As Los Aptos played on stage, two figures stood nearby, recording the performance on their phones. They were Juan Ortega Sr. and Leticia Ortega, who smiled from ear to ear as they watched their son, vocalist Juan Ortega Jr., sing the band's songs from Sierro.
“I'm so proud I could cry,” said Juan, 54. “I love music and I always wanted to be a singer. Seeing him up there is a dream come true.”
The band, whose 40-minute set included a mix of their own music and covers, from “Miel” to Los Hombres G’s “Devueltame a Mi Chica,” was part of De Los’ showcase Friday night at the South By SouthwestMusic. Festival in Austin, Texas.
Los Aptos drove nearly 17 hours to perform at De Los' showcase at SXSW in Austin, Texas, on March 15, and the proud parents of vocalist Juan Ortega Jr. were there to see.
(Gato Cárdenas/Para De Los)
Ortega, 21, said the band, which drove nearly 17 hours from Indiana, was “really happy and grateful to be here.”
“We did that job, so we're excited to take the stage,” added Daniel Vaides, the band's keyboardist.
The exhibit, held at the Latino-owned venue La Factoría, began with Puerto Rican artist Nohemy, who shared that she played college basketball before turning to music.
Nohemy performs her self-described “over-the-top music” at De Los’ showcase at SXSW on March 15.
(Gato Cárdenas/Para De Los)
Nohemy electrified the room with her self-proclaimed “over-the-top music,” which included the reggaeton song “On Top” and “Calle,” a song that had attendees chanting “Traa! Bring!” between verses.
“Once I knew he was coming [SXSW]and I was going to perform here with the LA Times, I was excited and excited,” she said.
Towards the end of her set, Nohemy became emotional and explained to the crowd that her next song, “Lalala,” was about being in love with another woman. She shared that her parents had not yet accepted her queer identity after she told them.
“I have wonderful parents, I respect everyone's beliefs. I just wanted to share that with you because maybe I would feel better,” she said.
Next up were the Tiarras, a trio made up of sisters Tiffany, Sophia and Tori Baltierra. The Austin-born siblings, whose father was on hand to watch them rock, performed Chicano rock about empowerment, love and culture, with special recognition to strong women for the “path you have paved for us.”
That included a tribute to the late singer Selena Quintanilla, while the Tiarras put their own spin on the classic “Como La Flor.” The sisters also performed “Let Love Free,” “They Don't See Us” and “Soy Chingona,” a song dedicated to confident Latinas.
The Tiarras, an Austin-born sister band, will perform at De Los' showcase at SXSW on March 15.
(Gato Cárdenas/Para De Los)
“We are all for supporting Latinidad culture,” Tori said of the all-Latin lineup. “We are Mexican Americans. “We’re the fourth generation, so it’s amazing to be able to show off with our own people… it means everything.”
The third act of the night was Bodine, a Miami-based Latin R&B artist who embraced sensuality and heartbreak in what was her fourth live performance. Wearing a silver-detailed outfit, Bodine had the crowd dancing to songs like “Lo Nuestro,” a song about a first love whom she “ended up hating” toward the end of their time together. And then she turned up the heat with “Nalgaje,” a song that, jokingly, was about her favorite topic: the human butt.
Bodine on stage in what was his fourth live performance at De Los' showcase at SXSW on March 15.
(Gato Cárdenas/Para De Los)
Bodine said there is a lot more music on the way as he continues to work harder in the studio and that he enjoyed the opportunity to perform in front of a live crowd.
“I have been studying music since I was a child, dreaming of representing Puerto Rico around the world,” she said. “And I think this is a great start here in Austin, Texas.”
Friday marked Pink Pablo's final night at SXSW after a performance at Rolling Stone's Future of Music showcase and on the Radio Day Stage on Wednesday. He waved to the crowd, beckoning them to the stage and added, “We're a family here.”
For their final performance, Pink Pablo sang “Falco” from their 2023 EP, “road 2 neverland,” as well as new single “Low Key.” The Puerto Rican-born singer, whose music is a mix of pop punk and urban, left a potential career in psychology to fulfill his musical dreams and said he was at SXSW to make his mother proud.
“We are on the right path,” he said. “There is a lot of work to do, but this is rewarding. Very gratifying”.
Polo González closed the night at De Los' showcase at SXSW on March 15.
(Gato Cárdenas/Para De Los)
Wearing a red jacket, Jalisco singer Polo González closed the night with Mexican music. The TikTok personality opened with “Caso Perdido” and “Fin de Semana,” interacting between verses with a crowd that recorded every second of González's performance on their cell phones.
“I always practice alone at home, so to perform in front of people and have them hear my songs is a testament to all the hard work,” González said after his performance, just as the lights went up.
De Los' showcase was one of several at SXSW that focused exclusively on Latin music, which had a larger presence at the festival than in previous years. One of the biggest stars at SXSW this year was Peso Pluma, who had his fans lining up for hours to see him headline Rolling Stone's Future of Music showcase.
