No amount of extreme wind gusts could shake the tremendous talent performing Sunday night at the De Los showcase at the South by Southwest music festival.
Five acts took over the rooftop of Mala Fama in downtown Austin and braved the 30 mph winds. Nezza, Eddy, Tropa Magica, Vanita Leo and Hermanos Espinoza each brought their own distinct essence to the Texas stage, reminding audiences that Latin music is dynamic and never static.
Colombian Dominican singer Nezza performs at the De Los Showcase at South by Southwest on Sunday in Austin, Texas.
(Cat Cardenas / For De Los)
For Colombian Dominican singer Nezza, performing at SXSW was a bucket list experience and one that allowed her to share two exclusives: first, an unreleased, acoustic track “Stop the Show”; then a show-stopping live choreo to the upbeat “Sweat.”
“The stage is my favorite place to be. If I could do that every night I would,” Nezza said backstage. The R&B pop singer had a tremendous year following her act of defiance: She sang the national anthem in Spanish at Dodger Stadium, resulting in the making of a short-documentary, “La Tierra del Valor.”
On Sunday, she emphasized that Latinos have always been an essential part of the fabric of this country. “We’ve always been here,” she said, adding that she thinks “the future’s really bright for us.”
Música mexicana singer Eddy, center, performs at the De Los showcase at South by Southwest on Sunday in Austin, Texas.
(Cat Cardenas / For De Los)
Música mexicana has always played a huge role in the life of Eddy, who grew up listening to Vicente Fernandez and Juan Gabriel. It was his second public performance ever, but this rising crooner was already reading the audience by encouraging them to take a shot. Though he has yet to release an album, Eddyknew the audience would sing along to melodic corrido covers of Banda MS’ “A Lo Mejor” and Alejandro Sanz’s “Corazón Partío.”
“Musica mexicana has always been there, will always be there and we are going to keep uplifting it,” said the Chihuahua-born singer ahead of his performance, ruminating on what he brought to the genre. “I don’t know if I add my own style, but I do add more sentiments.”
Tropa Magica at the De Los showcase at South by Southwest.
(Cat Cardenas / For De Los)
East L.A.’s Tropa Magica led the crowd into another dimension with their psychedelic cumbias, periodicallyhowling at the moon during their rock jam session. Formed in 2018 by brothers David and Rene Pacheco, the duo has noticed a growing acceptance of Latin acts in recent years, which have moved away from backyard parties and onto the mainstage.
“For us, we still do it at an underground level. We just show up, y le hechamos ganas, but now we sing, neither here nor there, but we’re here to stay,” said Rene Pacheco after the performance.
Cumbia singer Vanita Leo of San Antonio performs with her band at the De Los showcase.
(Cat Cardenas / For De Los)
As a self-proclaimed Hot Cheeto girl from San Antonio, Vanita Leo felt honored to represent cumbia on the De Los stage, bringing in a much-needed dose of twinkling wepas, high-paced rhythmic cumbias that often feature electronic, sonidero elements. Standing next to her father, Marco Jaime, she led the crowd through a celestial journey with her synth-heavy track “Solo Tu Bb.”
“Cumbia has played a huge part in my personal life and in my culture,” she said behind the scenes. “I think that Mexican Americans, Latinos in general, make up a huge part of this industry, I’m just happy [we] are getting more flowers.”
South Texas sibling norteña duo Hermanos Espinoza performs at the De Los showcase.
(Cat Cardenas / For De Los)
For brother duo Hermanos Espinoza, representing norteña music all the way from the Rio Grande Valley felt like the ultimate honor, especially as they are set to release their debut studio album on Friday. They kicked off their hourlong set with their 2024 track “Dios Por Delante,” which opens with a roaring accordion solo, followed by a message to live a better life than the one you inherited.
“We want to honor norteña music, regional music, more than anything to keep uplifting this movement that we’re experiencing right now,” said vocalist Joel Espinoza. “Right now we are experiencing a revolution in the Mexican regional music scene. It’s the present moment and the future.”
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Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: latimes.com
