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.

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.

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.

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.

Born Reyli Barba Arrocha, this superstar used to sing on the streets of San Jose, Chiapas, before forming the popular group Elefante. In time Barba needed more creative freedom than Elefante could offer, so he struck out on his own to establish himself as a more emotive singer and songwriter.

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.

Belanova is appreciative and proud that so many of Latin America’s and Mexico’s biggest stars, such Joselo and Coti saw fit to take the time to join them on their tour. The band is humble, but not without ambition; they have set their sites beyond the habla hispana, seeing potential fans in Australia, Italy and even Japan.

Division Minuscula hails from Matamoros, a Mexican border town just to the south of Brownsville, Texas. Despite having disbanded for five years while members finished their degrees and helped out with family businesses, the group is back and not yet forgotten, with this hit song, Sismo (Earthquake), shaking the airwaves.

"Me Puedes" is the first sencillo (single) to be released by the phenomenal La Gusana Ciega in over five years. (And it’s great!) It’s from an album called La Rueda del Diablo (The Devil’s Wheel), which was recorded in Los Angeles under the direction of eight-time grammy winner Benny Faccone, who has worked his magic with the likes of Stevie Wonder, Ricky Martin and Santana.

We are all familiar with ¿Cómo se dice…?, “How do you say…”—it’s a very useful phrase when inquiring about the right words to use. Denisse Guererro repeatedly uses a similar phrase, asking the audience ¿Cóme dice?, which also sounds like it might be something like “How does one say?” but in fact this is Spanish for “How does it go?”—she wants the crowd to sing along!

Edgar Huerta, keyboardist of Belanova, refers to Joselo of Cafe Tacuba as un cuate. The word comes from the indigenous Nahuatl word coatl, which means “twin.” But Joselo is not Edgar’s gemelo, cuate is known by all Mexicans to refer to a “good buddy,” a “dear friend.”

Javier (Jay) De La Cueva Rosales is known to many in Mexico by the stage name “Brian Amadeus Moderatto,” under which guise he serves as lead singer of the group Moderatto. Here we find Brian making a guest appearance with Belanova during a live show in Guadalajara, much to the delight of the tapatíos who filled the hall.

Why is it that some musicians have such synergy together? Belanova describes the fusión that is created when each distinct musical personality comes together, and how this unique “fusion” has brought them from after-class practice to stadium-filled tours.

Bienvenido al sueño is the first solo effort by the artist formerly known as Rubén Albarrán—of Café Tacuba / Café Tacvba fame. (‘Tacuba’ became ‘Tacvba’ after a lawsuit, according to this Wikipedia entry.) Check out Sizu’s wild video to the album’s title track. Nice hats, no?

Bella Belanova singer Denisse Guerrero studied fashion in Mexico before she became a rock sensation. We wonder if the supersized collar she’s sporting in this video for "Me Pregunto" was an extra-credit project from back in her university days.