More than 60 Latin artists were invited to participate in this year's South by Southwest Music Festival in Austin, Texas, representing a wide range of genres, from cumbia and reggaeton to indie rock and electronica. The De Los team will be on hand to cover the growth of Latin music at the largest music festival in the country. Oh, and did we mention we'll also be hosting a showcase?
Here are the eight acts we're most excited to see.
Featherweight
(Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
Has anyone had a better 12 months than Hassan Emilio Kabande Laija?
Better known as Peso Pluma, the Guadalajara-born Mexican music artist began his rapid rise to global stardom last March with the release of the ballad “Ella Baila Sola,” a collaboration with sad Sierra hitter Eslabon Armado that quickly topped the Billboard charts. Global 200 chart and rose to No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. Peso Pluma has since performed at Coachella (a guest appearance during Becky G's performance); he appeared on “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon”; released “Genesis”, his third album, which was certified platinum in the United States; he became the first Mexican artist to perform at the MTV Music Video Awards; won a gringo Grammy; and was even included in Barack Obama's Annual Summer Playlist.
Your latest award? He appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone, becoming the first Mexican music artist to do so, for the magazine's “Future of Music” edition. The distinction has certainly been earned, but it only tells part of a larger story. Peso Pluma and the genre it represents are not just the music of tomorrow. they are also the soundtrack of the present. — Fidel Martinez
Austin City Limits live at the Moody Theater
310 W. Willie Nelson Blvd., Austin, TX 78701
March 13, 22:55 – 00:00
Christian Nodal
Full disclosure: Christian Nodal’s 2017 performance of “Adios Amor” is my favorite karaoke song.
Nodal recorded the heartbreaking ballad at age 17 as his debut single, earning him his first No. 1 song on Billboard's Regional Mexican Airplay chart. Since then, he has recorded hit after hit and has won five Latin Grammy Awards.
“I personally do not consider myself the number one in regional music,” Nodal told The Times in 2020. “But I am aware that I am marking a before and after within the genre, because being a trend within 16 different countries is something very big and that was not achieved before with the regional.”
With the release of “Adios Amor,” the 25-year-old from Sonora, Mexico truly paved the way for a new era of Mexican music, propelling the genre to gain more popularity in the United States and beyond. — Martina Ibáñez-Baldor
Moody Amphitheater in Waterloo Park
500 E. 12th St. Austin TX 78701
March 15, 9:30 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.
young miko
(James Carbone / Para De Los)
Puerto Rican rapper Young Miko has skyrocketed to fame since releasing her debut EP, “Trap Kitty,” in July 2022. Last year, she opened Karol G’s international leg of her “Mañana Sera Bonito” tour and headlined her own “Trap Kitty”. world Tour.
“Classy 101,” a collaboration with Colombian MC Feid, earned young Miko her first Billboard Hot 100 hit and she was named one of the best Latin songs of 2023 by former Times cultural critic Suzy Expósito. With more than 30 million monthly listeners on Spotify, young Miko is on her way to becoming the next big star in Latin music.-MY B
Austin City Limits live at the Moody Theater
310 W. Willie Nelson Blvd., Austin, TX 78701
March 13, 9:40 p.m.-10:25 p.m.
Kevin Kaarl
With a guitar in hand and songs that come from the depths of his soul, Kevin Kaarl has been a name to watch since 2018. The 23-year-old folk singer from Chihuahua, Mexico, touched hearts for the first time with the release of his single , “Old Love”, in which he expresses to a lover his desire to never lose contact.
In 2022, Kaarl released her second LP, “Paris Texas,” which was inspired by Wim Wenders' 1984 film of the same name, and embarked on an international tour with stops in Los Angeles, New York, Spain and Germany.
The singer-songwriter has amassed millions of followers on social media and his music has been streamed hundreds of millions of times. Throughout it all, he expressed his desire to be as authentic as possible.
“It's a cliché, but the truth is that when you express yourself through art, it will always, always make you feel better,” he said. medicinal means last year. “And I feel like it's good therapy, so to speak.” — Angie Orellana Hernandez
Austin City Limits live at the Moody Theater
310 W. Willie Nelson Blvd., Austin, TX 78701
March 13, 8:40 p.m. – 9:20 p.m.
Divine Connection
This self-proclaimed “world's first female Gen Z group from Sierra” has been making waves since releasing their debut single “Odio” in 2022.
Made up of Sandra Calixto, Liz Trujillo and Daniela Santiago, the trio released their debut album, “Tres Mundos,” last year, which earned them a 2023 Latin Grammy nomination in the new artist category.
Trujillo, who founded the band, was born and raised in South Central Los Angeles and dreamed of starting her own all-female Mexican music band.
“There is still a lot of machismo in the industry and stereotypes about women,” Trujillo said. The Times last year. “Like, 'Girls can't play the guitar, women can't sing corridos.' “We want to break with that.”
Conexión Divina was among the few Latin artists at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival last year and recently opened for Becky G on her “Mi Casa, Tu Casa” tour. -MY B
Palm door on the sixth
508 E. 6th St, Austin, TX 78701
March 15, 12:00 am – 12:50 am
Estevie
At 20 years old, Southern California's beloved Estevie brings her personal style to the Mexican music genre, fusing northern sounds and cumbia with pop.
Prior to the release of her debut album, 2023’s “Cumbialicious,” Estevie gained attention with the singles “Triste Verano,” “el paso,” and “Canela.” But her time in the spotlight has been going on for more than half of her life. She began singing at age 8 and placed second in the Mexican reality singing competition “Academia Kids” at age 11. As a teenager, she honed her skills by uploading covers to YouTube.
In addition to popifying Mexican music, Estevie, like Conexión Divina, intends to bring more diversity to the male-dominated genre.
“There definitely needs to be more women in the Mexican regional space,” she said. Interview Magazine last year. “I love being able to represent that and I love regional Mexican and cumbia, it's what I grew up with.” — AOH
Outdoor Mohawk
912 Red River St., Austin, TX 78701
March 14, 3:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Moody Amphitheater in Waterloo Park
500 E. 12th St. Austin TX 78701
March 15, 8:35 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Outdoor Mohawk
912 Red River St., Austin, TX 78701
March 17, 1:00 am – 1:50 am
Asimov
Hailing from Guatemala, emerging rock band Asimov will bring their hypnotic music to Texas for a rare US performance.
The quartet, which presents their music as “shoegazing with various genres such as post-rock, post-punk and dreampop,” has been gaining momentum since 2018. In 2019, Asimov released their first album, a seven-track project titled “Todo Lo What we are looking for is to disappear.”
To this day, his most played song is “Furtivo,” a song driven by distorted electric guitar riffs and layered vocals, creating a soundscape worthy of your deepest dreams. — AOH
Hotel Vegas in Volstead
1502 E. 6th St., Austin, TX 78702
March 13, 9:20 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
goat head
One of the best things about SXSW is that you can stumble upon any showcase and encounter an unknown act that will blow your mind.
That's what I predict will happen with Cabeza de Chivo, a self-described “tropical psych band” from Chicago. The quartet (Alex Aguayo, Andrés Crovetti, Jesse Villalobos and Vee Sonnets) incorporates elements of cumbia with a touch of reggae, ska and even metal to create a sound that is sure to make you dance.
Despite his good vibes, Cabeza de Chivo is not afraid to get into politics. Their single “Perdido” is, at least in part, about migration and was inspired by the growing immigrant community in Chicago.
“I migrated here when I was [17] …my story is different from everyone's, but everyone has their story,” said Aguayo, who plays the drums and wrote the song. told South Side Weekly. “I think it was an important topic, especially for playing live.” —F.M.
Hotel Vegas in Volstead
1502 E. 6th St., Austin, TX 78702
March 13, 23:20 – 00:00
