Latin
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Enrique Iglesias has released his new studio album Final, Vol. 2 (Sony Music Latin)—almost three years after dropping Final, Vol. 1, and which he assures will be the last musical set of his career. Home to 10 tracks, the album finds Iglesias navigating from his signature electronic dance and Latin pop fusions to other genres […]
After “Está Dañada” earned Ivan Cornejo his first top 10 on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs in 2021, the Mexican-American singer-songwriter is back in the upper region as “Baby Please” debuts at No. 8 on the list dated March 30. “Baby Please” splashes into the top 10 on the multimetric Hot Latin Songs chart mainly on […]
Los Tigres del Norte made history in Texas earlier in March after breaking its own stadium attendance record at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. As part of their Siempre Contigo tour, the renowned norteño band made a pit stop at the rodeo’s Go Tejano Day, where they drew an audience of 75,595 at the […]
After a decade-long absence, Jumbo, a cornerstone of Latin alternative rock, are making their return to the U.S. stage, joining forces with genre peers División Minúscula. Their much-anticipated comeback follows years of setbacks due to a “critical error” that led to visa complications, preventing them from touring stateside despite the release of three albums brimming with tour-worthy material.
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Now, armed with renewed vigor and passion, the Mexican rock band — consisting of frontman Clemente Castillo, guitarist Jorge “Flip” Tamez, bassist Carlos Castro, drummer Alberto Ramos, and producer Iñigo Rizo — are ready to captivate audiences once again as they crisscross the United States, hitting major cities from coast to coast. Promoted by Live Nation, the tour kicks off in Chicago on April 17, followed by a show in New York City the next day. The tour route includes stops in Salt Lake City, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Dallas, and culminates in Houston, Texas on August 14.
Celebrating 25 years since the release of their debut album, Restaurant, in 1999, Jumbo’s significance extends beyond mere longevity. This album not only marked a milestone in the band’s career but also played a pivotal role in shaping the Mexican music scene of its time, particularly the musical boom known as La Avanzada Regia scene of that era in Monterrey.
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“The grand merit of that generation was to be able to break [barriers] and show that in a city where there was no music scene suddenly thundered and became so big,” Flip (real name Jorge Tamez Chapa) tells Billboard Español. “Plastilina Mosh was nothing like Zurdok, which was nothing like La Flor de Lingo, or Niña, or Kinky. Unconsciously we valued being original, and I think that created a very rich movement. Thirty years later it is beginning to be romanticized a lot. I feel very proud to be from that generation”.
Jumbo. Photo Credit: Juan Rodrigo Llaguno
Juan Rodrigo Llaguno
“División Minúscula and Jumbo are two bands with different backgrounds but equally important in the alternative rock genre. They belong to an era that defined many fans on both sides of the border,” adds Manuel Moran, vp of Latin touring at Live Nation. “We are proud to be part of this great celebration and we are very grateful for the trust they have placed in us to surprise their fans in the United States with a comeback tour and an unexpected collaboration like this one.”
Jumbo’s latest release, Manual De Viaje A Un Lugar Lejano (En Directo), earned them a Latin Grammy nomination for best pop/rock album in 2019, further solidifying their status as stalwarts of the Latin alternative rock scene.
In this interview, Flip delves into the band’s journey, from the highs of success to the challenges they’ve faced along the way, shedding light on their experiences and aspirations for the future. And yes, he explains why they could not enter the U.S. for over a decade.
What does it mean for you to take the stage again in the United States, and how did the opportunity to collaborate with División Minúscula for this tour come up?
We are very happy to tour the United States and celebrate 25 years of our career. We had an issue, a very serious mistake we made that kept us away from the United States for more than ten years. During the first albums Restaurant (1999), D.D. y Ponle Play (2001), and Teleparque (2003), we had great tours over there. We were building a market early in our career. Saúl Hernández from Jaguares invited us to be openers along with Julieta Venegas and La Gusana Ciega. I remember they were incredible tours, and suddenly there’s this break.
Many years went by — and fortunately we managed to overcome this — and now we have the opportunity to share the stage with División Minúscula. Although they are from Matamoros, most of them have been living here in Monterrey for many years. They are very good friends. It’s the first time we do a tour as such and we are very happy; I think it’s going to be very fun.
Jumbo. Photo Credit: Juan Rodrigo Llaguno
Juan Rodrigo Llaguno
As you celebrate these 25 years, what do you consider has been the key to staying together as a band?
It’s very difficult. The other day I read a report by Sting that said, “I don’t think any grown man can be in a band.” He said it had to do with this youth gang dynamic that gets a little lost as you get older. And you notice that the relationship does change — you change as a person, you are no longer that youth [from before] — but I think we are still united by the desire to make music.
Jumbo is a band that from day one, we set out to make songs that would go beyond the barrier of time. We were never very attached to any fashion — although when we came out, we sounded like what was going on in the early 2000s. In our journey, we have seen many things come and go. We’ve had to change formats, first digital, then streaming. Many things have happened to us that I think the love of making music has brought us back into alignment. Fortunately, we have never fought or disrespected each other, but we have an admiration for each of the members.
And although at times we do have different artistic goals and visions, it always ends up falling in the same place. Many of us in the band are producers of other projects, we have other activities, but all related to music. As long as there are people who lend us their ears, there is no reason to stop. The 25 years was a number that hit us like a motherf–ker. It’s a great reason to celebrate.
Being one of the pioneers of La Avanzada Regia movement in Monterrey, how do you see the impact of this movement on today’s music, and what do you think has been your most significant contribution to this legacy?
I always say that I’m very proud to be from that generation. I grew up playing in many bands, and it didn’t cross my mind to dedicate myself professionally to this, or to be signed by a record label or go on tour. And suddenly the scene was big enough, the Monterrey scene. There were like 10 to 15 bands playing in four or five places, and the rest was the audience. This is before the internet — I mean, we took our flyers to the show and handed them out to perform the following week.
La Avanzada, we were very united as bands; there was the same hunger to go out and dream, to take this to the next level. Monterrey, being the industrial capital of the country, had a very rigid scheme of opportunities. You had to study, work in one of the big companies, and make your life. It was very difficult to dream of a profession outside those schemes. The great merit of that generation was to be able to break [barriers] and demonstrate that in a city where there was no professional music scene it could become so big, and in a few years permeate the Latin market so strongly.
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When Control Machete came out, it a huge boom that the rest of Latin America turned to see what was happening in Monterrey. They were looking for a hip-hop movement, but they found something very different. Plastilina Mosh was nothing like Zurdok, which was nothing like La Flor de Lingo, or Niña, or Kinky. Unconsciously we valued very much being original, not looking like anybody else and I think that created a very rich movement. Thirty years later this scene is beginning to be romanticized a lot.
What’s next after the tour? Any final thoughts?
One goal that we had for many years was to get back to the United States in some way. I think the next thing after this tour is to get into the studio. There are no concrete plans yet.
I’ll tell you the anecdote so that there is no mystery; I think it’s something that new [foreign] bands learn from. We made the very serious mistake of going to a show with a tourist visa. The work visa has a shorter amount of time. It happens to [foreign] bands that the work visa has a short period of time. Suddenly there is an isolated show, and even though we had an arrangement with the promoter that could be for promotion, we got too close to the line and fell into a problem. So, it doesn’t matter if you’re going to play a free show, it doesn’t matter if you’re going to tour very casually. Playing in the U.S. is work, and that cost us to stay away for many years. If it’s any moral for bands, don’t make that mistake. We learned the hard way and fortunately we are back.
We are really excited. We had a hard time having three albums and not being able to tour there. So we bring all that accumulated energy and we are sure you will notice it in the shows.
Check out Jumbo and División Minúscula’s full tour dates below, second slide:
On Thursday night (March 28), Xavi is poised to launch his inaugural headlining tour Poco A Poco, with Mexico City’s Auditorio BlackBerry as his first destination, and Billboard Español can exclusively reveal the complete setlist.
With multiple dates sold-out, including his two Mexico stops and more in California, his tour has emerged as one of the most eagerly awaited events for an artist who was relatively unknown just a year ago.
Performing more than a dozen songs — including his Billboard chart-smashing hits “La Víctima,” “Poco a Poco” and “La Diabla,” the latter song which he’s set to play twice — the 2024 breakout star is expected to captivate audiences with his infectious energy. The setlist also includes his latest release “Corazón de Piedra.”
The 19-year-old will also perform songs from his first EP, endearingly titled My Mom’s Playlist, consisting of classic rock en Español covers, which he released on Mother’s Day 2023. Those include “Rayando El Sol,” originally by Maná, and “Ahora Te Puedes Marchar” by Luis Miguel.
Last month, the Phoenix-born artist performed in his ancestral homeland for the first time as a surprise guest at Karol G’s sold-out Estadio Azteca show. “He told me that he has never sung in his country, in Mexico,” La Bichota said when introducing the new hitmaker in February. “I told him that I was sure that the moment he started singing here, the stadium was going to turn up, and he was going to be proud of who he is.”
Recently, the singer-songwriter was part of a música Mexicana documentary by SoundCloud, alongside an all-star cast: Ivan Cornejo, DannyLux, and Conexión Divina; he was also Billboard‘s January Latin Artist on the Rise.
So without further ado, here is Xavi’s complete setlist for his first tour stop in Mexico City. You can find the rest of his tour dates here.
“Poco a Poco”
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Back in the 1980s and even the 1990s, Spanish artists like Raphael, Julio Iglesias and Camilo Sesto were hugely popular both in Latin America and among U.S. Latin audiences — a situation replicated in the 1990s and 2000s by the likes of global superstars like Mecano and Alejandro Sanz, both of whom hailed from Spain. […]
In a bid to stay attuned to an ever-evolving musical landscape, the Latin Recording Academy has announced two new categories: best contemporary Mexican music album and best Latin electronic music performance. After criticism arose in 2023 for a lack of representation for regional Mexican artists, especially within the top four categories, the Latin Academy is […]
Every month, Billboard Latin and Billboard Español editors spotlight a group of rising artists whose music we love. Think “diamantes en bruto,” or “diamonds in the rough.” These are newcomers who have yet to impact the mainstream — but whose music excites us, and who we believe our readers should make a point to discover.
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Our latest edition of On the Radar Latin includes a wave of emerging artists, who we discovered by scrolling on social media, networking, or coming across their music at a showcase, for example. See our March 2024 — in honor of Women’s History Month — recommendations below.
Artist: Alé Araya
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Country: U.S. (of Chilean descent)
Why They Should Be on Your Radar: Whether embodying a fairy-like figure in music videos (see below) or channeling the essence of a mythical forest creature, as depicted in her vinyl artwork for in visions, Alé Araya stands out with her captivating imagery. However, it’s her music that truly enchants. As a singer-songwriter and producer, her compositions exude R&B sensuality infused with atmospheric yet jittery productions, reminiscent of artists like Kali Uchis, Ibeyi, or PinkPanthress.
Her latest single, “Bella,” released on International Women’s Day, serves as an homage to “divinity, female ferocity, and female transgression,” as highlighted in her press kit; in just two and a half minutes, the Chilean descendant mesmerizes listeners by layering her serene vocals with the potential to spellbind. Now signed to Rostrum Records, Alé has spent recent years honing her craft, writing and producing for notable figures such as Alice Glass of Crystal Castles fame, Saba, Joseph Chilliams and Lexa Gates. With a classical jazz background and a deep understanding of digital composition, she brings a unique perspective to her work. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Alé is poised to release her next EP this May. — ISABELA RAYGOZA
Song for Your Playlist: “Bella”
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Artist: Greyvi
Country: Honduras
Why They Should Be on Your Radar: I discovered Greyvi while she performed at the renowned Calle Ocho Festival in Miami earlier this month. With such edge and grace, the young artist — who was born in Honduras to Colombian parents and resides between Guatemala and Miami — can easily navigate from Latin pop to urban music with her sweet vocals and fierce dance moves. Further demonstrating her hunger in the music industry and effortless versatility, her latest single “El Luto” is a catchy salsa bop co-produced by Colombian hitmaker Saga WhiteBlack, which narrates the story of a girl who’s over an ex and is not mourning the heartbreak anymore. In 2022, she collaborated with Dominican rapper Mozart La Para on “Nos Fuimos Mundial” and released her debut EP Soy Greyvi in 2023. — JESSICA ROIZ
Song for Your Playlist: “El Luto”
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Artist: Irepelusa
Country: Venezuela
Why They Should Be on Your Radar: Venezuelan singer/songwriter Irepelusa just debuted in Bogota’s Estero Picnic Festival, her latest notch in a career that’s been rising slowly and steadily and surrounded by fine musicians. Now based in Colombia, Irepelusa plays a mix of atmospheric electronica, pop, soul and R&B with frequent touches of Caribbean and urban beats. But she’s also capable of switching to a pure acoustic sound with a beautiful, bell-like voice. Irepelusa (real name Irene Alejandra) is prepping an upcoming album produced by Juan Pablo Vega, with a new single “Los Domingos la Paso Solita,” released February on indie Discos La Piña. — LEILA COBO
Song for Your Playlist: “Nervios de Acero”
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Artist: NXNNI
Country: Mexico
Why They Should Be on Your Radar: I’m always on the hunt for up-and-coming talent in regional Mexican and, not surprisingly, when I do find new names they are almost always men. So, when sierreño artist Ivonne Galaz unleashed “Fumar Beber” earlier this month featuring only emerging women in música mexicana on her track, it made me really excited. One of those featured is NXNNI, a corridos bélicos singer-songwriter from Monterrey, Nuevo León, a Mexican state that borders Texas.
Like most of this generation’s regional acts, NXNNI is also a gifted guitar player, with which she powers her prickly corridos, along with her deep and rich vocals that demand attention. After launching her career in 2021 singing corrido covers and rapping alongside local artists, she scored a record deal with Fonovisa (the Mexican music imprint under Universal) and was part of its 2023 compilation album Bélico Indie (Vol. 1). Most recently, she released a cover of Belanova’s 2000s pop anthem “Rosa Pastel,” giving it a corridos bélico twist. — GRISELDA FLORES
Song for Your Playlist: “Rosa Pastel”
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