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Los Angeles Times
14-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
This millennial duo launched Cynthia, a print magazine about música Mexicana for Zoomers
It was a highly stylized photo of DannyLux looking like a space matador that caught my attention. I was mindlessly scrolling through Instagram at some point last fall when I came across the image — the 'Jugaste y Sufrí' teen idol is looking into the camera, the whites of his eyes obscured by the shadow cast by a mop of curly hair; he is donning a lilac traje de luces while holding a laser blaster. With my curiosity piqued, I clicked on the post to learn more. That was my first introduction to Cynthia, an independent bilingual magazine focusing on the world of música Mexicana, a genre with a very long history in the United States that has exploded in popularity on a global scale over the last decade thanks to a slew of Gen Z acts. The global pandemic was a pivotal moment for the genre: Many of the artists dominating the streaming charts nowadays were autodidacts who got their start in their bedrooms during the COVID-19 shutdown, learning to play their instruments via YouTube tutorials, sharing their progress on TikTok and building massive fan bases online in the process. The glossy periodical released its inaugural issue in January (it will be putting out two more this year), featuring profiles of artists like cumbia pop princess Estevie and Francisco 'Poncho' Alfonso of Arsenal Efectivo (the band, considered the godfathers of trap corridos, performed at the De Los showcase at the South by Southwest music festival earlier this week). The highlight of the magazine is easily its imagery; the first issue features the work of photographers Guicho Palma, Monica Zulema, Patricio Malagón and others. Cynthia is the brainchild of Steven Rodriguez, 37, and Javier Ramirez, 42, two friends from the Greater Los Angeles area who met in 2013 while teaching woodworking in Pasadena for a local nonprofit. Though Rodriguez moved to Mexico a few years later — first to Monterrey, then to Tijuana before finally settling down in Mexico City — the duo stayed close, sharing corridos they heard and liked online. Rodriguez says it was his job as co-owner of an independent printing press, as well as the downtime that came with a global pandemic, that inspired him to work with Ramirez on their own project. 'We were printing a lot of books and magazines for other people, and finally I was like, 'F—, dude, let's just try to make our own magazine,' Rodriguez told me at Cynthia's L.A. launch party, held at Coyote Studios in Boyle Heights in late February. It didn't take long for them to figure out what their publication would focus on. 'It was always this,' Ramirez added, referring to música Mexicana. 'We noticed something was happening and we needed to be involved. We were just thinking of doing something for fun, and it quickly snowballed.' Rodriguez says he knew they were on the right path after a visit to Riverside with his girlfriend. The two found themselves stranded after their car broke down and had to be rescued by his mom, who took them to the Galleria at Tyler in Riverside, the shopping center he went to frequently when he was younger. 'I noticed that every single kid under 20 was a 'takuache,'' he said, referring to a look that's synonymous with the Edgar, which has become popular among young Latinos and is often associated with the world of música Mexicana. It dawned on him that the younger generation were leaning heavily into their parents' culture. 'There's something really alternative about this brown aesthetic,' Rodriguez continued. 'I grew up as a punk emo kid who would go to the Glasshouse in Pomona to watch bands from Omaha, Neb., that I related to. I thought, 'These kids have [música Mexicana]; none of them have to find their way through hardcore white-guy music if they don't want to.' The duo said they were blown away by the positive response they received from creatives and industry professionals alike. 'When we started building this thing, not a single person ever said no to us. No one told us that it was a bad idea,' Ramirez said. 'The reaction was always very positive. People would say, 'Oh that sounds amazing! Let us know how we can help!' From stylists to photographers, people really wanted to be a part of this.' Cynthia is by no means a large-scale operation. Only 3,000 copies of the first issue were printed, and despite targeting millennial and Gen Z audiences, two generations whose formative years were spent online, the magazine doesn't have much of a digital footprint — its website is barebones and its Instagram follower count is at 2,800 as of this writing. It also feels counterintuitive to launch a physical magazine when print is dying (interestingly, my colleague Gustavo Arellano wrote about another Latino-focused print publication launched this year in his latest column). Still, it's hard not to root for Cynthia. As someone who writes, assigns and edits a lot of stories on música Mexicana, and who genuinely believes that covering it nowadays is what I imagine covering hip-hop in the late '80s and '90s must have felt like, I can't help but feel a kinship with Rodriguez and Ramirez. It's incredibly heartening to see that the duo are giving the genre the high-end, glossy treatment I think it deserves. And how do they measure success? 'To hear someone say, 'Wow, this is so cool! This is what I've always wanted to see!' when you show them the magazine,' said Ramirez. 'That really resonates with me. Just putting something out there that you're truly proud of without anybody else's approval.' As I mentioned in last week's newsletter, the De Los team headed down to SXSW to host our second annual music showcase. This year's lineup included Conjunto Rienda Real, Arsenal Efectivo, Los Sultanes del Yonke, Midnight Navy, Edgar Alejandro and Bolo the DJ. I wasn't able to make it to Austin this year because of new dad duties, but from what I'm told, it was quite the desmadre. Don't take my word for it. Tomás Mier over at Rolling Stone said it was 'likely the most-paisa music event of the week thus far.' In addition to our showcase, the De Los team has been chronicling the Latin music scene at this year's festival on our live blog, which you can read here. Amid new tour and Rock Hall nomination, Maná affirms 'Latinos empower us' The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominees are set to break a Los Angeles arena record in November with their Vivir Sin Aire tour. Nathy Peluso has found her musical language The Latin Grammy-winning Argentine singer behind the album 'Grasa' spoke to De Los ahead of her March 15 show at the Novo. Grupo Frontera's fraught online political moments of 2025 explained Grupo Frontera get that people want to ask them about the U.S.-Mexico border: Look at their name and look at the current political climate. They mostly just don't want to talk about that. But behind the line of questioning have been the rumors swirling online that the Grupo Frontera members and those related to its members voted for and supported President Trump in the 2024 presidential election. The speculation has forced the 'Tulum' performers to deny any affiliations with any political parties several times over. Column: In praise of Gabby Windey, 'Traitors' winner and Latina queen The former 'Bachelor' contestant kicked butt on 'Traitors' and showed us another side of being Latina. Column by contributor Alex Zaragoza. Woman home again with ailing daughter after ICE arrest in El Monte An El Monte woman who was arrested by immigration officers is back home with her adult daughter, who is battling a rare bone cancer.
Los Angeles Times
12-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
The De Los SXSW showcase drove home Latino community values
South by Southwest is an avenue for discovery, whether it's music's most promising up-and-comer, the latest technology or a soon-to-be award-winning film. But at the 2025 De Los showcase, the greatest takeaway was the value of community. On Tuesday night, the Mala Fama rooftop in Austin, Texas, became a hub for live Latin music as six acts shared their own interpretations of the genre. From trap corrido originators Arsenal Efectivo to Conjunto Rienda Real's signature norteño sax, each performer paid tribute to their closest friends and professional peers — many of whom were invited to share the stage. The showcase kicked off with a lively set from 'El Techno' DJ Bolo. The San Diego-based entertainer spent his 30-minute set illuminating the connections between contemporary reggaeton and electronic music. He said he was particularly excited to play this show, not just because he's performing at the same event as his best friend and collaborator, retro revivalist Edgar Alejandro, but because they are also sharing an Airbnb. 'I will say, the fact that he's here just makes the experience 10 times better. To be able to experience the festival for the first time together and perform together is so much fun,' said Bolo. 'That's what it's about. Collaboration and connection [are] what keep me excited to keep pursuing music.' Alejandro, the voice behind the TikTok hit 'A Tu Lado,' started off his set on a tranquil note, playing his acoustic guitar while backed by a trumpet player. As he finished his portion of slow-paced baladas románticas, Bolo joined him onstage to play a new dance track they had been working on. Featuring distorted vocal tracks and hard-hitting beat drops, their combined style taps into each musician's unique sounds and abilities. 'I've been in rooms where people are very closed-minded and you really can't push yourself that much. But with homies like Bolo, we always mess around. It definitely lets us create more genuine things,' said Alejandro, who was feeling 'blessed and a little tipsy' after finishing his set. While staying together in Austin, the duo shared that they hope to spend their free time making new music. Bolo says Alejandro is such a fast songwriter — they could very well have an entire EP by Friday. Off the unexpected high energy of that EDM collaboration, the next act, Midnight Navy, introduced the audience to his own captivating charm. Behind angular shades and a trenchcoat, the multi-instrumentalist — who switched between playing guitar, keyboard and saxophone while singing — performed a bilingual mix of indie dream pop, fused with moments of vintage rock and Chicano soul. Between original songs like 'Corazon' and 'Crema,' he also excited the crowd by playing familiar favorites like Fito Olivares' 'Cumbia de La Cobra' and Malo's 'Suavecito.' Moving from the happy marriage of Midnight Navy's many instruments, Los Sultanes del Yonke followed the groovy performance with a radiating sense of quirkiness. The group's eclectic version of cumbia punk prompted a mosh pit. At times, they sang in what they called 'a made-up language.' And they seized each opportunity to make each other laugh. Growing up in the border towns of El Paso and Ciudad Juarez, its five members had all crossed paths previously. Some are cousins, others are in relationships or have been friends since high school. But since officially coming together as Sultanes del Yonke, the bandmates say their friendship has become more familial than ever. 'This is the most care we've ever put into any craft that we've done, especially as a collective. I wouldn't want to do it with anybody else because nothing else matters,' said Toño Ramos, drummer and vocalist in the group. 'Are there better musicians than the five of us out there? Definitely, but I wouldn't want to play with anybody else, because these are the people that I connect with the most.' Arsenal Efectivo frontman Francisco 'Shrek' Rodriguez punctuated each of his verses with the phrase 'trap corridos.' The trio is credited with originating the fusion of narco balladry and hip-hop elements, heard in the sounds of popular música Mexicana artists like Peso Pluma and Natanael Cano. With a slicked-back bun and a thick diamond chain around his neck, Rodriguez set out to mark another first in the world of corridos: Before performing the group's 2024 release, 'Eternamente,' he claimed that the track is the first-ever corrido to use an Akai MPC synthesizer. He also welcomed his friend, San Antonio-based artist Distinto, to sing with the band for two evocative songs. At the end of the night, the musicians of Conjunto Rienda Real took the stage in matching sparkly jackets and tejana hats. The traditional norteño sax group, which includes a saxophone, accordion and baja sexto in its ensemble, closed out the showcase with deep romanticism and irresistible energy. Within moments of its opening song, the crowd, once at a standstill, began moving in every direction — couples were spinning in circles, bystanders were being pulled onto the dance floor and the sense of community was palpable.
