More than 60 Latin acts were invited to participate at this year’s South by Southwest Music Festival in Austin, Texas, representing a wide array of genres, from cumbia and reggaeton, to indie rock and electronic. The De Los team will be on the ground to cover the growth of Latin music at the country’s biggest music festival — oh and did we mention we are presenting a showcase, too?
Here are the eight acts we are most excited to see.
Peso Pluma
Has anyone had a better 12 months than Hassan Emilio Kabande Laija?
Better known as Peso Pluma, the Guadalajara-born musica Mexicana artist began his rapid ascension to global stardom last March with the release of the ballad “Ella Baila Sola,” a collaboration with sad sierreño heavy hitters Eslabon Armado that quickly topped the Billboard Global 200 chart and rose to No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. Since then, Peso Pluma has performed at Coachella (a guest appearance during Becky G’s set); gone on “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon”; released “Genesis,” his third album, which was certified platinum in the U.S.; 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.
His latest accolade? Gracing the cover of Rolling Stone — becoming the first musica Mexicana artist to do so — for the magazine’s “Future of Music” issue. The distinction has certainly been earned, but it only tells part of a larger story. Peso Pluma and the genre he represents aren’t just the music of tomorrow. They’re 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, 10:55 p.m. – 12:00 a.m.
Christian Nodal
Full disclosure: Christian Nodal’s 2017 rendition of “Adios Amor” is my go-to karaoke song.
Nodal recorded the heartbreak ballad at 17 as his debut single, which landed him his first No. 1 song on Billboard’s Regional Mexican Airplay chart. Since then, he’s recorded hit after hit, and has won five Latin Grammys.
“I personally don’t consider myself the number one of 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 regional.”
With the release of “Adios Amor,” the 25-year-old from Sonora, Mexico, did indeed pave the way for a new era of of musica Mexicana, propelling the genre into gaining more popularity in the U.S. and beyond. — Martina Ibáñez-Baldor
Moody Amphitheater @ Waterloo Park
500 E. 12th St. Austin TX 78701
March 15, 9:30 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.
Young Miko
(James Carbone / For De Los)
Puerto Rican rapper Young Miko has skyrocketed to fame since dropping her debut EP, “Trap Kitty,” in July 2022. Last year, she opened for 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 was named one of the best Latin songs of 2023 by former Times cultural critic Suzy Exposito. With over 30 million monthly listeners on Spotify, Young Miko is well on her way to becoming Latin music’s next big star.— M.I.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 stem from deep within the soul, Kevin Kaarl has been a name to watch since 2018. The 23-year-old folk singer from Chihuahua, Mexico, first touched hearts with the release of his single, “Amor Viejo,” in which he expresses to a lover his desire to never lose touch.
In 2022, Kaarl released his second LP, “Paris Texas,” which drew inspiration from the 1984 Wim Wenders film of the same name, and embarked on an international tour with stops in L.A., New York City, Spain and Germany.
The singer-songwriter has amassed a social media following of millions and his music has been streamed hundreds of millions of times. Through it all, he’s 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 told Medicinal Media 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.
Conexión Divina
This self proclaimed “world’s first Gen-Z female sierreño group” 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, earning them a nomination at the 2023 Latin Grammys 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 musica Mexicana band made up entirely of women.
“There’s still a lot of machismo in the industry, and stereotypes about women,” Trujillo told The Times last year. “Like, ‘Girls can’t play guitar, women can’t sing corridos.’ We want to break that.”
Conexión Divina was among the few Latin artists at last year’s Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and recently opened for Becky G on her “Mi Casa, Tu Casa” tour. — M.I.B.
Palm Door on Sixth
508 E. 6th St, Austin, TX 78701
March 15, 12:00 a.m. – 12:50 a.m.
Estevie
At 20 years old, Southern California darling Estevie brings her own personal flair to the musica Mexicana genre by fusing norteño and cumbia sounds with pop.
Prior to the the release of her debut album, 2023’s “Cumbialicious,” Estevie turned heads with singles “Triste Verano,” “el paso” and “Canela.” But her time in the limelight has been in the works for more than half her life. She began singing at 8 years old and came in second place on Mexican reality singing competition “Academia Kids” at age 11. As a teenager, she honed her skills by uploading covers on YouTube.
Apart from popifying musica Mexicana, Estevie, much like Conexión Divina, is intent on bringing more diversity to the male-dominated genre.
“There definitely have to be more females in the Mexican regional space,” she told Interview Magazine last year. “I love that I’m able to represent that and I just love regional Mexicano and cumbia, it’s what I grew up with.” — A.O.H.
Mohawk Outdoor
912 Red River St., Austin, TX 78701
March 14, 3:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Moody Amphitheater @ Waterloo Park
500 E. 12th St. Austin TX 78701
March 15, 8:35 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Mohawk Outdoor
912 Red River St., Austin, TX 78701
March 17, 1:00 a.m. – 1:50 a.m.
Asimov
Hailing from Guatemala, emerging rock band Asimov will bring their hypnotic music to Texas for a rare stateside performance.
The quartet, which bills their music as “shoegazing with various genres such as post-rock, post-punk, and dreampop,” has been picking up steam since 2018. In 2019, Asimov released their first album, a seven-track project titled “Todo Lo Que Buscamos es Desaparecer.”
To this day, their most-streamed song is “Furtivo,” a track powered by distorted electric guitar riffs and layered vocals, creating a soundscape befitting your deepest dreams. — A.O.H.
Hotel Vegas at Volstead
1502 E. 6th St., Austin, TX 78702
March 13, 9:20 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Cabeza de Chivo
One of the better things about SXSW is that you can stumble into any showcase and come across an unknown act that will completely blow your mind.
That’s what I predict is going to happen with Cabeza de Chivo, a self-described “tropical-psych band” from Chicago. The quartet — Alex Aguayo, Andrés Crovetti, Jesse Villalobos and Vee Sonnets — incorporate elements of cumbia with a dash of reggae, ska and even metal to create a sound that will surely have you dancing.
Despite their good vibes, Cabeza de Chivo is not afraid to get political. Their single “Perdido,” is at least in part about migration, and drew inspiration from the growing migrant community in Chicago.
“I migrated here when I was [17] … my story’s different from everyone else, but everyone has their story,” Aguayo, who plays drums and wrote the song, told South Side Weekly. “I think it was an important topic, especially to play live.” — F.M.
Hotel Vegas at Volstead
1502 E. 6th St., Austin, TX 78702
March 13, 11:20 p.m. – 12:00 a.m.