MEXICO
Mexican opera singer Esteban Baltazar, who has performed at venues such as Carnegie Hall in New York City and the Teatro Comunale di Bologna in Italy, was arrested over the weekend by agents of the capital’s Attorney General’s Office at the Mexico City International Airport, accused of sexual abuse by his former romantic partner, the […]
The third and last day of the Corona Capital 2024 festival on Sunday (Nov. 17) turned into an old friends reunion, fulfilling the teenage dream of guitarist Jack White who, along with singer-songwriter St. Vincent, was invited by the legendary Paul McCartney to join him on stage in what was the ex-Beatle’s debut at a Latin American music festival and the grand finale of his tour in the region.
In his fourth performance on Mexican stages — and his first time at the famous festival in Mexico City — McCartney achieved the feat of gathering the largest number of attendees the Corona Capital has seen in its 14-year history, according to promoter Ocesa, with nearly 82,000 people.
On the Vans stage, iconic rocker Iggy Pop starred in one of the most anticipated moments, giving a masterclass of what a rock lion does at 77 years old alongside special guests including Yeah Yeah Yeahs guitarist Nick Zinner.
Beck, the “güero” cherished by Mexicans, reaffirmed his connection with the country, where he reunited with dear friends and colleagues at the festival, and practiced his Spanish.
For her part, former Sonic Youth bassist Kim Gordon raised the bar for women and delivered an experimental show that captivated the audience. Jack White, one of the stars on the third day of the festival, also led one of the most anticipated performances and, at the start of his set, performed a cover of Iggy Pop’s classic “I Wanna Be Your Dog.”
In total, Corona Capital 2024 brought together about 225,000 people over its three days, counting 74,000 on Friday, 69,000 on Saturday, and Sunday’s 82,000.
Below are five of our favorite moments from Day 3 of the Corona Capital 2024 festival. (Here are the recaps for Day 1 and Day 2).
McCartney’s masterful closing with St. Vincent and Jack White
Paul McCartney made his Latin American music festival debut an epic moment. On Sunday (Nov. 17), the former Beatle invited St. Vincent and Jack White to join him on the main stage of Corona Capital in Mexico for a masterful performance of “The End” in front of nearly 82,000 attendees, according to concert promoter Ocesa.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Living legend McCartney captivated generations with his performance at the Mexican music festival, marking the closing of the Latin American leg of his Got Back Tour.
“¡Hola México! ¿Quiúbole, banda? Tonight I’m going to try to speak a little Spanish. It’s awesome to be here again,” McCartney said as he greeted an ecstatic audience using Mexican slang. Parents and children gathered around the main stage, some of them dressed in colorful outfits that emulated the iconic cover of the Beatles’ 1967 album, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.
Trending on Billboard
The British icon performed a repertoire that spanned his extensive career, from the classics of the Liverpool quartet to his solo hits. The setlist included songs such as “A Hard Day’s Night,” “Letting Go,” “Got to Get You Into My Life,” “Come On to Me,” “Let Me Roll It,” “Let ‘Em In,” “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da,” “Band On The Run,” and “Let It Be.”
The first guest of the night was St. Vincent, who took the stage to accompany him on guitar on “Get Back.” The artist had had a celebrated performance the day before, and with this number, she closed a masterful pass through Mexico and the Corona Capital.
McCartney appeared happy during his performance at the marathon rock event. On several occasions, he paused briefly to explain some things to the audience. “This is the first song the Beatles ever recorded,” he said in Spanish before singing “Love Me Do.”
The excitement was at its peak when Jack White, who had performed on the Vans stage a couple of hours earlier, took the stage, showcasing his talent and guitar skills. Alongside McCartney and St. Vincent, he created an unforgettable moment and one of the most spectacular closings that Corona Capital has seen in its 14-year history.
The show ran until around 2 a.m. on Monday (Nov. 18), about 40 minutes longer than scheduled. This is something McCartney has done at other festivals when the moment calls for it, just as it happened at the 2009 Coachella festival in Indio, Calif.
With his participation in Corona Capital, McCartney concluded a busy week in Mexico with a series of concerts as part of his Got Back Tour. The tour began on Nov. 8 in the northern city of Monterrey and continued on Nov. 12 and 14 at the GNP Seguros Stadium in Mexico City.
The legendary musician began the Latin American leg of his tour on Oct. 1 in Uruguay, then visited Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru, Costa Rica and Colombia. The tour will continue in December to France, Spain and the United Kingdom.
The second day of the 2024 Corona Capital Festival on Saturday (Nov. 16) turned into a multi-generational party that pleased the younger crowd with the high energy of Shawn Mendes, and the contemporary adult audience with the post-punk and Britpop of New Order and Travis. Amidst this, American singer-songwriter St. Vincent settled an old debt […]
The first day of the 2024 Corona Capital festival on Friday (Nov. 15) celebrated the grand return of Green Day to Mexico after a seven-year absence with a performance that marked the American rock band’s last show of the year. As part of this exciting day, multiple sounds — from punk rock and progressive rock to indie, blues, funk, soul, pop and jazz — were heard in the voices of some of its most representative acts.
On its first day, the festival brought together over 74,000 attendees — according to the promoter Ocesa — who enjoyed shows by The Mars Volta, Warpaint, Cage The Elephant, The Vaccines, BadBadNotGood, Twin Shadow, David Kushner, Clairo, Zedd, French 79, Honne and others, who pleased even the most demanding music lovers gathered at the Curva 4, former headquarters of F1, in Mexico City.
One of the surprises that the festival brought this year was veteran rock band Toto, which attracted thousands of attendees from various generations to one of the main stages to sing at the top of their lungs classics such as “Africa,” “Hold The Line,” “Rossana” and “I’ll Be Over You.” Another of the highlights was the debut of the British singer Raye, whose charisma made her one of the most applauded acts.
The festival continues on Saturday (Nov. 16) with performances by Shawn Mendes, Travis, New Order, Melanie Martinez, Primal Scream, Explosions In The Sky, Black Pumas, Jessie Reyez, Del Water Gap, Michelle, and St. Vincent, who the day before released the Spanish version of her four-time Grammy-nominated album All Born Screaming — Todos Nacen Gritando — as a tribute to her Hispanic followers.
Below, five of our favorite moments from day one of the 2024 Corona Capital festival in Mexico City.
Green Day Rescues Fan in Epic Show
Mexican singer Pancho Barraza begins a new stage in his career with Fonovisa Records, the label he signed with earlier this month. The banda sinaloense singer’s story has been peculiar: After spending time as a vocalist of Banda Los Recoditos in the early ’90s, he began a solo career achieving fame and glory. However, issues with substance abuse kept him away from music for a decade and he hit rock bottom.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
It wasn’t until an invitation from Julión Álvarez to his Mis Ídolos Hoy Mis Amigos Tour in 2016 gave him the motivation to return to what he was once passionate about, and with the help of RB Music, an independent management and booking company, he began playing live shows again and released new music. Barraza even returned to the Billboard charts, most recently with “Me Voy a Alejar,” which entered the Regional Mexican Airplay this year.
“I was always a fan of Mr. Pancho Barraza so, in 2015, I invited him to receive an award at the Premios de la Calle,” says Ricardo Bobadilla, CEO of RB Music. “There, he told me that he had no record label or team, so I put myself at his service and, almost ten years later, we continue working with great enthusiasm.”
Trending on Billboard
The resurgence of Barraza, whose hits include “Mi Enemigo el Amor,” “Música Romántica,” “Yo Estaba Solo” and “Nunca Cambies,” made Fonovisa pay attention.
“Pancho Barraza is without a doubt an artist who is leaving a very important legacy to Mexican music,” says Antonio Silva, managing director of Fonovisa Disa US/Mexico. Adding Barraza to the roster, he adds, made sense. “Fonovisa Records has artists with great careers and who have left their mark, such as Los Tigres del Norte, Banda El Recodo and many more. That is how important we consider him to be.”
On Nov. 21, he will release “Mi Otro Yo,” a collaboration with Colombian artist Charlie Zaa in a banda version that will show another facet of Zaa. Speaking exclusively with Billboard Español, Barraza, 63, talks about this new chapter in his career.
You are a clear example that age doesn’t matter when you want to move forward.
As long as you have a voice to sing and something to offer the audience, you are in the competition. It has a lot to do with what you put in your head, what you believe about yourself, what you want for yourself. Definitely attitude is a key piece.
How did the alliance with Fonovisa come about?
There came a time when I felt like we — RB Music and my label Pachy Music — had reached a limit. Ricardo [Bobadilla] told me that he had very good results with Universal Music as a publisher and I liked the idea of including my compositions, but also my music. I called Antonio [Silva], with whom I had not had contact for a long time, and he answered me almost immediately. That was a sign, that’s how the conversations began.
What does this new chapter in your career consist of?
Fonovisa will be entirely in charge of the distribution of Pancho Barraza. The machinery that a company like this has will allow us to go even further, like being present at awards ceremonies, for example. If I want to become like the great artists who remain for posterity, I need to advance to another level.
The catalog you have recorded with Balboa Records and Musart is from Universal, so this is like the continuation.
That’s right, that is already there and will move, but now we will focus on the new, on Pancho Barraza’s music reaching many more places.
Your first release with Fonovisa is “Mi Otro Yo.” How was it doing it in banda with Charlie Zaa?
First it was recorded in his style, in response to his invitation, and it was a pleasant experience. The video is a reflection of how well we got along and enjoyed it. I’m sure you’ll like the banda version as well and you’ll enjoy hearing Charlie in a very different facet. When I sent it to him he loved it and he went to Guadalajara to record the video. Everything happened very quickly.
Musically, what can we expect from Pancho Barraza in 2025 in this new stage?
Several things are coming: the album Barraza Dinasty, with unreleased songs; another album with impressive collaborations. I can’t reveal the names at this point, but I went all the way. As for touring, we will go to conquer other markets, such as Central America and Colombia.
You have made a difference with your musical style. Are you aware of it?
I swear it was out of ignorance. I started recording romantic songs in different tones, in different harmonies, the banda musicians told me I was crazy. They got upset and I got upset with them, but in the end they agreed to do it and it sounded totally different from what banda sinaloense was.
With your more than 30 years of career, what can you say about regional Mexican music today?
That there is no difference between the music that the [new] guys are making and ours — it is just the language. Because, at the end of the day, as long as they use a charcheta, a tuba and a trombone, it still sounds like banda.
With its first Latin Grammy nomination, the Mexican rock trio The Warning crowns 2024 as a great year after several proven achievements. The group’s latest album, Keep Me Fed, consolidated the Villarreal Vélez sisters on the international scene; in addition, it managed to debut on multiple Billboard charts, and embarked on an ambitious tour through Europe and the U.S.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Furthermore, Paulina Villarreal received the Drumeo Award for the best rock drummer, at only 22 years old.
“These achievements are the reaffirmation that as a Mexican I can also make a rock band and I can take it internationally,” Paulina says excitedly to Billboard Español. “It doesn’t have to stay only in my country, only in my community; I can explore new facets, meet new people, and I can have an international career. And for us to have achieved this, sometimes we don’t believe it!
Trending on Billboard
Their first Latin Grammy nomination, in the category of best rock song for the single “Qué Más Quieres”, represents a significant achievement in the history of the group –- also made up of vocalist and guitarist Daniela Villarreal and bassist Alejandra Villarreal — as it symbolizes the pride of singing in Spanish, their native language.
The Warning’s repertoire is mostly in English, their second language, since the band is originally from Monterrey, a city bordering the U.S.
“Singing in Spanish has always been fundamental to our musical and personal identity, and this nomination celebrates our dedication to keeping that connection with our roots alive,” Daniela says.
“Qué Más Quieres” was co-written by Anton Curtis Delost, Far and Crosses guitarist Shaun López, Kathryn Ostenberg, Mónica Vélez and The Warning. In it, the band captures the strength and energy that characterizes it.
The single is included on Keep Me Fed, The Warning’s fourth full-length album, recorded in Monterrey and released at the end of last June. In the words of the band’s vocalist: “It is the result of our rawest emotions and the most meaningful connections with the people we have met and worked with in recent years.”
With Keep Me Fed, The Warning has established itself on the international rock scene, debuting on a variety of Billboard charts, including No. 1 on Emerging Artists, No. 2 on Top Rock Albums, No. 4 on Top Hard Rock Albums and No. 6 on Top Album Sales. On sharing a rock band as sisters, Daniela says that it has been a pleasant experience, with many funny and enjoyable moments.
“Obviously sometimes we argue, but we work very well together,” she says. “We started music from a very young age, so we grew up with a mentality of taking care of ourselves and knowing how to work together for the goals that we want to achieve for all of us. We are very attentive to taking care of ourselves and our feelings.”
Recently, The Warning performed in October at the 2024 Aftershock Festival in Sacramento, California, where the group shared the bill with icons from the metal scene such as Iron Maiden, Pantera, Slipknot and Mastodon. They also opened shows for Evanescence in Canada.
In Mexico, tickets for their Feb. 6 and 11, 2025 shows at the capital’s Auditorio Nacional sold out in 48 hours. They will also perform on Feb. 13 at the Telmex Auditorium in Guadalajara, and on Feb. 22 in Monterrey, at the Citibanamex Auditorium.
Luis Miguel has new dates for the concerts in Mexico City that he postponed last week due to unspecified health problems. The Mexico City Arena, marketed as Arena CDMX, informed fans on Thursday (Oct. 31) that the shows will now occur on Dec. 8 and 10. The first date (Dec. 8) will replace the Oct. 23 and […]
Mexican festival Vive Latino will celebrate its 25th anniversary with an eclectic lineup headlined by acts including Caifanes, Raphael, Scorpions, Aterciopelados, Keane, Molotov, Mon Laferte, Eden Muñoz, Los Ángeles Azules, Zoé and Duncan Dhu, who will light up the great Hispanic rock party to be held March 15-16, 2025, at the GNP Seguros Stadium in Mexico City, promoter Ocesa announced Friday (Oct. 25).
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
The lineup also includes other Latin and English speaking soloists and bands such as Sepultura, Draco Rosa, Nortec: Bostich + Fussible, Kany García, Meme del Real, Little Jesus, Los Planetas, Rüfüs Du Sol, La Lupita, Vilma Palma e Vampiros, Cuarteto de Nos, Siddhartha, División Minúscula, Arde Bogotá, Él Mató a un Policía Motorizado, and León Benavente.
Trending on Billboard
According to the organizers, the presale for Citibanamex cardholders will take place next Wednesday (Oct. 30), with the regular sale for the general public opening the next day.
The Vive Latino will be returning to its original home at GNP Seguros Stadium (formerly Foro Sol), after the 2024 edition had to be held at Curve 4 of the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, the same site where Formula 1 and the Corona Capital and Arre festivals are held annually, due to renovations of the venue.
Since its inception in 1998, the Ibero-American Festival of Musical Culture, better known as Vive Latino, has had a transgressive personality that has challenged stigmas: It was the first to incorporate pop, reggaeton, cumbia, and regional Mexican music artists into its lineup; it had an edition lasting four days; it added English-speaking bands despite being the ultimate celebration of rock es Español, and it is the first in Latin American festival to have its own edition in Spain.
The Vive Latino festival debuted on November 28-29, 1998, at the Foro Sol, on the east side of Mexico City. Since then, it has been held annually, except in 1999, 2002, and 2021, the latter due to the COVID pandemic.
Check out the full official lineup for the 2025 Vive Latino festival below:
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: JESUS GUERRERO / Getty
The crime in Mexico has claimed another politician’s life. A mayor was found decapitated just after one week of being elected.
As reported by on USA Today another official has fallen victim to the rampant violence in Mexico. Alejandro Arcos met his demise on Sunday, Oct. 6 only a couple of days after winning the mayoral race for Chilpancingo; a town south of Mexico City. According to the local news he was found with head cut off. Soon after photos of his head on top of a truck went viral on the popular messaging app WhatsApp. Al Jazeera reports that the late mayor was on route to Petaquillas but had decided to forego having guards secure him. “The mayor was going to Petaquillas for a meeting alone,” Security Minister Garcia Harfuch said. “We know that he was going to a specific meeting, he was not accompanied, communication was lost in the community, and the discovery [of his body] was made hours later.”
Naturally the murder made headlines throughout the Central American country. Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum condemned the act and made it clear that Arcos’ murder will be prosecuted. “We are going to fortify the intelligence investigative capabilities of the Mexican government,” she told reporters. Evelyn Salgado Pineda, governor of Guerrero expressed her sadness via X, formerly known as Twitter. “His loss has saddened all of Guerrero society and fills us with indignation” she wrote.
Friends and family of Alejandro Arcos carried his coffin throughout the city on Monday, Oct. 7 for the funeral ceremony. He was 43 years old.