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As she celebrates the first decade of her career as a soloist, Ángela Aguilar has chosen to honor Mexico by showcasing a collection of striking traditional dresses she has worn throughout the years.
The regional Mexican singer, who on Tuesday (Sep. 17) received a nomination to the Latin Grammy Awards in the album of the year category for her set Bolero, kicked off in recent days an exhibit at the Mexican Consulate in Houston, which specially arranged an area for visitors to enjoy the collection titled “Ángela Aguilar: 10 Years Singing and Dressing Mexico.”
The show is free and open to the public indefinitely, from Monday to Friday between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. (local time). It includes 25 outfits, including the one she wore in the music video for “Solamente Una Vez,” a song included in her newly nominated album.
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Other dresses that have marked important moments in Aguilar’s career — from her beginnings singing “La Chancla” to a recent one with rebozos used at an awards ceremony — are part of this interactive experience, which includes QR codes on each piece to share information about the moment they were used.
Not to be missed is the short red dress she wore in the video for “Dime Cómo Quieres” alongside her now-husband, regional Mexican star Christian Nodal. Another notable piece is a tehuana from the state of Chiapas, hand-embroidered by artisans, which she wore for the cover of her album Primero Soy Mexicana.
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Ángela Aguilar, who is the daughter of Mexican music icon Pepe Aguilar and granddaughter of the legendary Antonio Aguilar and Flor Silvestre, made her onstage debut at only 3, while she and her family accompanied her father on tour. Five years later, she released her first album at the age of 8 — a joint album with her brother Leonardo titled Nueva Tradición that was powered by banda, mariachi and norteño sounds.
Her solo debut was in 2014 with the Christmas album Navidad con Ángela Aguilar, which was followed by Primero Soy Mexicana (2018), Baila Esta Cumbia (2020), Que No Se Apague La Música (2020), Mexicana Enamorada (2021) and Bolero ( 2024).
Visitors to her fashion exhibit in Houston will also see the tricolor dress, in honor of the Mexican flag, included on her family’s Jaripeo Sin Fronteras Tour, as well as the princess cut dress that the singer wore in front of Queen Sofia of Spain, which also showcased her Mexican roots.
Designers who have worked for Aguilar and contributed to this unique collection include Nelly de Anda, Iann Dey, Diego Medel, Enrique Samartin, Felipe Alvarado, Anayeli García Cruz and Felipe Botello, among others.
The Mexican consulate in Houston is located at 3200 Rogerdale Rd. in Houston, Texas. Watch the video with part of Ángela Aguilar’s dresses collection above.
Billboard Latin Music Week is returning to Miami Beach on Oct. 14-18, with confirmed superstars including Gloria Estefan, Alejandro Sanz and Peso Pluma, among many others. For tickets and more details, visit Billboardlatinmusicweek.com.
Carlos Vives now has his double at the Wax Museum of Mexico City. The Colombian star helped unveil his figure on Thursday night (Sep. 5) night at the institution, where it will share space with other iconic Mexican cultural figures, like painter Frida Kahlo and wrestler El Santo.
“I’m happy with this recognition that the Mexican people give me, that’s how I feel,” Vives said during the ceremony, evidently moved. “We have come to Mexico so much, our hearts have been touched by its music, by its art, by its cinema, its television.”
He added: “Being here in the museum, next to so many figures from the world, but above all next to the Mexican stars, who from my childhood and my youth had been a great example and inspiration — being here with them is the greatest honor I’ve received from the Mexican people.”
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The new wax figure shows Vives looking a bit younger and taller than the real artist. It carries a guitar and wears fitted leather pants and a black t-shirt emblazoned with his name and the title of his sixteenth album, Cumbiana (2020). It’s located in the main hall of the museum, close to those of Vicente Fernández and Marco Antonio Solís.
Vives — who is performing this Saturday, Sept. 7 before 10,000 people for a sold-out show at the National Auditorium in Mexico City — shared the honor with the Colombian musicians who inspired him in his youth and who are part of his history. “They are here with me and represent what I wanted to show the world: a beautiful and diverse oral tradition like our country,” he said.
His addition to the museum comes two months ahead of his honoring as the Latin Recording Academy 2024 Person of the Year in November, during the 25th anniversary of the Latin Grammys in Miami.
Born in Santa Marta, Colombia, Vives is one of the most respected artists in Spanish-language music and a pioneer of a new Latin American sound, redefining traditional Colombian vallenato by incorporating to it pop and rock sounds. With No. 1 hits on the Billboard charts such as “Volví a Nacer,” “Fruta Fresca” and “La Bicicleta” with Shakira, among others, he has become an ambassador of Colombian and Latin American culture around the world.
“He has undoubtedly left an indelible mark on the hearts of millions of people and today he will be immortalized at the Wax Museum of Mexico City,” said the museum in a press release prior to Thursday’s ceremony.
Located in the central neighborhood of Colonia Juárez, in an old Art Nouveau style mansion, the Wax Museum of Mexico City celebrates this year its 45th anniversary. In its 14 thematic rooms, visitors can appreciate some 260 wax figures of characters from history, art, politics, and sports, from Diego Rivera and Salvador Dalí, to Bill Gates, Ronaldinho, Hugo Sánchez, ‘Canelo’ Álvarez; Gene Simmons, Michael Jackson, Chaplin, Alex Lora, Chabelo, and more.
According to the museum, the wax figures are made by its team of sculptors and many wear clothes that belonged to the real character. The creation of each figure takes approximately four to eight months.
Watch Carlos Vives unveil his wax figure below:
Fito Páez has been forced to cancel his September shows in Mexico City, Guadalajara and Bogotá. The acclaimed Argentine musician announced Wednesday (Sep. 4) on his social media that he broke five ribs over the weekend at his home. “On Sunday morning, I had a domestic accident that resulted in the fracture of five ribs,” […]
Two assignments in three decades. Mexican businessman Alejandro Soberón Kuri, CEO of Mexican promoter OCESA, asked architect Pepe Moyao to build a venue on a simple soccer field on the east side of Mexico City to host a show for British legend Paul McCartney in 1993, which later became the iconic Foro Sol. Thirty years later, Moyao was tasked with the remodeling of the same venue for its transformation into the new Estadio GNP Seguros.
“Wouldn’t you like to see a permanent building here? Why don’t you do it? If it’s done, I’ll pay for it!” Moyao recalls Soberón saying when he invited him to create the original project.
Interestingly, it was not the ex Beatle who finally inaugurated the stadium in 1993 but Madonna, who at that time was touring with The Girlie Show to promote her album Erotica. Four years later, in 1997, it was named Foro Sol and its opening under that name was officiated with a concert by rock icon David Bowie. Since then, a myriad of international stars have performed at this place.
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But Moyao, who at that time was in his 30s and a decade earlier had won a youth architecture competition organized by UNESCO, not only built the most important music forum in Mexico, but also a place to hosts events beyond concerts.
“From the beginning, I thought it could fit a baseball stadium, which could also accommodate a racing track, so I thought of creating a multifunctional building, where the stage changes, is removed, moves,” explains the architect. “For six years, this place has been considered the best F1 circuit in the world.”
This year, after a six-month renovation, the renowned Estadio GNP Seguros opened its doors with three mega-concerts by American pop star Bruno Mars, held last August 8th, 10th, and 11th, with an attendance of 65,000 people each night, according to OCESA.
After this, a series of international stars including Metallica, Paul McCartney, The Killers, Eric Clapton, Twenty One Pilots, and Iron Maiden, as well as Latin stars like Feid and Natanael Cano, will perform at the stadium in the coming weeks and months. (For a list of concerts scheduled this year in Mexico, click here).
Below, five things you should know about Estadio GNP Seguros, told to Billboard Español by its creator, architect Pepe Moyao.
1. A Multifunctional Venue
Since its inception, when it was called Foro Sol, the place was designed as a multifunctional building that could adapt to the needs of the event, whether it be a mega rock concert or as the F1 home in Mexico.
“It is a multifunctional building where the stage changes, is removed, moves. It has been recognized six times as the best F1 circuit globally, and it is the only circuit where 30,000 people can watch the award ceremony up front, not done in the pits as in other countries,” Moyao says. “After the F1 ends, you can change it and produce a concert, it has that multi-functionality. It is a unique place in the world, a stadium designed exclusively for entertainment.”
2. Rainwater Reuse
With a capacity of up to 65,000 attendees, the stadium offers new benefits to provide greater comfort and services to fans, including a new 13,800 square meters (148,500 square feet) roof for sun protection and rainwater storage for subsequent reuse.
“The place had an expansion of more than 33,000 square meters of additional construction. From the top of the stands, we have a roof of over 13,000 square meters that will harvest rainwater, and what is captured will go to a cistern that will feed the bathrooms, be used for washing and watering planters, so we can reuse the water,” explains the architect.
3. Greater Comfort for the Viewer
The remodeled venue includes more comfortable seating for the audience, as well as new and improved spaces for the general audience and corporates.
“Previously, people sitting in the stands had to go down about 9 and a half meters to get to the bathrooms. Today, you go down 3 meters,” Moyao points out. “Let’s say that everything is focused on people’s greater comfort.”
4. Cutting Edge Technology
More than 280 state-of-the-art screens were installed in the venue to improve the visualization of the shows and provide more timely information to attendees. This is in addition to internal and peripheral stadium lighting for greater visibility and security.
“All installations, both electrical and hydraulic, are cutting edge, none of the old was preserved. There are LED lamps and low electricity consumption equipment,” said the architect.
5. 177 Days Construction & More Numbers
Although the renovation project of Estadio GNP Seguros lasted about two years, the remodeling took 177 actual days. Additionally, Moyao highlights over 710,000 man-hours went into this; the work of about 1,000 people; 15 companies working simultaneously. During that time, 24,436 shell-type seats were installed.
Eden Muñoz is back with a new album simply titled Eden. Released on Thursday (August 15), the set contains 15 songs in which he fuses the genres that formed him musically — such as folk, country, rock ‘n’ roll and, of course, banda sinaloense, corridos and cumbia.
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In his second studio LP via Sony Music Mexico and third in his discography as a solo artist — after a decade fronting the successful group Calibre 50 — the Mexican singer-songwriter released playful titles like “Me Rento” (or “I rent”), “No Sabes La Que Te Espera” (“You don’t know what’s ahead”) with Luck Ra, “¿Cómo Te Fue Sin Mí?” (“How did it go without me”), “Todo Me Vale Madre” (Mexican slang for “IDGAF”) and bonus track “Traigo Saldo y Ganas de Rogar” (“I got money and a desire to beg”).
“If I don’t have fun, people won’t have fun either,” Muñoz tells Billboard Español. “I’ve never been so happy recording an album, I wanted to push my own boundaries. Ten years ago neither my audience nor I would have achieved something like this.”
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Eden follows 2023’s Como En Los Viejos Tiempos, whose song of the same name reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Regional Mexican Airplay chart last January. The tour of the same name kicks off in the United States on Friday (August 16) in San Antonio, Texas, and will take the regional Mexican star to cities such as Houston, Atlanta, Indianapolis, Phoenix, San Jose, Reno and Denver, ending on November 27 in Irving, Texas.
Also, on October 19, he will perform for the first time as a solo artist at the Arena Ciudad de México, a venue only the greats aspire to. “It is a great dream for me to be in such an important place and at the same time a great responsibility,” says Muñoz.
In Mexico he will also have concerts in Monterrey on November 9, at the Citibanamex Auditorium, on November 30 at the Telmex Auditorium in Guadalajara, for which tickets are already sold out, and on December 7 at the GNP Auditorium in Puebla.
Below, Eden Muñoz breaks down 5 essential songs from his new album, Eden, here. (Listen to the full album here.)
“Mi Lugar Favorito”
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“Mi Lugar Favorito” (“My favorite place”) is definitely No. 1. I never thought I would write a song for my children, and the moment arrived. I consider this the most beautiful piece of work I’ve done so far. Maybe they don’t understand it yet because they are six and three years old, but it will remain as a legacy and they will understand it when the time comes. Musically it is very calm, but the lyrics are very deep: It talks about unconditional love and what we are capable of doing as parents for those beings that fill our world. I believe that many parents will feel seen and that will be a great satisfaction — that they will also dedicate it and share those feelings that I express in the song.
“Mi Momento Más Ex-Quizofrénico”
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I love it because it’s risky, because it’s something different up to a certain point in the song, but then a chorus comes in, very much in the style we’re used to. It’s a crazy song [“My most ex-schizophrenic moment”], but without going out of line. It starts with an intro like a horror movie and then suddenly I start singing the blues for a few seconds — and later I mix it with the regional Mexican music that has always characterized my project. I think it was a good mix, it will surely attract attention.
“Mezcal de Calzón”
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“Mezcal de calzón” (Mezcal of calzón) is inspired by one of my favorite Beatles songs, “Twist and Shout.” I wrote it in London last year when I was on vacation there. Let’s say it’s a similar sound, but with the lyrics a very Mexican with double entendres, as we speak. I have to think about people 60 years old or older who also want to enjoy the music they like, and with this song they will probably even dance to it. That’s the idea — that everyone has fun and enjoys my music as much as I enjoy it. The lyrics talk about someone who is in love and thinks that maybe they gave him something to drink because he can’t stop thinking about the person. It’s kind of funny but very colloquial.
“Mi Situación Actual”
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It is the song with which I close the album. I confess that I went out of the line there; it was a whim because I love rock, electric guitars and everything that goes with it. I used a lot of tools that I’ve been getting to know in the last few years when I’ve been getting into producing. I mix, I get involved in everything and I don’t say that with a desire to be the protagonist, I do it because I’m aware that everything has to be right. Also in this song a part of it is rock and continues with regional Mexican music. The song [title meaning My current situation] talks about someone who has existential problems, who feels bad and doesn’t know where to go, something that happens to all of us at some point.
“Traigo Saldo y Ganas de Rogar”
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“Traigo Saldo y Ganas de Rogar” is also one of my favorites because I feel I have the responsibility to present songs with banda because it is the music I grew up with and was formed with. Banda music opened a very big path for regional Mexican music and I have a lot of respect for it. For this reasons it is the bonus track, it is my essence, what represents the genre. I do not speak neither good nor bad of what the new generations are doing, I also sang corridos alterados at some point when I was very young. Today, at 33 years old, I know that this is what I want, to make fusions but to not abandon our musical roots. This is the typical song of someone who is in love and is not ashamed to beg the person. Once again, we are talking about something that happens to a lot people: when they are drinking and want to make an impression on a special someone.
Eden Muñoz
Courtesy of Sony Music
Majo Aguilar and Alex Fernández will be in charge of uniting for the first time the two most important dynasties of ranchera music: the Aguilar and Fernández families.
Antonio Aguilar’s granddaughter and Vicente Fernández’s grandson have announced a tour together for the fall, which they have named Dos Dinastías, Una Tradición (Two Dynasties, One Tradition). In addition to the tour, they also announced a new collaboration, “Cuéntame,” which will be released this Thursday (Aug. 8).
“It is very common that in this type of concept there are egos or fights over credits,” Alex Fernández told Billboard Español. “Here everything will be equitable we have an excellent relationship and above all communication.”
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“Here no last name outweighs the other,” added Majo Aguilar. “It will be a show where we will take a little piece of Mexico to the United States, so that the public can feel the party and the joy of Mexican music, singing the songs of their idols Don Antonio and Don Vicente, as well as our own songs.”
The tour will kick off Oct. 25 in Savannah, Georgia and make stops in cities in Tennessee, North Carolina and California, with the first leg ending Nov. 30 in Redwood City. More dates will be announced in the near future, according to a statement.
As for the upcoming release, it is a heartbreak ranchera penned by Majo Aguilar that will also be the song that identifies the tour. “Tell me how it feels to know that you won’t touch my body/ And that no matter how hard you try our relationship is dead/ There’s no turning back,” goes a verse in Spanish.
The music video — which will serve as the intro to the show — was filmed in Monterrey, Mexico under the direction of Gil Cerezo, vocalist and creative director of the Mexican band Kinky, who has previously worked with Majo.
Although both artists manage their careers separately from that of their fathers — fellow Mexican music icons Antonio Aguilar, Jr. and Alejandro Fernández — their opinions on the concept have been very important to them.
“My dad told me that what we are doing is reviving something very wonderful in two very beautiful voices, which bodes a great success,” said Majo. Alex, for his part, shared the words of his famous father: “I am very happy with what you are doing, I am sure you will be very successful.”
Dos Dinastías, Una Tradición aims to bring traditional Mexican music to new generations.
“Subgenres such as [corridos] tumbados are good that they exist and do well, but it is important to defend tradition,” said Alex. To which Majo added: “I find the new movements that emerge in Mexican music very interesting, but I believe that we should not stop paying attention to our true roots, which are ranchera and banda music, we should not confuse one thing with the other”.
Below are the confirmed dates for Majo Aguilar and Alex Fernández’s Dos Dinastías, Una Tradición tour:
Oct. 25 — Savanna, Ga. — Convention Center
Oct. 26 — Clarksville, Tenn. — Empire Center
Oct. 27 — Wilmington, N.C. — Convention Center
Nov. 22 — Ventura, Calif. — The Majestic Ventura Theatre
Nov. 23 — Fresno, Calif. — Saroyan Theatre
Nov. 24 — Stockton, Calif. — The Bob Hope Theatre
Nov. 27 — Bakersfield, Calif. — The Fox Theater
Nov. 29 — Salinas, Calif. — The Fox Theater
Nov. 30 — Redwood City, Calif. — The Fox Theater
After successful editions in countries like the U.S., Japan, Switzerland and Brazil, Netflix is launching dating reality show Love is Blind: Mexico on Thursday (Aug. 1), featuring a theme song by Joss Favela.
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That song is “Cosas Mágicas,” a romantic single released on July 19 under Sony Latin, in which the Sinaloa singer-songwriter experiments with country music for the first time. “They say magical things never warn us when they arrive/ Love is blind and the truth is/ Today I was able to confirm it,” he sings in Spanish over beautiful electric guitar riffs and trombone.
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“I’m truly happy to have written a song for such a significant series,” he tells Billboard Español, explaining that the opportunity came through Seitrack, his management agency. “The lyrics are completely romantic, something I haven’t written in a long time,” he adds.
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He recalls that the closest he had come to country music before was “Pienso en Ti” with Becky G, released in October 2018, where the guitar sounds evoke classic Nashville rhythms without being entirely country. Now, he hopes to reach new markets beyond regional Mexican music.
“It’s definitely a great opportunity for my music to reach beyond where it’s currently known,” says the 33-year-old artist. “Many people will watch the series and if they don’t know who Joss Favela is, they will now. Ultimately, what an artist wants is to be heard, and this is a great showcase.”
Favela has had a busy 2024. In May, he released the six-song EP, Mis Compas, Vol. 1, which includes duets with Banda MS, Codiciado, Los Plebes del Rancho, Luis R. Conríquez, Gera MX and Yuridia. Last Thursday, July 25th, he performed at the Premios Juventud in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
He has also returned to the top of the Billboard charts as the songwriter of Grupo Firme’s hit “El Beneficio de la Duda,” which reached No. 1 on Latin Airplay and Regional Mexican Airplay this month.
“I had been holding onto the song for a while; it’s from a time in my life when I felt very vulnerable,” Favela says about the top-charting song. “[Grupo Firme’s vocalist] Eduin [Caz] connected with the song from the moment he heard it. We recorded it in my studio, which allowed me to get to know him better, and he’s a great guy. Today, I can say he’s my friend, and honestly, working that way is much easier.”
He confesses that he initially “had fears because it isn’t a song in the style of what Grupo Firme usually does,” but now he is “as proud as a peacock” with the outcome and its success. “What has happened with the song has been wonderful for them, for me, and for everyone involved,” he says.
Favela is planning to release Vol. 2 of Mis Compas. Fans have to wait and see if Caz is among the guests.
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Just when it seemed like things were quieting down on the drug front in Mexico, U.S. authorities pulled off quite the big haul when they took into custody two of the biggest names in the drug cartel game.
According to ABC News, Sinaloa cartel co-founder Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada and Joaquin Guzman Lopez (the son of “El Chapo” Guzman), were officially placed under arrest Thursday (July 25), in El Paso, Texas. The Department of Justice announced the news and said that both men would be charged for their senior roles in the drug trafficking enterprise that turned certain parts of Mexico into a war zone.
With Sinaloa cartel OG Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzman already serving a life sentence for his role in the cartel, this is a pretty huge haul for the Department of Justice. FBI Director Christopher Wray spoke on the matter and acknowledged as much.
ABC News reports:
“Today, the FBI and DEA arrested two alleged cartel leaders who have eluded law enforcement for decades. Ismael Mario ‘El Mayo’ Zambada García and Joaquin Guzman Lopez, son of El Chapo, will now face justice in the United States,” Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Christopher Wray said in a statement.
“Garcia and Guzman have allegedly overseen the trafficking of tens of thousands of pounds of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and fentanyl into the U.S. along with related violence. These arrests are an example of the FBI’s and our partners commitment to dismantling violent transnational criminal organizations like the Sinaloa Cartel,” Wray said.
The circumstances behind Zambada and Guzman Lopez being taken into custody were not immediately clear as of Thursday evening, however, the men were arrested in an operation that ended on U.S. soil.
“El Mayo” thought he was headed to inspect a clandestine Mexican airfield, of which the Sinaloa cartel has many in the country. Instead, according to a Homeland Security Investigations official, a senior ranking member of the cartel tricked him and flew him to El Paso instead.
Upon landing on the tarmac, agents from HSI, along with the FBI arrested “El Mayo” and Guzman.
Clever trap. Sounds like Netflix might turn this into a season of Narcos with that last maneuver alone.
Having planned this operation for months, you can only imagine how much man power went into pulling this off and how many nerves were on edge while it was being executed.
While we’re sure they will be replaced by other members of the powerful Sinaloa cartel, this is still a huge haul for the DOJ who’ve been doing everything they can to stop the flow of drugs from Mexico into the United States.
Don’t be surprised if the streets get dry for a while. Just sayin’.
The day after the marriage of his daughter Ángela Aguilar to Christian Nodal, the bride’s father, legendary ranchera singer Pepe Aguilar, publicly blessed the couple on Thursday (July 25) via Instagram.
Along with a series of photographs of the newlyweds with members of the Aguilar-Nodal family, the patriarch wrote an emotional message and fatherly advice. “Dear Ángela and Christian, whether you see it or not, today you begin a new and very different path to any you have walked before. One where respect and responsibility will be your strongest guide, Even as important as love!
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“In any lasting relationship, love is essential and respect and responsibility totally indispensable,” he continued. “With love, you face the most complicated challenges inside and outside your environment. … I have also been in your shoes. And already in the past. And after 27 years with my wife I say to you: There is no simple principle.”
The photos show Angela and Nodal looking elegant and smiling, she in a vintage embroidered dress and he in an elegant off-white suit.
Held at a 16th-century Mexican colonial hacienda in Amacuzac, Morelos, a place full of history and about 90 minutes from Mexico City, the private ceremony was attended by famous friends such as Marc Anthony and his wife, Nadia Ferreira, who appear in one of the images shared by Pepe Aguilar.
In his message, the legendary artist also expressed that “there is no simple principle. But even if there are fears for such a transcendental decision and in their case, so public, even if they are young and in a learning stage in their lives, even if there could be a logical fear of the unknown for such a decision, etc., etc., etc. EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE.
“Just always remember that what is truly worthwhile, is never easy. But if there is true love, TRUE LOVE WITH CAPITAL LETTERS! Then EVERYTHING is worth it. And everything will always make sense. I wish from the bottom of my heart that your love is one of those. One of those worthwhile ones, one of those that make sense. Here’s to your happiness… and may you always take great care of your love with what I mentioned first. Responsibility and respect. Many, many congratulations.”
Later on Thursday, Nodal and Aguilar shared a joint Instagram post of wedding photos with the caption “24.7.24.”
The life of Mexican influencer Yeri Mua has taken a new turn with her foray into music, writing yet another chapter in her peculiar story.
Born in the port of Veracruz, Mexico, Yeri Cruz Varela (real name) went viral in 2018 at just 16 years old, doing makeup tutorials on YouTube and social media that attracted thousands. But that was only the beginning. Over time, the girl with a carefree spirit would share with her audience family aspects such as her relationship with her parents, whom she made part of her content; her stormy love affairs, which became part of her daily life in her online publications; and her much talked about physical transformation, achieved after several cosmetic surgeries and, of course, makeup.
All of this has grown her fandom: On TikTok, for instance, she has more than 22.6 million followers; on Instagram, she boasts 12.1 million. (On YouTube she has a separate account where she now posts her music).
Her friendship with Mexican reggaetón stars like Jey F and El Gudi led her to fulfill her dream of becoming a singer in 2023, when she collaborated with them on the song “Chupón”, whose video has more than 100 million views. Then came “Línea del Perreo” with Uzielito Mix, El Jordan 23 and DJ Kiire, and “Mamita Rica” with rising star Kenia Os, who also started her career as an influencer.
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Today, at 22, Yeri Mua is a celebrity who has caught the attention of superstars like J Balvin, with whom she released “G Low Kitty Remix” last April. Shortly thereafter, the content creator-turned-singer moved on from being an independent artist by signing a contract with Sony Music Mexico in early June. And, on Tuesday (June 25), she received a nomination for Premios Juventud in the “Creator of the Year” category.
In an conversation with Billboard Español, the Mexican influencer of the moment talked about her music plans, her ability to learn languages, her thoughts about starting a family, the moments that have shaped her character, as well as her plans to retire early.
How was your signing day with Sony Music?
As a woman I felt fulfilled. My managers, my best friend, my parents were there. Just before signing, my parents and I had a very intimate moment where we asked my grandfather, who is in heaven, for his blessings and to enlighten me on this important path.
Your parents have been together for many years. Have you imagined yourself getting married?
You bet I have. I would have no problem getting married at this age, even though many people say it’s not good. I’m not afraid because there is divorce. A wedding is a very nice family celebration.
Your relationships have been much talked about and your partners have even been criticized.
The truth is that I used to love toxic boyfriends — but to get married, I wouldn’t marry just anyone. For example, I get along very well with my current partner, because he listens to me in everything and that makes me happy.
I would like a beautiful [wedding] gown. There are not so many weddings anymore, so I would like a party in style. Maybe I would get married between 25 and 27.
Despite your age, you seem to have already experienced a lot. What is Yeri really like?
I think it is very demonized to make mistakes; making mistakes is a way to learn and move forward, and that has been my life. Many people think that I have always been a liberal person sexually and in every way — but no, when I was 17 my mother did not allow me to go out with skirts or showing cleavage.
My personality was formed as I grew up, because it was a process for my parents to accept the way I am now. I have always been extroverted, but it was a process. Today they love me and accept what I do.
Does anyone advise you on what to do?
I have not learned from what others tell me, I have to live it and stumble, and then I can get over the bumps. I don’t have to follow the advice of others; I have to follow my intuition even if it sucks. Today I can say that the problems I got into one, two or three years ago I would not commit them again.
You have talked about retiring young, at age 35. Is this true?
Yes, because I want to have a family and I don’t want my children to be nepo babies, to be exposed. If I am exposed it is because I want to. I don’t want my children to be exposed to cameras or fame without them causing it.
If I am working hard and breaking my back right now, it is to give them a normal childhood. I would like to have two children.
Has making money always been your objective?
I am in favor of the fact that it is not necessary to get a college degree. Since high school, I started studying hairstyling, because we were not going through a very good economic period and I started working since I was a teenager: I did nails, scrubbed feet, took care of children, I did everything because I liked to earn money. My mom allowed me to do high school online as long as I worked and I haven’t stopped.
I believe that no one should skip the stage of enjoying youth. However, I believe that working changes young people’s mentalities.
Are there any other passions you have besides music and makeup?
I always went to private schools, although I studied one year in the U.S. in a public school.
My school in Mexico was trilingual, so in addition to Spanish, I learned English and Mandarin Chinese. Languages have always been easy for me. In fact, I started studying languages and I would like to return to it.
How do you stay in shape?
I confess that I had rhinoplasty, liposuction twice and breast implants. Before my surgeries I was 20 kilos (44 lbs.) overweight — I lost weight on my own and then I had surgery. To be honest, I am not so much of an exerciser nor a dieter. At home I have a person, Mrs. Lucy, who cooks for me. If you eat healthy at home, you don’t need diets.
Tell us about the experience of making a video with J Balvin.
Although it was very fast, it was very pleasant. Colombians have something special, they make you feel good. J Balvin is someone I admire for the musical legacy he is leaving, he is a gentleman.
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Who would you like to collaborate with?
My dream reggaetón collaboration would be with Karol G or Tokischa, but artists that I also love and are top for me are Ice Spice and Doja Cat. I’m very inspired by their image, and I’m going to work to achieve it.