A Year of Music in Mexico: From Jazz to Reggae

This year, alongside performances by Elena Sánchez and Perico, the Crazy Clown, on drums, several shows were also added, such as their "Chamber Rock," "Cosmic Connection," and children's programs titled "Rockerous Pranks." On the other hand, from Belgium, Luiz Márquez returned to the Mexican Republic for a few days, a talented musician who has achieved recognition for Mexican music in Europe through his experimental interpretations, which fuse pre-Columbian music with the freedom of jazz and the magic of his creativity. Carlos Arellano, Rafael Catana, Perikles and Los Perikles, Fausto Arrellín, Dogie and Z Mali, and Rupestres (songs for Aleida).Later, in that same venue, the show "Mexican Reggae is Not Forgotten, the History Continues" was also held.This project includes over 500 original vocal and instrumental pieces that tackle the ballad, Mexican regional music, boleros, sones, children's music, ambiental, and fusion, with the particularity of being characterized by its love for pets, so in its career, its video "Laila," dedicated to the dogs that have touched the hearts of their owners, can be mentioned. In turn, another emerging group, Coyotes Mágicos, presents a proposal that appreciates a fusion bringing together jazz, blues, original music in Spanish, Nahuatl, and Wixárika. The same happened with guitarist Jorge García Montemayor, who also celebrated his 45 years of artistic career with a show titled "One Guitar and Eight Voices."Among the memorable performances covered by "The Corner of Blues and Other Music," the night of Rupestres can be cited, in which Nina Galindo was accompanied by Jorge García Montemayor on guitar. It is a collective cry that manifests itself through music against indifference, while also presenting a useful tool for finding a missing person.Hilo NegroIn the reggae genre, the emerging group Tzité is a novel acoustic project in which the originality of the lyrics and a rhythmic sound stand out, products of the talent of two young musicians: Uriel Mondragón Almaraz "Negrito," on vocals and rhythm guitar, and Ernesto Aviles on guitar, who will surely present more concrete advances in their music in 2026 and perhaps the production of some album. Also, the musical proposal that integrates jazz, folklore, traditional music, pop, and soul "We are the ugliest," directed by Antonio Caraveo, was quite active. It featured Los Rastrillos, Galactika Deep Roots of the Mexican Caribbean (Lalo Splash-Rocki Bosquimano) and La Comuna. Another of these events was the celebration of more than four decades of the band Enigma, a group considered a cult that attracts a large contingent of fans through the work of a new generation of musicians, who remember its founders and their hits: Pablo González "Cáncer" and Sergio González "Acuario," as well as other musicians who have passed through their lineups, and who in the late 70s shot to fame with their hit: "Under the sign of Aquarius."Different from jazz, and since September 9th marked four years since the passing of one of the pillars of Mexican jazz, maestro Tino Contreras, his album "Boleros and Ballads" was presented at the Fundación Sebastián. A production that, although he could no longer record it, came to life thanks to the talent of pianist Jaime Reyes and the Chihuahuan baritone Salvador Padilla. Undoubtedly, it was a unique sonic experience. The trova and the author's song were represented by José Luis Galindo Tornell, who continued to promote his most recent album, "Back to the neighborhood," in Mexico City. The members of Trolebús (Choluis on vocals, electric and acoustic guitar, Mao on electric guitar, Enrick on bass and Demex on drums) reconnected the antennas to the musical cable and embarked on a concert tour in which they had close communication with their audience. In another rock style, inspired by the theme of missing persons, the rock group Hilo Negro released their new song and video "Silent Voices." It is, according to its creators, "a cultural proposal of peyotero blues and chikawazo!" that has gradually begun to appear in the circuit of forums and festivals.Coyotes MágicosAnd at the Fonoteca Nacional, a new microsite dedicated to preserving the heritage of traditional Mexican music was launched. At its party, held at the Multiforo Cultural Alicia, it was accompanied by Cecilia Toussaint, Nina Galindo, Nayeli Nesme, Geraldine Project, Gabriela Serralde, Nancy Zamher, Elena Garnes, and Julia González. Rafael CatanaThe Multiforo Cultural Alicia was also a space where incessant activity developed that gave way to multiple manifestations of various genres and musical styles, as well as for the presentation of books.La Esquina del Blues y otras músicasBy: Sandra RedmondWe continue with the summary dedicated to the music and the most outstanding cultural activities of the year that concluded.In the area of "other music"It is important to highlight the work of the Ensamble Ámbarque, which presented the show "Pre-Hispanic Myths," which collects four legends of the Maya, Mexica, Tepehuana, and Zapotec cultures and in which music and images educate, move, and connect children and adults with values and stories that define us as a society. For salsa lovers, the Centro de Convenciones Tlatelolco was the ideal stage for the presentation of Póker de Reyes, made up of the Puerto Ricans Nino Segara, José Luis "Cheo" Andújar, "The Bravo of Colombian salsa," Diego Morán, and Álvaro Ricardo, another giant of folk music and Colombian salsa. In reggae, the group Antidoping had intense activity, since in addition to celebrating their 33rd anniversary, in February they participated in the celebration of Bob Marley's 80th anniversary within the framework of Reggae Month, in the cradle of this music in Kingston, Jamaica, then they continued with a participation in the closing of the Zacatecas Cultural Festival, as well as a tour of Canada and Europe, and also performed at the 30th edition of the Rototom Sunsplash Festival in Spain, and which is considered one of the most important in the world in this musical genre. On the other hand, the Mexican group Cabezas de Cera, with more than 25 years of career, ten discographic productions, and tours on various stages in Mexico and the world, presented their new project "Metaensamble," an impeccable, creative work that will continue to sound in this 2026. As for dance, this 2025 the Veracruz dance company Zankora, Cuerpo Sonoro, presented in Mexico City its Afro-contemporary show "Kiké," in which the dancers and choreographers Karina Gutiérrez and Elena Campos showed an Afro-contemporary vision of the dances of West Africa. Other interesting shows were those offered by Luz de Riada, led by saxophonist Ramsés Luna, and considered one of the most important exponents of Mexican progressive rock, and the Mauricio Delgadillo Quartet. The Ángela Peralta Theater was the venue for the tribute in which the musical trajectory of Gustavo Cerati and the legendary band Soda Stereo (Gustavo Cerati, Charly Alberti, and Zeta Bosio) was remembered, considered by many as the best rock band in the Spanish language. And the voice of Cuban singer Lester Rey was present in several capital forums where he brought Latin jazz, boleros, and Cuban son to life, although many recognize Lester as the voice of the crab Sebastián, co-protagonist in Disney's "The Little Mermaid."La PerraIn opposition, or progressive rock, is how the work of the duo La Perra is somehow defined, who were also present on several stages in the country. and also accompanied them Embleton, an artist specializing in the sounds of Greece, Rome, and the Middle Ages. This team is made up of Delhary Galindo on vocals and jarana, Jaime Reyes on the piano, and Rubí Oseguera, one of the most important exponents of zapateado in the son jarocho.To be continued…He was a showman author of hits like Mango Mangüé and El Jamaiquino Boogaloo, and to remember his legacy, photographer Jacobo Braun created a series of photographs captured during the filming of the biographical documentary directed by Matt Dillon in 1999, and generated with artificial intelligence, that recreate Fellove's very aspirations: upon winning a Grammy, receiving an Oscar, singing with important musicians like Snoop Dog, Ella Fitzgerald, and others, or even participating in Woodstock. Another important celebration was that of Kenny y Los Eléctricos, as it completed 45 years of musical career. A project that shows a different facet of that talented jazzist.MulatoroAnd also the work of Mulátoro trio cannot go unnoticed, which explores the soundscapes of jazz and its fusion with son jarocho. With 17 albums and more than 30 singles, tours in Mexico and several countries, the "mother of Mexican rock" gave a concert in which she took a tour of her extensive career. On this visit, he summoned Eblem Macari, who, for more than 40 years, with his eight or six-string guitars and some electronic processes, adds Middle Eastern sonorities. Sound documents by Baruj "Beno" Lieberman, Enrique Ramírez de Arellano, and Eduardo Llerenas are part of this project that is guarded by the Casa de los Sonidos de México and is available at https://musiteca.mx/micrositios/lieberman-ramirez-de-arellano-y-llerenasThis year, the 102nd anniversary of the birth of "The Great Fellove," that is, Francisco Fellove Valdez, a Cuban composer and singer who was born in 1923 in Havana, Cuba, and died on February 15, 2013, did not go unnoticed.