Southern California isn’t just the biggest U.S. market for música Mexicana; it also has contributed greatly to the genre by serving as the birthplace or home base for many of its stars, both past and present.
Here’s a quick rundown of artists — and one record executive — with connections to the region.
Family photo of the late singer Chalino Sanchez with son Adan Sanchez. Photo courtesy Maricela Sanchez
(courtesy Maricela Sanchez/courtesy Maricela Sanchez)
Rosalino ‘Chalino’ Sánchez
Sinaloa-born singer Rosalino “Chalino” Sánchez followed the American dream to L.A. in the late ’70s, settling in Inglewood after working in the fields of the Coachella Valley. Known for his raspy vocals and contraband lyrics, Sánchez initially sold cassette tapes out of his car trunk and at local L.A. flea markets before eventually signing on as the main act for Cintas Acuario. The singer would perform sold-out shows in Southeast L.A. in popular venues such as El Parral in Southgate and El Farrallon in Lynwood.
The narcocorrido singer lived a dicey life worthy of its own ballad, rising to local prominence after penning lyrics that venerated the rugged lives of drug traffickers who paid him. In 1992, Sánchez was shot four times while performing at Plaza Los Arcos in Coachella after ignoring calls to play a specific song from a drunk patron, but he fired back, amplifying his gritty image across Southern California and beyond.
Four months later, the “Nieves de Enero” singer was kidnapped and murdered following a performance in the Sinaloan city of Culiacán, where he was reportedly handed a death threat. Though only 31 years old at the time of his mysterious death, Sánchez is widely recognized as the king of narcocorridos, inspiring a new generation of entertainers such as Natanael Cano and Peso Pluma.
Jenni Rivera performs at Lilith Fair at the Verizon Amphitheater in 2010.
(Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)
Jenni Rivera
Long Beach’s homegrown Jenni Rivera forged her own path in the male-dominated industry, releasing more than 20 albums throughout her lifetime and selling out performances as the first música Mexicana act at the former Staples Center.
Throughout her life, the self-proclaimed “Diva de la Banda” faced challenges as a single teenage mom and survivor of domestic violence — all themes that would inspire the lyrics of some of her most popular songs.
“Jenni was raw and open with her life,” said Yvonne Drazan, vice president of publisher Peermusic’s Latin division on the West Coast. “A female artist can be really successful when they have a female fan base that has a common ground with them. They have to be relatable. Jenni was brilliant in that way.”
Three years after Rivera’s death in a 2012 airplane crash while on tour in Mexico, Long Beach officials renamed a park after the singer. They also commissioned a mural dubbed “Mariposa de Barrio,” after one of her songs and one of many nicknames. In 2024, the mother of five was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Jimmy Humilde with his dog Bruno, at home in Downey in 2021.
(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
Jimmy Humilde
Behind the trailblazing Rancho Humilde label is the hustling Jimmy Humilde, a Venice-raised party promoter turned music mogul with a knack for finding the next big act.
Humilde has tapped into a younger audience at the crossroads of their multicultural influence by platforming corridos tumbados, Mexican folk songs with hints of American rap and trap beats.
“It’s like a new era of hip-hop,” said Humilde in a 2021 Times interview. “This genre came in and reshaped the Mexican sound.”
Since forming in 2011, Rancho Humilde — based in Downey — has signed some of the genre’s biggest stars, including Fuerza Regida, Natanael Cano, Junior H and Oscar Maydon.
Fuerza Regida
The boisterous San Bernardino quintet has etched its own path in the corrido tumbado genre, building an organic following through flashy lifestyles and impromptu free concerts.
Three years after forming as a cover band, Fuerza Regida would pen its first YouTube hit in 2018, “Radicamos en South Central,” a corrido tumbado about building a drug empire straight out of the L.A. neighborhood. The band has released four albums and one EP in the last two years, all of which have reached the Billboard 200 top albums chart.
“I feel like people in the U.S. identify themselves with Fuerza Regida,” said frontman Jesús Ortiz Paz in an interview with The Times. “All the no sabos, all the pochos, they know our culture is a different culture being born over here [rather] than over there.”
The band is currently on tour promoting its latest album, “Pero No Te Enamores,” a corridos tumbados fusion with Jersey club music. Fuerza Regida is set to close out the tour with two performances at Inglewood’s new Intuit Dome in mid-November.
Becky G performs “The Fire Inside” from the Eva Longoria-produced movie “Flamin’ Hot” at the 2024 Oscars at Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre.
(Trae Patton / AMPAS)
Becky G
After a decade in the pop-reggaeton world, the Inglewood-born pop queen has evolved her sound to include música Mexicana in her repertoire.
“Spanish music gave me the drive to find my own voice as a young woman in this industry,” said Becky G in a 2022 interview with The Times.
She teased her transition during her 2023 Coachella debut, where she paid tribute to her Mexican roots by bringing out acts like Marca MP, Jesús Ortiz Paz of Fuerza Regida and Peso Pluma.
Later that year, she released her first música mexicana album, “Esquinas,” a tribute to her grandparents from Jalisco, Mexico.
The 27-year-old is set to release her second música Mexicana album and fifth LP to date, “Encuentros,” on Oct. 10, and has extended her first headlining tour with Casa Gomez: Otro Capítulo Tour through Nov. 17.
DannyLux performs at Grand Performances in downtown Los Angeles in 2023.
(Sarahi Apaez / For De Los )
DannyLux
The sad sirreño singer broke into the music scene after posting to TikTok soft-sung covers from his Palm Springs bedroom.
DannyLux eventually would collaborate with Eslabón Armado on their 2021 breakthrough hit, “Jugaste y Sufrí.” Since then, the guitar-strumming crooner has linked with other acts including Alta Elegancia and Becky G to sing about matters of the heart.
In 2023, he made his Coachella debut on the Sonora stage — just a half-hour from where he grew up. Ahead of his festival performance, a digital billboard located outside of the Indio festival grounds displayed a message from his dad, a sanitation worker: “My last time at Coachella I was picking up the trash, now I’m back to see my son perform this Friday. Te amo DannyLux, Tu Papá.”
Singer Ivan Cornejo at his home in Riverside on July 1, 2024.
(Alejandro R. Jimenez / For De Los)
Ivan Cornejo
Driven by his love of romantic ballads, the self-taught guitarist and singer-songwriter from Riverside rose to prominence on TikTok with the release of “Está Dañada” in 2021. The ballad about love’s affliction peaked at No. 61 on the Billboard Hot 100.
“I feel like us Mexicans have always been romantic. I think the most romantic songs are in Spanish,” said Cornejo in a Times interview.
The 20-year-old is on tour for his new album “Mirada,” which incorporates his indie rock and folk influences. Cornejo is set to perform at the Honda Center in Anaheim on Oct. 12.
Cumbia pop star Estevie relaxes at Waterloo Park on March 15, 2024, in Austin, Texas, ahead of her performance at the South by Southwest music festival.
(Cat Cardenas / For De Los )
Estevie
Rather than choosing a clear-cut genre, the sultry singer from Beaumont has fused her alluring vocals with hypnotic cumbia rhythms, pop flair and banda tambour.
In an interview with De Los, the 21-year-old credited her unique artistry to growing up in Southern California, saying it “has everything to do with who I am today as a person and as an artist.” She honors those roots in her 2023 single “Santee,” paying homage to the DTLA Fashion District’s Santee Alley.
Since releasing music in 2019, the “Canela” singer has collaborated with Eslabón Armado, DannyLux, Cuco and Christian Nodal. She is the first Latino artist to win the Grulke Prize for Developing U.S. Act at the 2024 South by Southwest festival.