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Ariel Camacho’s career was brief, but his legacy has touched and influenced every aspect of regional Mexican music today. In 2013, the Sinaloa-born artist rose to fame as one of the most promising Mexican music acts of his generation. At only 20 years old, Camacho redefined and globalized sierreño, a style popular in the Northern parts of Mexico. A gifted requinto player, Camacho delivered anthems like “Te Metiste,” “El Karma” and “Hablemos.”

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On Feb. 25, 2015, at 22 and on the brink of stardom, Camacho died in a car accident. The young singer not only became a legend, but he inspired acts like Natanael Cano, Jesús Ortiz Paz (Fuerza Regida), Nodal and Peso Pluma, who credit him for forging a path for a new generation of música mexicana artists.  

His manager, Jaime González (Christian Nodal’s father), worked closely with Camacho for nearly three years. Below, González speaks with Billboard about Camacho’s humble beginnings, how Camacho dreamed of going global, and why the late artist continues to fuel the regional Mexican movement.  

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It is an honor for me to talk about Ariel Camacho. Era mi bebé.

A friend told me about Ariel. He said there was this guy who sang at parties. He passed me his contact info, I called him and told him I was going to be in Los Mochis [Sinaloa] one day to produce an album. He came to see me and said, ‘I want you to listen to me to see if we can do something together.’ This was like in 2012.

Well, I heard it and it gave me chills, that’s when the whole story began. He was a person from the rancho, very simple, super humble. I remember that he arrived in those Sinaloa style guaraches, with his Levi’s pants, T-shirt, a baseball cap and his requinto (six-string guitar). He was with two other guys, and they sang for me a corrido and a [romantic] song and that was enough for me. I had never had anything like that happen to me before, there was something very special there. He trusted me and I trusted him.

I signed him and I was his manager from beginning to end. I told him that música sierreña and campirana is sung with a tejana and cowboy boots. But he wanted to wear those Ferragamo shoes that were in style and a little blazer. We almost had to force him to wear the tejana, and then he didn’t want to take it off.

Ariel Camacho and Jaime Gonzáelz

Courtesy of Jaime Gonzáelz

Ariel learned to play the guitar because his dad is a musician. His dad plays guitar and sings. He had a group in Sinaloa and he took Ariel with him from a very young age to the concerts. He sang with the church choir, and those were his early beginnings. He was an excellent performer, and had a lot of freshness. Ariel loved the guitar. He would get up with his guitar in his hand, and he had a repertoire of songs that would drive you crazy.

With Ariel, we innovated sierreño music by adding the tuba. In fact, we fought because he wanted to add bass and I wanted to add tuba to the sound. “No, I don’t like the tuba,” Ariel told me. I replied, “Give me a chance to let you hear the recording with tuba. And then we’ll take it out if you don’t like it.” I had a specific tuba player that I envisioned for the Ariel Camacho y Los Plebes del Rancho project. This tuba player, his name is Israel Meza, he was the producer of all of Julio Preciado’s albums, he worked with Joan Sebastian, he is a savage on the tuba. So, I hired him to help us record.

Ariel was worried about what people would say and if they were going to criticize him for incorporating tuba in sierreño. We recorded all the songs on the album with guitars, bass and vocals. And in another version, we added the tuba.

In the end, the one who decided whether it was tuba or bass was a guy who was selling tamales… We went out to the garage to discuss whether it was going to be with tuba or bass, and at that moment, a tamalero was passing by on a bicycle selling tamales and champurrado and listening to music on his little stereo. I remember that very well. I said to Ariel, “You know what? Neither you nor I are going to decide this. We’re going to buy tamales from the tamalero and ask him if he knows about music. If he knows about music, then he’s not going to decide either.” We shook hands. So we bought tamales, and we asked him if he knew about music. “What do you mean?,” the tamalero asked me. “I mean, do you know about notes, do, re, mi, fa, sol,”‘ I answered. “I don’t know anything about that, but I like music, and I know which song is good and which song is not good.”

Ah, perfect!

Ariel was like, “First play him the bass version.” And Ariel was selling the story like, “Doesn’t it sound so cool?” And then we played the version with tuba. When the two versions finished we asked him which one he liked better. “he second one, it’s better with the tuba,” he answered. We agreed, it’s with tuba. Special shout out to the tamalero, and I would like to thank him for that wise decision he made.

We started looking for his musicians to put the band together, and then we started recording songs. “El Rey de Corazones” was one of his first songs and it was a hit. That is to say, it was a very fast, fleeting career. He had a brutal talent and he was very young. He was one of those artists that came into the world and won you over. Whatever song we released, it was a hit. I had never worked with an artist as much as with Ariel Camacho — there was so much demand. I met him and after three months, we started working at an exaggerated pace in Mexico. It took him time to assimilate what was happening because he didn’t believe it. I remember that he dreamed a lot about earning money to build a house for his mother, a nice house, or to buy his first Cheyenne.

We lived through a lot of good and bad anecdotes — from not filling a venue to selling out out a venue. There are many videos of him crying at his concerts in Tijuana, Nogales, Hermosillo, Los Angeles, many places. When he finished, he would get off the stage and give me a hug of relief, of emotion. He thanked me and I thanked him for the opportunity.

Jaime Gonzáelz and Ariel Camacho

Courtesy of Jaime Gonzáelz

Even when he started earning money and so on, he was the same, he never changed. He was a family person, very cheerful, loving, loved to joke around. He was a kid who came out of the rancho, with a guitar on his back to look for his dream and he found it. I think that connects with this new generation, especially being very young like them. He has definitely been a reference for artists like Peso Pluma, Natanael Cano, Fuerza Regida. Besides the innovation, the idea of adding the tuba to sierreño — that had never happened. That’s what encouraged everyone to make their fusions. They’re adding trombone, charchetas, etc. It motivated young people to dare to start something new. And everything we are listening to now with guitars, includes a reference to Ariel Camacho.

Ariel was a very special person. He was like another son — because he slept at my house, he ate at my house, I was his producer, his manager, his psychologist. And I was his friend.

We talked about many things that were left unfinished, that we could not achieve obviously because of his death. I have not healed. It is still very hard for me to process what happened — I have many mixed feelings.

But I am grateful for the opportunity he gave me, and it was a beautiful experience. I am sure that if he were alive, we would be at another level right now, we would be global, we would have done a thousand things, because there were many plans. He wanted to sing with mariachi, to conquer all the countries, and it makes me angry that he died before his time — but, well, God is in charge.

Every year on his death anniversary, we do an event at his grave. We always put up a stage, we make carne asada, birria, bring seafood and beer. Almost always a lot of people get together, and all the artists who want to come, come. Natanael has been there to sing for him, many artists have been there, and obviously Los Plebes del Rancho, who continue his legacy.

Ariel Camacho may be physically dead, but he is alive, his music and his legacy live on.

Karol G’s Con Cora Foundation hosted its inaugural Con Cora Land benefit charity gala on Saturday (Feb. 22) at the Vizcaya Museum & Gardens in Miami. 
The evening, which started promptly at 7 p.m. local time, welcomed industry leaders and artists alike, including Elena Rose, Manuel Medrano, Mau y Ricky and Ela Taubert, among others. The fundraising event was in support of the Colombian singer’s Con Cora Foundation and its Casa Con Cora initiative to empower “thousands of women” to pursue their dreams.

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“This project comes from the heart of the home, the nest of the family,” Karol G said at the event. “When we were little, my parents always had an ideology of life and it was that the blessing had to circulate. The need for the foundation comes from the number of projects that come knocking on our doors that we would love to attend to. With you helping us, we can do it. Our mission is to give the blessing to other women because precisely from our position we realized how difficult it has been. Thank you for being here, for accompanying us. I want you to go home proud because you are making a project possible to support women, entire families, children, girls, and generations.” 

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In a previous press release, the artist noted that the foundation’s goal “was to empower women and girls to transform their dreams into reality, regardless of their background. Con Cora Land will be a special space where we can recognize our accomplishments, raise awareness of the impact we’ve made and look ahead to the incredible journey ahead.”

Below, check out some highlights from the gala: 

Live Auction 

The gala was hosted by Puerto Rican actress and presenter Giselle Blondet, who first invite all the guests to take a seat and enjoy their dinner around 8 p.m. A live auction then took place with five special items. The first, a gold necklace designed by Colombian jeweler Johanna Ortiz that was auctioned for $4,500, followed by tickets to the Miami U.S. Open (auctioned at $7,000), a dinner experience for 16 at the Casadonna Restaurant (auctioned at $7,000), a six-day trip for two to Africa (auctioned at $17,000), and an art piece signed by Karol G and created by a fan in Spain that auctioned for more than $70,000. Many donations were also made, including more than $5,000 for a girl’s soccer training and other educational funds and resources.

An online auction, featuring concert tickets to Bad Bunny’s shows in Puerto Rico and limited-edition merch from Feid, will run until March 12, here.

Special Performers

Following the live auction, the host of the night invited all the guests to make their way to the stage for a one-hour concert. First, guests were surprised by Nelly Furtado, who delivered an intimate acoustic set of “Say It Right,” “Maneater,” and “I’m Like a Bird.” One of the night’s highlights is when Furtado scouted through the crowd to sing her Juanes-assisted “Fotografía” with Karol G. According to the Canadian singer-songwriter, the lattermost is one of Karol’s favorite songs.

Then, to everyone’s surprise too, Ricardo Montaner took center stage with a live band to sing some of his greatest hits: “La Cima del Cielo,” “Me Va a Extrañar” and “Bésame,” to name a few. He told guests that this was the first time in over a year that he performs live, and that the reason he was doing it was because he fully supports Karol’s initiatives with her foundation. “Ay Dios mio, Karol, the things you make me do,” he joked. In the crowd were his sons Mau y Ricky singing along to every song.

Con Cora Land

In true Karol G fashion, the artist made an experience out of her benefit gala event. Among some of the activations held in the gardens of Vizcaya was a market village featuring items made by Latina entrepreneurs: jewelry, crochet, ceramics, and more were sold at the market. Meanwhile, each guest received a Con Cora Land tote filled with goodies, including a JBL portable speaker and a themed bracelet by Amorfa Gemz — a jewelry brand by Karol’s sister and manager, Jessica Giraldo.

When Fher Olvera, lead singer of iconic Mexican rock band Maná, was a little kid in Guadalajara, he’d rock to the sounds of bands like The Eagles, The Rolling Stones and The Beatles.

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“At 11 years old, I’d sit in front of those speakers and fly. It was sheer ecstasy,” he told Billboard. “Obviously, I didn’t understand English, but you kind of figured out a way to make sense of what you liked.”

Now, Olvera is in a very different position in front of those speakers, after Maná became the first ever Spanish-language rock band to be nominated for Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inclusion.

“It’s a historic moment,” says Olvera. “I truly felt the spirit of the Latin American language. I say it seriously but also with humility. It’s a moment where people open their ears as we did when we were kids and listened to the Rolling Stones and the Eagles. This is an opportunity for people to learn Spanish, and an opportunity for those of us here to extend to the planet our way of feeling the world.”

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Maná , made up of Olvera, drummer Alex González, guitarist Sergio Vallín and bassist Juan Calleros–is objectively the most successful Latin rock band in the world, with eight No. 1s on Billboard’s Top Latin Albums chart, and the most entries on Hot Latin Songs and Latin Airplay (33 and 36, respectively) for a Latin rock group.

Now, their new historic moment goes beyond language and very much into culture and the vision of rock and roll as a universal language that transcends borders.

Should they be elected by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame membership (elections close April 21), the Mexican band would become only the fourth Latin artist (the other three are Santana, Ritchie Valens and Linda Ronstadt) to be inducted into the Rock Hall since its first edition in 1986.  They are also the first Latin band, in any language, to be nominated since Los Lobos nearly 10 years ago.

The importance of the moment isn’t lost on drummer Alex Gonzalez. “Being nominated was a shock and a welcome shock to a Latin American community that sings in Spanish regardless of genres. It means eyes and ears are beginning to look in other directions,” says González.

Since they formed over 30 years ago in Guadalajara, Maná have remained faithful to a rock ‘n roll base with Caribbean influences and beats and highly melodic and narrative material that distinguish them from other bands.

“We’re a pop/rock band and our direction, attitude and the way we feel is rooted in rock ‘n roll,” says Olvera. “We’ve done ballads, songs mixed with Latin American music. In the end, it’s a versatile rock/pop band infused with different ways of understanding music.”

Although Maná is close to many rock icons, they have recorded only in Spanish, a decision that’s more artistic than commercial.

“We feel comfortable with our culture, and it feels more authentic to narrate those stories in Spanish,” says Olvera, noting that in several points in their career, they were offered major advances to record in English. “We have a global company [the group is signed to Warner] and a global manager and we never wanted to do it. It wasn’t about being more famous, but rather, about feeling good about what we were doing and being able to narrate a reality with which we authentically identify.”

Being inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, says González, would not only place them Maná next to the idols it grew up listening to, but will also serve as a nod to Latin music overall.

“All this band has done is work and work and work and make songs and music that connect with people, in Latin America, in Spain and in the U.S. which has such a big Latin community,” he says. “Maná became a band for Latins, not just for Mexicans.”

Maná’s competition to get into the Hall of Fame this year includes many of the acts González and Olvera love.

“Love Soundgarden. White Stripes. I was so surprised to see Chubby Checkers still hasn’t been inducted,” says González. “Oasis, great band. And Cindy Lauper. Who didn’t love Cindy Lauper?”

Being part of that group, he says, is a nod to a nominating committee that was willing to “look in other directions.”

“If we win? I’ll let you know how we’ll celebrate when we get the news,”  says Olvera. “But, I could walk on water. It would be one of the most beautiful moments we’ve lived.”

This week, Billboard’s New Music Latin roundup and playlist — curated by Billboard Latin and Billboard Español editors — features fresh new music including a collaboration between Arthur Hanlon and Ángela Aguilar, and new singles from Ana Tijoux, Christian Alicea and Morat. Arthur Hanlon and Ángela Aguilar joined forces for “Bala Perdida,” a soulful huapango that they performed at the 37th annual Premio Lo […]