Latinx Files: The música Mexicana partí taking over Southern California

In Southern California, música Mexicana is king.

The Latin music subgenre has had a presence in the region for decades. On Olvera Street, you can find a 10-foot statue of Antonio Aguilar, “el charro de Mexico,” who along with his musical family, helped popularize jaripeos on this side of the border. In Boyle Heights, there’s Mariachi Plaza and Vicente Fernandez Street, a small stretch of pavement rechristened two years ago — on Mexican Independence Day, no less! — in honor of the recently deceased “rey de la musica ranchera.” In Long Beach, there’s a park dedicated to the homegrown Jenni Rivera, the U.S.-born “diva de la banda” who died tragically in a plane crash in 2012.

Música Mexicana makes up a huge component of the Los Angeles playlist — as of this writing, 13 of the 25 songs on Apple Music’s daily trending chart for the city are by artists of that genre. It’s part of the region’s cultural DNA, and has been a huge focus of coverage for De Los — the launch of the section somewhat coincided with música Mexicana’s shift from the fringe into the mainstream. What we’ve seen is a borderless, bottom-up cultural movement growing exponentially thanks to a predominantly Mexican American Gen Z audience that’s very online; many of the genre’s stars first broke through on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.

Música Mexicana is so in right now that I recently joked with a friend that it was the unofficial theme for this year’s Hispanic Heritage Month celebration. Suffice it to say, after our colleagues over at The Times’ feature desk graciously offered us the opportunity to do a print takeover of last Sunday’s Weekend section, we knew that the focus would be on how the genre makes itself present in everyday Angeleno life, how much it dictates how we spend our time and money.

The end result was a collection of eight stories that touch upon subjects like fashion, music, language and business.

In it you’ll meet people like Danny Ramirez, a former construction worker from Zacatecas, Mexico, who has become a full-time TikTok influencer who gets paid to dance at música Mexicana clubs across the country looking to attract younger crowds. You’ll read about the way in which the music of artists like Juan Gabriel is being used by educators to help English-dominant Mexican Americans learn Spanish and reconnect with their cultural heritage. You’ll also read about how música Mexicana acts like Grupo Firme were instrumental in restarting the live entertainment industry in Los Angeles after pandemic restrictions were lifted.

You’ll find several guides, including a breakdown of the musical instruments used to make música Mexicana; a list of clubs and dance parties where you can get your quebradita on; and a rundown of online and brick and mortar stores where you can find the perfect vaquero fit. And because the central focus is music, the De Los staff assembled a playlist with some of our favorite música Mexicana jams, both new and old.

You can find the entire story package here. We hope you enjoy!

(Jackie Rivera / For The Times; Martina Ibáñez-Baldor / Los Angeles Times)

Stories we read this week that we think you should read

Jorge Garcia looks back at ‘Lost’ 20 years later and the role of a lifetime

On Sunday, the hit television series “Lost” turned 20. On the heels of the anniversary, De Los contributor Cat Cardenas spoke with actor Jorge Garcia, who portrayed Hugo “Hurley” Reyes, the cursed lottery winner and crash survivor of Oceanic Flight 815.

Artist and mentor, a former gang member, honored by National Endowment for the Arts

At the Homeboy Art Academy, Fabian Debora and other mentors provide guidance to the youth who are either actively involved in the gang life, recently released from incarceration or are seeking a refuge from the gang life. Debora was recently honored by the National Endowment for the Arts as a 2024 NEA National Heritage Fellow. He was recognized for his work as a teacher and mentor to others seeking to find purpose through art.

Newsom vetoes 2nd bill to help undocumented immigrants, this one about hiring UC, CSU students

Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill Sunday that would have directed the University of California, California State University and state community colleges to hire undocumented students for campus jobs — his second veto of legislation aimed at expanding aid to those who are not living in California legally.

The (500-year-old) reason Mexico didn’t invite the king of Spain to the president’s inauguration

Claudia Sheinbaum, Mexico’s president-elect, says Spain’s king is not invited to her inauguration because the crown never answered an apology demand over its colonial legacy.

Concern grows as bird flu outbreaks continue to rise among California dairy herds

The number of dairy herds infected with H5N1 bird flu doubled over the weekend. The count is now 34. The threat to humans is considered low. However, infectious disease experts worry that the longer the virus remains present in dairy farms, the greater the likelihood it could mix with a human virus and pose a greater risk to people.

Amazon demands a lot from its drivers. Now they’re pushing back

Instead of hiring delivery drivers directly, Amazon relies on a network of outside companies. Drivers are pushing back and taking steps toward unionizing.

Universal rolls out its first all-female monster maze. Here’s why it matters for horror

“Universal Monsters: Eternal Bloodlines,” a maze at Halloween Horror Nights, highlights villains and heroines such as Saskia Van Helsing, the Bride of Frankenstein and Countess Marya Zaleska.