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Grupo Frontera will add music to the patriotic celebrations in Mexico. The Mexican-American band will perform at the capital’s Zócalo — the country’s most important public square — on Sept. 15 for the annual Grito de Independencia event, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador announced Wednesday (Aug. 23).
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“The members of Grupo Frontera will be there on September 15 at night in the Zócalo,” said the Mexican president at the end of his usual morning conference, where he played Frontera’s cover of “No Se Va,” originally by Colombian group Morat.
López Obrador reiterated his taste for the music of the regional Mexican group, which he has included in his playlist to challenge corridos tumbados, a musical genre that although he has said he will not prohibit, he considers to glorify drug traffickers.
Grupo Frontera joins a long list of national and international artists who have set foot in the second-largest public square in the world, only behind Tiananmen in Beijing. Musicians such as Paul McCartney, Justin Bieber, Manu Chao, Shakira, Café Tacvba and the late icon of regional Mexican music Vicente Fernández, among many others, have performed at the Zócalo.
The attendance record for free concerts held in the so-called Primer Cuadro in the Mexican capital is held by the Argentine rock band Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, which achieved the milestone of gathering 300,000 people on the night of June 3, beating Grupo Firme, who held the record after summoning 280,000 people in September 2022, according to figures from the government of Mexico City.
This week, the sextet scored their first top 10 hit on a Billboard album chart with El Comienzo, which jumped 39-4 on the Top Latin Albums chart on Aug. 19 after its first full week of activity. El Comienzo also jumped 12-2 on Regional Mexican Albums and debuted at No. 39 on the Billboard 200 all-genre chart.
Grupo Frontera is set to be part of the 2023 Billboard Latin Music Week, taking place Oct. 2-6 in Miami. Purchase tickets to Latin Music Week here.
Corridos tumbados star Junior H is looking to set another milestone in his already prolific career: conquering the legendary Foro Sol stadium in Mexico City. Mexican promoter Ocesa announced on Monday (Aug 14) that the singer will perform at the storied venue on Nov. 23.
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The 23-year-old singer will arrive at the emblematic venue after having packing the Plaza de Toros México for two consecutive nights last May, drawing more than 80,000 people, according to organizers. Junior H is following in the footsteps of his genre colleague and July’s Billboard cover star Peso Pluma, who will perform at the Foro Sol 12 days earlier.
Junior H’s concert in the Mexican capital was announced after he kicked off his Sad Boyz 2023 U.S. arena tour on Friday at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, where he gathered around 13,000 people, according to his publicists.
Ocesa announced that a presale for Citibanamex cardholders will be held on August 22nd starting at 11:00 a.m. (Mexico City time); the general sale will begin one day later at the same time through Ticketmaster Mexico, and at the Palacio de los Deportes box office in Mexico City.
Prior to his concert at the Foro Sol, Junior H (whose real name is Antonio Herrera Pérez) will headline the Coordenada Festival on October 14 in Guadalajara, Jalisco, where he will share the bill with Mexican band Panteón Rococó and Queens Of The Stone Age.
In just four years, the self-proclaimed Sad Boy has solidified his position as one of the top exponents of corrido tumbado, a subgenre born after the release of Natanael Cano’s Corridos Tumbados album in 2019, with whom he has collaborated early in his career. He has also performed alongside other successful Mexican acts like Peso Pluma, Edén Muñoz, Gabito Ballesteros and Alemán.
Clocking in at more than 2 million plays in just a few weeks when it released in 2019, his song “No He Cambiado,” from his album Mi Vida en un Cigarro, became a phenomenon on digital platforms. Since then, he has placed 18 songs on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart, four of which reached the top 10, and earlier this year he made inroads on the overall Billboard Hot 100 chart with the hit “Fin de semana” alongside Oscar Maydon.
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His latest track is “El Patrocinador” with Grupo Firme, whose video has more than 5.8 million views since its release 10 days ago.
Check out Ocesa’s announcement of the Junior H concert at the Foro Sol below:
Legendary Argentine rockers Los Fabulosos Cadillacs accomplished something few imagined on Saturday (June 3); they drew a crowd of 300,000 to their free concert at Mexico City’s Zócalo, breaking the attendance record set by Grupo Firme last year, according to data supplied by the local government.
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Up until last night, Grupo Firme, the boisterous Mexican music group, had drawn the biggest crowd ever (280,000) to the historic Mexican site. But last night Los Cadillacs bested Grupo Firme and other seminal acts, including Rosalía, Sir Paul McCartney, Roger Waters, Shakira, the late ranchera icon Vicente Fernández, and even pop star Justin Bieber.
“¡Winds of liberty, blood of a fighter!” tweeted Mexico City mayor Claudia Sheinbaum, quoting the lyrics of Cadillac’s famous song “Matador.” “We’ve made history again, breaking attendance records with 300,000 people in the Zócalo of Mexico City, enjoying an epic concert from Los Fabulosos Cadillacs,” she added.
🎶 ¡Viento de libertad, sangre combativa!Volvimos a hacer historia, rompimos récord de asistencia con 300 mil personas en el Zócalo de la Ciudad de México disfrutando del épico concierto de Los Fabulosos Cadillacs con saldo blanco. Gracias a todo el público asistente por… pic.twitter.com/QRsYlHIDGl— Dra. Claudia Sheinbaum (@Claudiashein) June 4, 2023
The band — headed by singer Gabriel Fernández Capello, better known as Vicentico, bassist Flavio Cianciarulo and saxophonist Sergio Rotman — took over the second largest public square in the world (behind Tiananmen Square in Peking) with their blend of rock, ska, reggae and punk.
From early in the morning on Saturday, people from different parts of the city, and the country, lined up at el Zócalo in an effort to get access to the front rows of the stage. By the time the show started in the evening, the crowd was so large and tight, that some opted to move to the back to breath better.
The now-historic performance, which lasted around 90 minutes, is part of the group’s El León del Ritmo tour, which celebrates 30 years of one of its most celebrated albums, 1992’s El León, and three decades since the release of their fabled single “Matador.”
The fact that Cadillacs have been around for so long, and that they perform rock en español – a genre many say is fading — makes their accomplishment even more impressive. “They called them old, they made fun of them, and they answered with 300,000 people,” tweeted one fan.
300,000 attended Los Fabulosos Cadillacs’ show at Mexico City’s Zócalo. Photo Courtesy of Secretaría de Cultura de la Ciudad de México.
“What happiness! How enormous and indescribable to be playing for all you! Thank you, eternal thanks. We receive this with our hearts,” said a visibly moved Vicentico to an adoring audience that sang to every song in their repertoire.
Following their performance at Coachella in April, the Cadillacs will take their El León del Ritmo Tour to different countries, including Mexico, the Viña del Mar Festival in Chile, Spain and the U.S.
Here is the full setlist from Saturday Night:
1. “Demasiada Presión”
2. “El Muerto”
3. “Carmela”
4. “Estoy Harto De Verte Con Otros”
5. “El Genio del Dub”
6. “Calaveras y Diablitos”
7. “Los Condenaditos”
8. “El Aguijón”
9. “Nro. 2 En Tu Lista”
10. “Saco Azul”
11. “Siguiendo La Luna”
12. “V Centenario”
13. “Carnaval Toda La Vida”
14. “Mal Bicho”
15. “Matador”
16. “Mi Novia Se Cayó en un Pozo Ciego”
17. “Vasos Vacíos”
18. “El Satánico Dr. Cadillac”
19. “Yo No Me Sentaría en Tu Mesa”
Live Nation’s new destination festival company Vibee has partnered with LN-owned dance promoter Insomniac to launch Tiësto | ‘Chasing Sunsets’ taking place Nov. 9-12 in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
Headlined and curated by Dutch DJ and dance legend Tiësto, the four-day event will include multiple performances from the Grammy Award-winning artist along with sets from yet-to-be announced acts, plus beach activities, local cultural excursions and more.
The weekend’s home base and headline venue will be ME Cabo, a five-star resort located on the beach, near the marina in Cabo San Lucas. Guests heading to ‘Chasing Sunsets’ will also be met with pool parties, exclusive cocktail parties, a special “Drive into Sunset” set by Tiësto and additional weekend events at Cabo hot spots Mango Deck, Funky Geisha, Taboo and SUR. Attendees can customize their getaway with high-end add-ons including a “Taste of Mexico Brunch” with Tiësto, boat parties, jet skiing, parasailing and tequila tastings.
Tiësto | ‘Chasing Sunsets’ will be the first of many collaborations between Vibee and Insomniac, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year.
“Through their exclusive worldwide agreement to produce customized experiences and festival integrations, Insomniac and Vibee will bring even more unique events to their communities and amplify the fan-to-artist connection,” a press release announcing the partnership explains.
More information on packages and pricing can be found here.
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By now everyone knows that the Mexican cartels are a big problem south of the border. But shockingly enough they now have children putting in the kind of work you’d expect from John Wick. A 14 year old has just been taken into custody for racking up a body count that would make some hitmen blush.
CBSNews is reporting that Mexican authorities announced that they’ve arrested a teenage hitman they dubbed as “El Chapito” for the suspected murders of eight people near Mexico City. According to authorities from the Federal Public Safety Department, the suspect in question rode up on a motorcycle and opened fire on an entire family in the Mexico City suburb of Chimalhuacan this past January. Along with the 14-year-old hired gun, police also booked another man connected to the killings along with seven other members. They were taken in on drug charges.
The victims were holding a party at their house at the time of the attack, which also left five adults and two children wounded. It was reportedly a birthday party.
The boy’s name was not released, but his nickname — “Little Chapo” — is an apparent reference to imprisoned drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman. El Chapo has been serving a life sentence in a “supermax” maximum security prison in Colorado since his 2019 conviction on charges including drug trafficking, money laundering and weapons-related offenses.
Though authorities haven’t revealed why this birthday party was targeted, Mexican cartels are known for gunning down rivals and forcing kids into the lifestyle with threats of death if they don’t comply.
In 2010, soldiers detained a 14-year-old boy nicknamed “El Ponchis” who claimed he was kidnapped at age 11 and forced to work for the Cartel of the South Pacific, a branch of the splintered Beltran Leyva gang. He said he had participated in at least four decapitations.
After his arrest, the boy, who authorities identified only by his first name, Edgar, told reporters that he was drugged and threatened into committing the crimes.
Along with the 14-year-old shooter, authorities also confirmed that they had arrested a woman connected to at least nine murders in the border city of Mexicali. The woman in question already had two warrants out for her arrest for two killings but was also named in seven other possible homicide investigations.
Things are too wild in Mexico these days, b. We guess these cartels feel the whole “spare the women and children” is somewhat of an antiquated notion.
What do y’all think of the news coming out of Mexico? Let us know in the comments section below.
Grupo Firme reached a historic milestone by packing the iconic Foro Sol in Mexico City seven times, bringing together an audience of 455,000, according to figures from Mexican promoter Ocesa.
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The shows were part of Firme’s successful 2022-23 Enfiestados y Amanecidos Tour. Their last concert at the venue was Saturday (March 11), when 65,000 people shows up, according to organizers.
“So far, the Mexican regional group is the only one to pull out seven concerts at Foro Sol as part of the same tour,” Ocesa told Billboard Español.
Foro Sol, part of the legendary Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, headquarters of Formula 1 in Mexico, is a stadium that has hosted some of the most important musical events in the country, including concerts by legends such as U2, Coldplay, Guns N’ Roses and the late British rock star David Bowie, who in 1997 was chosen as the opening act of this venue with his Earthling World Tour.
Since its creation in 2013, Grupo Firme has established itself as one of the most cherished Mexican regional bands, not only due to their music but also to its style and charisma.
Their songs, which combine the tradition of the genre with elements of pop and urban music, have become huge hits in Mexico, the U.S. and beyond. Titles like “El Tóxico,” “Ya Supérame” and “Cada Quien,” to name a few, have appeared on the Billboard charts.
Among their multiple achievements, the band has sold shows in a matter of minutes.
Grupo Firme has also been credited with having gathered the largest audience for a free concert in Mexico City’s Zócalo last September: 280,000 people, according to the municipal authorities.
According to their representatives, these achievements “generate great expectations regarding a new U.S. tour in cities they have never visited before, so that all their fans can enjoy their greatest hits live.”
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The backstory behind the recent kidnapping in Mexico continues to get stranger by the day. Officials have received a letter stating the cartel has turned over the men responsible for the crime.
As per the Associated Press local officials of the city of Matamoros, Mexico received a letter that is said to be sent by the Scorpions faction of the Gulf cartel. In the message, the criminal organization shows they do have a heart and offer their remorse to locals over the fact that an innocent bystander was killed in the operation. Additionally, the individuals who penned it say they handed over the gunmen.
“We have decided to turn over those who were directly involved and responsible in the events, who at all times acted under their own decision-making and lack of discipline,” the letter read. Additionally, the not-for-profit news agency implies the note also included photos of the five men who orchestrated the brazen kidnapping of four Americans last week.
Since the incident, the United States has deployed the National Guard to patrol the border. Mexican security analyst David Saucedo says the extra presence has made it difficult for criminal organizations to run shop.
“It is very difficult right now for them to continue working in terms of street-level drug sales and transferring drugs to the United States; they are the first ones interested in closing this chapter as soon as possible,” Saucedo said. The two survivors from the kidnapping are currently recuperating at Texas based medical facilities.
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Two United States citizens are lucky to be alive, but two are deceased. A pair of Americans who were kidnapped in Mexico are back on home soil.
As spotted on CBS News some Myrtle Beach, South Carolina natives experienced a harrowing nightmare during a recent trip to Mexico. On Friday, March 3, four Americans, one woman and three men, crossed the border in a Chrysler Pacific minivan.
While in the city of Matamoros their vehicle was hit by another car at an intersection and an unidentified man opens fire. Suddenly, a white pick up truck arrives and more armed individuals force the four passengers onto the bed of their truck. Sadly a local Mexican woman was also killed in the crossfire.
As per BBC on Tuesday, March 7 the Americans were eventually found being held hostage in a wooden shack. Unfortunately, two of the hostages passed away while one of the survivors was wounded. According to Mexican officials, the hostages were moved around to several different locations to “create confusion and avoid efforts to rescue them”. The survivors were identified as Latavia “Tay” McGee and Eric James Williams.
The two deceased have been identified as Zindell Brown and Shaeed Woodard. McGee and Williams were escorted by heavily armed Mexican convoy back through the border. Reportedly, the trip was scheduled in order for Latavia to undergo a tummy tuck medical procedure.
Both McGee and Williams are currently recuperating in hospitals. Obviously, questions are still being asked.
Santa Fe Klan is constantly innovating. His free-flowing style has taken him to the next level, including arenas like on his upcoming 38-date U.S. tour, Todo y Nada (or All and Nothing), which kicks off June 10 in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Like his tour name suggests, the 22-year-old Mexican rapper lays it all on the table with a nothing-to-lose approach. “My people know everything about me. I have never hidden anything from them. I am that way,” he told Billboard Español. He’s an artist who candidly spits rhymes on his experiences in the hood, family life, romantic encounters and Mexican pride.
As a dynamic lyricist with a passionate flow, and with the ability to navigate a diversity of sounds — from mellow rap to dancehall-style toasting — it’s almost impossible to turn a deaf ear to his music. His fanbase continues to grow as he expands the outer limits of rap.
“The truth is that I always come up with crazy ideas and this time I wanted to do something that no one would see coming,” Ángel Quezada (real name) told Billboard last August. “I wanted to show that an artist can do whatever he wants regardless of genres, and I wanted to do acoustic ballads to connect even more with my fans.”
Emerging from the underground of Mexico’s booming rap scene, he began showcasing his candid wordplay when he was just 12 years old from the barrio of Santa Fe, the capital of Guanajuato in central Mexico, just north of Mexico City. From dropping viral tracks on YouTube and SoundCloud since 2016, the prolific rapper has built an ever-growing international following — his overall video view count currently clocks in at a staggering 3.9 billion streams.
In between, he has also released a cumbia sonidera-leaning album (Santa Cumbia), collaborated with the likes of Run the Jewels and M.I.S. (“Ooh La La” remix); and on his latest 2022 efforts, Mundo, Santa Fe Klan soothes his usual hard-hitting bars for a more melodic approach, where he dedicates songs to his mother and newborn son Luka. The album also features a collaboration with romantic pop group Reik.
“It was difficult to open up in this album because it reflects my day-to-day reality,” he previously said. “This specific album mirrors the experiences my community is going through; I wanted to project that so my people could identify with mine.”
Mundo debuted at No. 4 on Latin Pop Albums and No. 11 on Latin Rhythms Albums. The single “Mar y tierra” earned him his first entry on Billboard‘s Hot Latin Songs chart.
Santa Fe Klan talks tattoos, his artistic evolution navigating various genres — he’s pivoting to regional Mexican music on his next efforts — and bringing Snow The Product and Tornillo on tour with him.
1. Todo y Nada is your first 30-date arena tour in the United States. How do you feel?
It’s already 38 dates and I thank all my people in the United States for all the support! I’m bringing you a new show and we’re going to have a great time.
2. In each album you’ve released, you have constantly shown your artistic evolution. We’ve seen you emerge from the underground rap scene in Mexico, then do cumbia sonidera and more recently, regional. What can we expect from your next material?
(Laughs) Yeah, right? I like to experiment with genres and I also like those genres. They are the ones I have listened to since I was a little kid. And now we are coming with a regional Mexican album that includes several collaborations. Expect that soon.
3. Tell me about your latest single, “Mecha Corta.” How did this collaboration with Remmy Valenzuela come about?
That was badass. We met at the Akron Stadium [in Zapopan, Jalisco] when Grupo Firme was there [on September 24, 2022]. We were both invited to sing, and there we chatted and agreed to record. A few days later, he came to my studio in Guadalajara and we got together. I showed him the lyrics of the song and the whole thing went off (laughs).
4. What inspires you when you compose music?
Daily life, what happens in the hood. Many of my songs are stories that I’ve been told and others are things that I have gone through. For example, the song “Luka” [from the album Mundo of 2022] was written for my unborn son at the time.
5. Last year you made your debut on the Hot Latin Songs chart with “Mar y Tierra,” and your album Mundo also made it to several charts. What is your reaction seeing your music on the Billboard charts?
No well, it makes me very happy that everything is going good, that my people continues to support me, and that more and more of my music is being listened to. Thanks to Billboard for all the support. I will continue to represent the barrio.
6. You have been at the forefront of the new generation of rappers in Mexico, such as Gera MX, Aleman, Neto Peña, to name a few. How would you describe the rap scene in Mexico compared to other parts of Latin America?
Rap is a culture that my carnales (friends) and I in Mexico — and the world — represent in the same way. Much respect to all the clika (the community) for representing the genre. Each country expresses itself differently with its own style, but we are all the same.
7. You have some very cool tattoos, what is the newest one? Can you explain the meaning of some of your most special tattoos?
I just tattooed the word “Lealtad” (or Loyalty) on one hand because it is something very important in life. Without that, there is nothing. I have my parents tattooed, without them I wouldn’t be here. I also have my son Luka’s name on my fingers, and on my abdomen I have part of the streets of my barrio.
8. You will be touring with Snow Tha Product and Tornillo. What do you like most about the work of each of them?
Rifan machin my two carnals (my two friends have skills). For me it’s a pleasure to have both of them with me on the tour. We are going to have a great time with my people. Their work says it all. They have come a long way.
9. What is the origin of your stage name Santa Fe Klan?
That’s the name of my hood back in Guanajuato, the state capital.
10. How has Santa Fe shaped your personality?
In everything. The barrio saw me grow up and taught me loyalty and respect for people, and that we are all equal. ¡Arriba el barrio, arriba la Santa!
11. What do you consider your biggest achievement?
Professionally, that my music has reached so many people and that it has charted in the best lists. So far, I have filled the Monterrey arena and the Mexico City arena. Let’s see what’s in store for us in 2023. And personally, my greatest achievement is to have all my family well and the hood.
12. What is your favorite food?
My favorite food are tacos, aguachile, ceviche and carne asada with the compas (homies) pouring caguamas (drinking 40s).
13. Favorite sneaker brand?
I like the white [Nike] Air Force One. They never fail.
14. Besides your music, who or what have you been listening to lately?
I listen to the music of my carnales in [the collective] 473 Music, so you all can hear them. They turn up.
15. Who was your favorite artist when you were young?
Chalino Sánchez. Big time.
16. What’s your favorite movie?
I don’t have any. I like a lot, but more the horror or action ones.
17. What do you like most about being a rapper?
Recording, writing songs, and singing to the whole gang. It’s a good time.
18. For someone who has never been to Guanajuato, how would you describe it? What do you love about your hometown?
Downtown is really cool. To go eat a guacamaya or some chicharrones with cueritos (pig skin), rolling around with a joint. And [what I love is] my people, my neighborhood.
19. What is something your fans don’t know about you that you would like to share?
My people know everything about me. I have never hidden anything from them, I am that way. The only thing they don’t know is what’s coming on my next album that they’re going to love.
20. What can we expect from your U.S. tour?
Lots of partying! Lots of rap! Lots of cumbia… We’re going to get everyone lit. I want to see you all.
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A top Mexican official who once helped his country tackle the growing problem of drug gangs has now been convicted of himself helping drug cartels move weight across south of the border.
Raw Story is reporting that on Tuesday (February 21), the former Secretary of Public Security of Mexico, Garcia Luna, was found guilty in a Brooklyn federal court of taking bribes from drug traffickers who he was supposed to be taking off the streets in exchange for protection and information on rivals and authorities. Prosecutors argued that Luna took millions of dollars in bribes from El Chapo’s Sinaloa Cartel from 2006-2012 when he was tasked to be taking down the now-infamous drug cartel. Luna now faces at least 20 years in prison for his transgression.
“Garcia Luna, who once stood at the pinnacle of law enforcement in Mexico, will now live the rest of his days having been revealed as a traitor to his country and to the honest members of law enforcement who risked their lives to dismantle drug cartels,” said US prosecutor Breon Peace, welcoming the verdict.
A spokesperson for the current Mexican government, which has accused Garcia Luna of stealing more than $200 million of public funds and has demanded his extradition, said in a tweet that “justice has arrived.”
Prosecutors argued that Garcia Luna, who held high-ranking security positions in Mexico from 2001 until 2012, was the cartel’s “partner in crime.”
We hope Luna enjoyed that money while he could because we doubt anyone’s going to be trying to break him out of prison like his former employer, Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman. Unfortunately for Luna, nine of the 26 people who testified against him were former drug traffickers from Mexico who cooperated with U.S. prosecutors in hopes of getting leniency in their own upcoming trials.
They included former several high-level cartel bosses, including Jesus “Rey” Zambada, Sergio Villarreal and Oscar “Lobo” Valencia.
They claimed to have paid millions of dollars to Garcia Luna collectively, and through Arturo Beltran Leyva, who ran his own drug cartel and served as a go-between with Garcia Luna, known as a “supercop,” in exchange for protection.
Nothing like snitching on law enforcement to help yourself get out of a sticky situation.
Garcia Luna was eventually arrested in Texas in December 2019 and charged with five counts including cocaine trafficking conspiracy and making false statements to authorities. His wife and two children were in court when his guilty verdict was announced.
You have to wonder if he’ll end up in the same prison as El Chapo. Just sayin.’
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Photo: YUKI IWAMURA / Getty
