During the final night of Grupo Firme’s sold-out seven-show run in 2021 at what was then called Staples Center, frontman Eduin Caz launched into “En Tu Perra Vida” singing its chorus a cappella.
Standing in the back and wearing matching white Dodgers-inspired T-shirts that read “Thank you LA,” the rest of the septet waited for Caz to finish before joining them. The crowd erupted in cheers and applause.
“It was like a party on stage,” recalled Hallie Yavitch, senior vice president of booking operations and marketing for the now-renamed Crypto.com Arena and the nearby Peacock Theater and LA Live. “It was the best way to restart our concert series post-COVID.”
Grupo Firme members receive a statement at the Staples Center in July 2021.
(Timothy Norris/Getty Images)
Grupo Firme’s performances were among the first shows to take place in Los Angeles after pandemic restrictions were lifted and reflected not only post-COVID relief but also the continued rise of Mexican music in the United States and around the world. Los Angeles is playing a key role in the genre’s rise.
Yavitch said he had hoped to book Grupo Firme for three shows, but they sold out quickly and four more concerts were added to meet demand. The Tijuana band drew nearly 80,000 sand fans and grossed $7 million at the box officeThe group now holds the venue's record for the most performances by a Latin artist in a single year and is just one show behind Adele's record at the venue during her “Adele live 16” route.
After the band's success in 2021 at Staples, Grupo Firme continued its career nationally, becoming the The fifth highest-grossing tour that year, grossing $167.7 million.according to the specialized publication Pollstar.
A 2022 report from the Recording Industry Association of America found that revenue from Latin music, which also includes reggaeton and salsa, surpassed $1 billion for the first time.
A Luminate report, released earlier this year, found that regional Mexican music is now the The largest Latin subgenre in the US.and has also been one of the biggest drivers of the growth of Latin music. A 2023 Spotify Report shows that Mexican music reproductions have grown worldwide by more than 440% in the last five years.
Los Angeles is an important market for the genre. According to the Pew Research Center, people of Mexican descent make up Seventy-five percent of the region’s total Latino population and nearly half of the city’s residents are of Latino descent. A 2023 Luminate report found that 83% of regional Mexican music listeners in the United States are Latino.
Since Grupo Firme’s record-breaking run, other regional Mexican artists have performed at Crypto.com and Peacock Theater, including corrido and tumbado singer Junior H, sierreños tristes artist Eslabón Armado and romantic balladeer Iván Cornejo. Yavitch estimates that one in five artists at these venues falls into the Latin music category.
According to the executive, these artists also drive business in the adjacent LA Live area. After concerts, fans can continue their night at restaurants and bars, all services that Yavitch offers.
Since the return of live entertainment, artists such as Los Bukis, Peso Pluma and Junior HAmong others, Latin concert organizers have looked to Los Angeles as a key stop, according to Eddie Orjuela, a veteran live event promoter with national label Nederlander Concerts. He adds that streaming is also driving attendance and venues have seen a surge in ticket sales for Mexican music shows.
Peso Pluma will appear on YouTube Theater in July 2023.
(Dania Maxwell/Los Angeles Times)
According to Orjuela, artists and venues receive higher payouts. Venues also benefit from sales of alcohol, food, merchandise, parking fees and other concert-related expenses.
“The money is there,” Orjuela said. “It really becomes a win-win situation for the venue, the artist, the promoter and the manager.”
The group nominated for a Latin Grammy The BukisLed by co-founder Marco Antonio Solis, he also capitalized on returning to Los Angeles after the pandemic as the first Latin act to sell out SoFi Stadium. According to Pollstar dataIts two stadium dates trailed only a pair of Rolling Stones performances (at SoFi and Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium) as the third-highest-grossing concerts nationwide in 2021, generating more than $13 million in revenue.
Adolfo Romero, vice president of event bookings and revenue generation for SoFi Stadium and YouTube Theater, was not surprised by Los Bukis' performance.
“Obviously, it’s a for-profit business, so we work to identify those key areas of the business that make sense,” Romero said, adding that one-third of show bookings at the two venues are Latin acts. “But ultimately, the way we make our decisions is whether or not it makes sense for the business.” [L.A.] community.”
Los Bukis frontman and co-founder Marco Antonio Solís plays the Los Angeles Coliseum in August 2022.
(Raul Roa/Los Angeles Times)
Acts such as the cumbia group Los Ángeles Azules, the balladeer Ana Bárbara and the phenomenon of corridos tumbados. Featherweight They have also benefited from the explosive growth of the genre, playing concerts at the YouTube Theater, the 6,000-seat venue adjacent to SoFi. These concerts attract a diverse audience of multigenerational attendees, Romero said.
Promoters and promoters like Orjuela are also seeing interest in Mexican music shows outside of Los Angeles, from the Inland Empire to Orange County. Artists can rake in big bucks as long as shows are spread out enough within the three regions, Orjuela said. Fuerza Regida is a prime example, he adds, as the San Bernardino-based group traveled to the neighboring city Ontario and a full house at the Toyota Arenaan area with capacity for 11,000 people.
Other artists, such as Los Tigres del Norte, have performed in the Inland Empire region, and tickets for a Banda MS show in November will soon go on sale at the Toyota Arena.
“Los Angeles is the melting pot of regional Mexican music,” Orjuela said, adding that promoters across the country look to L.A. shows as a guide to booking tickets. “If they do well here, artists know they have a greater chance of going to other markets.”
