Difficulty:
Intermediate
Mexico
These guys are partially obsessed with stardom, or at least with astronomy. Now they’re talking about “el núcleo de Belanova,” the core of their energy.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Mexico
Pepe Aguilar is an American singer of Mexican descent whose parents were legends in Mexican show biz. At the ripe ol’ age of 5, Pepe made his singing debut at Madison Square Garden, at his father’s side. And while he admits to crying with fear, Pepe must have enjoyed himself: He became a regular member of his dad’s band and then launched a solo career.
Difficulty:
Beginner
Mexico
Young and beautiful, strong and sensitive, Julieta Venegas reaches more music listeners every day. “El Presente” is one of her most famous songs—here is its “unplugged” version.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Mexico
Zoé, an experimental pop-rock quintet from Mexico, brings us this surreal video featuring Japanese teenagers. No Me Destruyas casts a sweet, harmless-looking jovencita as a dangerous villain with colmillos afilados.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Mexico
Belanova, the electropop band from Mexico, sounds like it was influenced by nightclub epiphanies, Japanese anime and sweet lollipops. "Niño", one of the songs off their album Dulce Beat, is a painful goodbye, adios, au revoir, arrivederci—but it’s somehow lightened by the constant use of the word “boy” (niño) to address the unlucky target of the bad news.
Difficulty:
Beginner
Mexico
Here’s an emotional song to make quinceañeras scribble endlessly in their diaries and polish off entire Kleenex packets. Camila is a Mexican band that’s been touching sensitive teen souls since 2006—yet Mario Domm (the lead singer and brain behind the project) has been around longer than that, producing songs for artists as Alejandra Guzmán and Kalimba.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Mexico
Moenia may be considered one of the first modern, successful, experimental Mexican groups, finding commercial viability in a market normally dominated by old-style Latin crooners, Ranchera and Cumbia. Heavily influenced by ‘80s bands like Depeche Mode and The Cure, Moenia surged in ‘92 but fell out of public favor in the mid ‘90s when a key member quit. More recently, the reunited band has won over new fans with songs infused with ‘80s-style electronica.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Mexico
Abraham Quintanilla, III (also known as the brother of late Tejano singer Selena) was one of the founding members of Los Kumbia Kings, a band he broke away from in early 2006 to form the Kumbia All-Starz, garnering many hits including "Speedy Gonzalez". The Kumbia All-Starz are from Texas.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Mexico
When one of their friends suggested that the band’s name should be Belafunk, just half of a bell rang for them. They wanted something more cosmic, stellar, and looking in the closest encyclopedia they ran into the word Nova. That’s how Belanova — a beautiful star — got its name.
Difficulty:
Beginner
Mexico
Alejandro Fernandez is not just a Mexican singer any longer: he has become a star of Latin-American proportions. Not only has he succeeded everywhere but he also has adopted different sounds from different countries. Viento a Favor was recorded both in Buenos Aires and in Los Angeles, a perfect axis through the whole continent.
Difficulty:
Adv-Intermediate
Mexico
The 51-year-old Alejandro Fernández has released twenty-three albums over the years. The son of another popular Mexican singer (Vicente Fernández), Alejandro has come into his own as a passionate man, unafraid to show his feelings. This documentary brings us inside the recording of Viento a Favor, an album that quickly went platinum.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Mexico
Belinda Peregrín Schull, was born in Madrid, but moved with her family at the age of four to Mexico City. At the age of 18 Belinda had already become an international superstar for both her albums and starring roles in various telenovelas as well as a role in the Disney Channel’s Cheetah Girls.
Difficulty:
Intermediate
Mexico
We skip backstage once again to get some final thoughts from La Gusana Ciega, learning a bit more about their career and personnel changes. Like many of Mexico’s popular bands today, they got their start at a Mexico City club called Cocotitlán, which is also the name of a municipality well known for its corn festival.
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