Los Ángeles Azules have created some of the most iconic songs in Mexican music in recent decades. Formed over 40 years ago by the Mejia Avanti brothers, the group has become a landmark of cumbia in the country.
The band transcended cultural, generational, and geographic barriers, taking their music to places and ears where cumbia had no fixed footing. It has conquered people of all ages and in different parts of the world.
“Today something very impressive, what we said about ‘Iztapalapa to the world’ is still perfect, we’ve been to Central and South America, people are very involved with Los Ángeles Azules, and it’s not just a generation, we’re talking from kids to adults, it’s just that. It’s exciting. It is impressive that the whole family goes to see our shows, it is very beautiful because it took us so many years to do it and I think that these are the most beautiful fruits for us, ”says Eldoc Elías Mejía, in an interview from Argentina to Rolling Stone in Spanish. “We are showcasing more and more music all over the world. The best part is that our music has become widely accepted in many countries.”
The band has worked with some of the most important artists in Spanish music, such as Natalia Lafourcade, Carlos Vives, Pepe Aguilar, Juanes, David Bisbal, Ana Toroga, Vito Páez, Miguel Bose, and more. In addition, they have fused their traditional sound with new genres and have worked with new generation artists such as Nikki Nicole, Sofia Reyes, Eastman, and most recently, Santa Fe Clan and Kazoo.
“We choose the melodies and according to the scope of the song or the lyrics, we choose the artist who is involved with us,” says Cristina Mejía Avante of the process they use to get the most out of each artist in the songs. “For example, Jay de la Cueva worked with us on the song 17 años” and this song showed really well for him, he plays solo and we all got very emotional, including Ximena Sariñana with “Mis Sentimientos”.
“We’re talking about so many artists, we have such an enormous variety that I can’t tell you now from memory all the artists we’ve worked with,” adds Aldock.
“Tú y Tú” is the name of the collaboration they will debut on Thursday, March 9 with Mexican rapper Santa Fe Clan and Cazo, an Argentine fisherman. Rolling Stone en Español attended the recording of the song’s accompanying video in Tepito. “It was exciting, the place to start. I didn’t imagine the recording in Tepito would be this big. The crowd flooded when they found out we were recording there. It was crazy. There were people on the roof, at the doors, in the windows, even under the sheets,” says Elias. “This video will be very beautiful because it is in a very special place. Tepito for us is very historic because Cumbia Sondera started there, and the songs from Los angeles azules started in Tepito.”
About the song, the Mexican band member said: “Our song Cazzu and Santa Fe Klan is very good and very romantic. You will see in the video how Angel danced, Cazzu was dying of laughter, he tried to imitate him and he couldn’t. Dancing like this is hard work because you almost walk on the floor” .
The band has spent over a decade innovating and finding new ways to take their music and traditions to places where they haven’t been before. Los Ángeles Azules started doing it in 2012 when we dared to collaborate with artists of different genres. Then Symphony came along and they told us we were crazy and then they all started doing the same thing. It was a blast that started with the Blue Angels. I think we did things well and boldly. So far it’s been going well,” El Doc says. “Then other groups will come along who may be able to do a better job than us, but we are doing our homework.”
The Mexican musician also reflected on the current moment of the country’s music. “I think Mexico has always been a music platform for many artists from other countries,” he says. “Cumbia is a very big platform, not only for us, because the musical genre has given itself the task of putting more artists in the duet and each one performing their part so that the cumbia is international. We are showing more and more Mexican music all over the world. The best of all Our music has gained widespread acceptance in many countries.”
Today the band kicks off a US tour that will take them to more than 10 cities in the North American country.
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