Tirar Más Fotos' is the kind of album that defines not only the year it came out — 2025 — but also the entire decade. And Natalia Lafourcade's mystically tinged 'Cancionera' finds the perennial Grammy favorite at the apex of her craft. Going back to Benito's masterpiece, its conceptual gravitas is almost grander than the songs themselves. Suzy Exposito: I'm really gunning for Album of the Year for this one. The amount of thought and intention that he placed on this record. The cultural significance of the songs, not just in terms of the history of Puerto Rico, but the way in which he directly engages with the Caribbean diaspora at large through salsa. E.L.: I love how lovingly he delves beyond salsa to also include plena. He goes back to Rafael Cortijo — the roots, the very essence of boricua culture. And the album has this Beatles-like quality where it's incredibly commercial — a No. 1 record, the album that everybody is listening to — but there's no compromise on the artistic front. It's an ambitious, fully realized statement. S.E.: Is any album by Benito just another Bad Bunny album? I don't think he dabbles in filler the way other artists do. E.L.: The photo of the plastic chairs on the cover could have been taken in the suburbs of Lima, or San Salvador, or Medellín. Benito makes such an inclusive, pan-Latin statement. Which brings me to nominate the title track, 'Debí Tirar Mas Fotos,' as a perfect contender for Song of the Year. S.E.: When I first heard it, I started to cry. It's a very sentimental song. I was recently in Puerto Rico and went to a plena jam session. It was happening in the street, and you could see people of all ages playing together, singing traditional songs, drinks in hand. There was something really beautiful and timeless about that communal experience. E.L.: A similar passion for music permeates Lafourcade's 'Cancionera.' Recorded live on analog tape, it has a pristine, wooden-floor kind of warmth. She embodies this mystical character, the cancionera, and it's a very mature album. I love 'Cocos en la Playa' — a frisky, beautiful tropical song that's so lovely and authentic. For my money, it's going to be a battle between those two albums in all the major categories. S.E.: I feel that Natalia Lafourcade is the conservative choice at the Latin Gammys, and it feels bizarre to say it. This is a woman who was making pop-rock in the 2000s. She is a virtuosa, and a master of her craft, but her nomination is predictable because now she represents the gold standard for the Latin Academy. E.L.: She's definitely the safest choice between the two. Besides Benito and Natalia, there are a few albums that could very well appear in the major categories, and one of them is Cazzu's 'Latinaje.' S.E.: That album is such a statement piece. I loved seeing Cazzu break away from the Latin trap sound that she defined and blending it with other things. She's a great songwriter, and her transformation is fascinating. I think this is the year when many young people are going back to their roots, and then making something new out of it. E.L.: I had a conversation with Cazzu a few months ago and told her that 'Latinaje' made me feel vindicated. As a fellow Argentine, I've always felt that we're an integral part of Latin America. She proved it with this beautiful love letter to so many essential genres. There's salsa, merengue, South American folk, and 'Dolce,' a gorgeous corrido tumbado about that infamous red dress that went viral. And she did it all so genuinely. S.E.: It may be hard for her, because she came up as an MC. I wonder if the Latin Academy will know in what categories to place her, since this is such a multi-genre album. I mean, she's an international girl. E.L.: And of course, Rubén Blades has a new album out, and it's beautiful as always. 'Fotografías' is another sumptuous, big band salsa session. It combines new compositions with songs that Rubén had given to fellow Fania artists in the '70s, and now recorded them himself. S.E.: That's a great move on his part. 'Hey, remember those songs? Yeah — I wrote them!' It sounds ridiculous to say that Rubén is another safe choice, but I can see him in all the big categories. Which brings me to another artist who made a salsa-influenced album: Rauw Alejandro and 'Cosa Nuestra.' E.L.: I love the Afro-Caribbean vibe on 'Cosa Nuestra' and the silky duet with bachata star Romeo Santos on 'Khé?' I feel this one has been overshadowed a little by Benito's 'Debí Tirar Más Fotos.' My favorite Rauw Alejandro album remains 2021's 'Vice Versa' with the awesome, '80s influenced mega-hit 'Todo De Ti.' S.E.: My favorite song on 'Cosa Nuestra' is 'Se Fue,' the duet with Laura Pausini, which is also like a moody '80s song. Raúl has made it a point to polish up his nostalgia for old forms of music. Michael Jackson is one of his most influential artists. By the way, we should mention Fuerza Regida and their ninth studio album, '111XPANTIA.' They have never been nominated for a Latin Grammy, so I'm rooting for them because they have experimented in a really bold way. Their lead singer, Jesús Ortiz Paz, has shown a lot of intention behind his creative decisions beyond making the same corridos or mining from the same old '90s rappers. Their music is cheeky; sonically, it pushes boundaries. E.L.: You're never gonna have a bad time with this new wave of música Mexicana stars, considering the staggering melodic richness of their songs and the immediacy of the lyrics. S.E.: On that note, I think it's time for Ivan Cornejo to get a Latin Grammy nod for 'Mirada' — the production has this ethereal quality that sounds so mature and progressive for the genre. I also want to applaud DannyLux for his ambitious 'Leyenda,' which is a psychedelic take on sierreño music, à la George Harrison. E.L.: What about Becky G? Last year I was asked to write about 'Encuentros,' and I just had to surrender to the elegance of this pristine música Mexicana session. Her voice sounds huge on this record. S.E.: I really hope they don't silo her in the música Mexicana categories, because this is a very mature album for her. She grew up singing mariachi music with her family, so it's a beautiful full circle moment for her. E.L.: 'Encuentros' would be a perfect Album of the Year candidate because it celebrates the music of her grandparents but at the same time transcends it. I love that Becky said she's never looking back after recording her two traditional albums of rancheras and lush Mexican pop. This brings me to a more general observation: I believe we're experiencing an era of absolute splendor, and the Latin Grammys nominations are bound to reflect that. It's like every single Latin American country has blossomed, wearing its most elegant clothes and throwing some amazing parties. The richness and breadth of the music being recorded throughout the continent is off the charts. S.E.: I agree. Creatively, the last couple of years have been the most exciting for Latin music in a really long time. I think we're going to remember the 2020s for the bold decade that it is.
Los Angeles Times
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Dareyes de la Sierra gets his redemption
In the world of música Mexicana, few artists have been able to successfully evolve their sound and image after decades without rattling their base of dedicated listeners — let alone entice a new demographic of supporters. But this rare occurrence seems to be the case for José Darey Castro, the L.A.-based singer and accordionist who performs under the name Dareyes de la Sierra. His gritty vocals and revamped sound have elevated him as one of this year's most popular singers of corridos tumbados. In May, Darey released his latest album, 'Redención.' A collection of 14 thunderous songs, the album has taken hold of corrido fanatics old and new for its brazen lyrics and turbulent rhythms, perfectly suited for a drop-top evening cruise. The LP debuted at No. 3 on Spotify's Top Albums Debut Global chart. After expanding the track list with a deluxe album in June, the singer will soon embark on his first-ever U.S. tour. Come Aug. 1, Darey and his band will kick off a 20-date run at the Belasco in Los Angeles. He will make stops in major cities including Las Vegas, San Diego, Chicago, Houston and more before wrapping up in Portland, Ore., on Sept. 21. '[My tour] will expose a new facet musically speaking, but I will not forget the songs I've sung before,' says Darey during a video call with The Times. His first release in seven years, 'Redención,' which translates to 'Redemption,' is a fitting self-assessment for the legacy act, who kicked off his career over 20 years ago in Mexico. Norteño aficionados may already be familiar with the power of Dareyes de la Sierra, the band from Navojoa, Sonora, that specialized in sentimental corridos, like early 2000s Billboard hits 'Sufre' and 'Enséñame a Olvidar' — for which the music video bears a close resemblance to the theme found in the 2004 film 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.' Their scorching breakup song, 'Hasta El Día De Hoy,' remained 11 weeks on the Regional Mexican Airplay in 2008. Currently, the song's official YouTube video (re-uploaded in 2018) has reached over 35 million views. But most listeners might have overlooked Darey's early attempts to trek into the world of 'corridos verdes': a marijuana-inspired subgenre that has now become widely acceptable as the drug has been decriminalized in a handful of U.S. states. His 2007 release 'Los En-Kush-ados,' which underscored the blissful state of a smoke session, failed to resonate with audiences at the time — perhaps due to stigma surrounding use of the substance. 'I've always been ahead of the wave,' Darey says. 'When people started singing corridos verdes, I had done so years before. People did not accept it.' Now as this new era of corridos tumbados begins to normalize marijuana use, and the resulting euphoria, Darey seems to have found the momentum for his redemption arc. 'Things happen when they need to, you know?' he says. 'It wasn't a change that happened overnight, because the public has to accept you. We took notice of the musical evolution and the public was more accepting.' Yet music is the main medicine for the singer, who received his first guitar from his father when he was 10 years old — although he later ended up breaking the guitar in a childish fit. Five years later, he picked up the instrument again and never let go. And while there have been moments that would dissuade any aspiring musician from following their passion — including a deadly attack he miraculously survived in 2004 — Darey holds his head high, embracing the tumultuous twists and turns of life and, humbly, his long-awaited flowers. The new LP features guest appearances by the crème de la crème of the genre, such as Tito Double P, Peso Pluma, Neton Vega and Gabito Ballesteros. It's a mastermind move by Darey, who recognizes that most of his new listeners are part of a younger generation, but he also makes clear he is not riding the coattails of younger talent — Darey owns his spotlight. 'I don't do this [type of music] out of obligation, it comes organically from me,' says Darey. His opening track, Italian-folk-inspired 'Vita Fer,' alludes to a sexual enhancement drink. Featuring Tito Double P, the frisky song peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Mexico Songs chart. The album is altogether an intoxicated romp that illustrates the chaotic rock star lifestyle. Darey's strong, rugged voice and tongue-twisting lyrics break through the purple haze, especially in standout tracks like 'Polvo de Hadas' featuring Luis R Conriquez and 'Boneless' alongside Neton Vega. There's also 'Supreme,' Darey's collaboration with Peso Pluma, which boasts of material luxuries, including iced-out Cartier watches. While he is thankful for the outpouring of support he's received surrounding the release of 'Redención,' he's also aware of the dangers such fame could bring to one's psyche. 'There's a fine line where [you have to be careful] not to get sick,' says Darey. Currently trending at No. 3 on Mexico's Billboard 100 chart is 'Frecuencia,' a cut from his deluxe album. The upbeat jingle calls back to Ice Cube's 1993 hit 'It Was a Good Day.' Although paranoid at times, Darey's opening lines are almost hymn-like: 'I know that I will die, that's why I live life crazy,' he sings, 'I pray that my God guides me down the right path.' 'If you think about the future, it'll cause anxiety. [If you think] of the past, [it'll cause] depression,' says Darey of this empowering new chapter of his life. 'Let's live in the moment.'
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.
Los Angeles Times
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
De Los turns 2. Here's what we did over the last year
On the night of July 9, 2023, one of the De Los editors — they shall remain nameless — accidentally flipped the site live while doing some last-minute revisions, a full 12 hours before our announced launch date. And so, after nearly a year of planning and prepping, The Times' section focusing on Latino culture and identity was born. Wednesday marked our second anniversary, and let me tell you, the last 12 months have been quite a ride. Whereas Year 1 was full of growing pains, Year 2 was all about us hitting our stride. During this period, we've extensively covered the ever-growing popularity of Latin music, profiling some of the genre's biggest stars and providing context on some of the year's most important albums — take this story, which explains how Bad Bunny's 'Debí Tirar Más Fotos' isn't just a love letter to Puerto Rico, but a history of the island as well. Curious about the current state of Latin music? We put together a roundtable of hitmakers and asked them to weigh in. The De Los team also proved to be ambitious during our sophomore year, undertaking three separate packages: a deep dive into the many ways in which música Mexicana has influenced Southern California culture; the De Los 101, a curated list of 101 businesses and organizations we felt represented the best of Latino L.A.; and a retrospective on the impact of Selena Quintanilla's legacy 30 years after her death. In addition to our culture coverage, we also supplemented The Times' great coverage of major news events by reporting on how these effected the Latino community, whether it be the L.A. wildfires or the ongoing ICE raids. We also partnered with the Cultivating Inland Empire Latino Opportunity (CIELO) Fund at the Inland Empire Community Foundation to expand our coverage into the Inland Empire, a relationship that has yielded one of my favorite De Los stories to date — a feature on Las Valentinas del Valle de Coachella, a group of middle and elementary schoolers who are keeping the traditional Mexican sport of escaramuza alive. Beyond our reporting, the last 12 months saw us be more in community with our audience. We were at South by Southwest in March for our second annual music showcase. A month later, we were at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books with two days of programming at the De Los Stage in association with L.A. Times en Español. Last summer, we co-presented a free concert with Grand Performances headlined by Daymé Arocena, and we'll be back again on Aug. 2 with Adrian Quesada and his 'Boleros Psicodélicos' — you can RSVP here. We're also planning something special for Día de Muertos, so stay tuned for more details. None of this would have been possible without your continued support. The De Los team is heartened every time one of you stops by our live events, or shares one of our stories or Instagram videos with your friends. Thank you and here's to Year 3! Julio Salgado is a visual artist based in Long Beach. His work has been displayed at the Oakland Museum, SFMOMA, and Smithsonian American Art Museum. (@juliosalgado83) Two Camp Mystic counselors from Mexico describe managing campers through the Texas floods Silvana Garza Valdez and María Paula Zárate, 19-year-old camp counselors from Mexico, recalled the events during the deadly disaster that killed more than 100 people, including 27 campers and counselors, in an interview with NMás on Saturday. Amid ongoing ICE raids, the Chicxs Rockerxs summer camp moves to protect community Based in Southeast Los Angeles, the rock 'n' roll camp has gone online this year out of safety concerns for campers and their families. Commentary: The 'Love Island USA' scandal highlights how prevalent racist language is among Latinos Contestants Yulissa Escobar and Cierra Ortega were removed from 'Love Island USA' for past use of racial slurs. 'Dora the Explorer' turns 25 this year. Her legacy transcends generations. The beloved bilingual kids show celebrates its anniversary with a new live-action film, 'Dora and the Search for Sol Dorado.' Journalist Mario Guevara is still in ICE detention despite being granted bond Journalist Mario Guevara has released a statement from an ICE detention facility. He was arrested during a 'No Kings' protest in metro Atlanta in June and has been in ICE custody since. Commentary: Pixar's 'Elio' is not a political movie, but it arrives at a political time 'It's not a stretch to think that the premise of a Latino kid alienated for who he is and who believes that he won't ever feel fully accepted in the place he calls home could speak to millions of Latino children across this country,' writes contributor Carlos Aguilar. Manuel Masalva of 'Narcos: Mexico' 'reborn' after 105 days in hospital Actor Manuel Masalva shared his first public message in an Instagram post Monday after spending 105 days at a Dubai hospital following a severe bacterial infection. Heavily armed immigration agents descend on L.A.'s MacArthur Park They came with horses and armored vehicles, carrying rifles and in tactical gear in the middle of what is the heart of immigrant Los Angeles. But there were few of their supposed targets to be found Monday — immigrants without documentation. Immigration raid at cannabis farm leads to violence in Camarillo as hundreds protest Protesters blocked the roads in and out of one of the farms, and at one point federal agents drove their vehicles through the fields. Cal State L.A. allows online classes, excused absences as students express fear amid ICE raids In a letter to faculty, the university provost said that after hearing from students 'scared to take public transit and fearful of driving to campus,' leaders reiterated policies that also allow professors to provide excused absences and alternative makeup work arrangements for concerned students. Federal arrests in L.A. approach 2,800 since raids began, DHS says Arrests continue to mount in the aggressive federal operation that began more than a month ago to track down and detain undocumented immigrants in Los Angeles, according to Homeland Security figures released Tuesday. Honduran home cook sells internet-viral burritos for the workers of L.A. The cooking videos of Maria Sanchez — also known as 'Maria la de los Burritos' — went viral, and her business selling burritos from the trunk of her car took off.
