For the first time in history, two Spanish-language albums topped the albums chart in the United States last month. Not unusually, Bad Bunny claimed the No. 1 spot. But making an impressive showing at No. 2 was “111Xpantia,” the ninth album by Fuerza Regida — a five-member regional Mexican band with deep roots in San Bernardino, Calif.
With a population of nearly 70% Latinos, San Bernardino is where Fuerza Regida earned its wings, performing at parties and events starting in 2017 until they became local and then national celebrities. With a fierce loyalty to his homebase, frontman Jesús Ortiz Paz, 28, recently opened headquarters in the city for his indie label Street Mob Records, which develops and signs songwriters, producers and artists. In a new partnership with Warner Music Latina, the artist incubator is home to rising música mexicana acts from Clave Especial to Calle 24.
To celebrate these successes, the band took an intentional break from touring this year and announced just two concerts at iconic venues — Madison Square Garden and the Hollywood Bowl — in New York and Los Angeles, respectively.
But at the height of the música mexicana movement (the genre experienced notable growth in revenue in the U.S. starting 2023), and with Fuerza Regida at the forefront, the Trump administration continues to crack down on deporting undocumented immigrants across cities with largely Latino populations. Some have expressed concern that Fuerza Regida’s Hollywood Bowl show on June 21 in Los Angeles could be a potential target, with consideration that their fanbase is largely Mexican.
“It’s a fucked up situation but we’re here to help,” Paz tells Variety. “We don’t want to disappoint nobody, and I know a lot of people bought their tickets and are looking forward to being with a community. That’s why we’re still going forward with [the Hollywood Bowl concert] — the show must go on.”
In recent weeks, the band responded to the growing number of aggressive ICE arrests in workplaces across Los Angeles and New York City by donating to organizations like the Immigrant Defenders Law Center, which covers legal feels for impacted individuals. The money is coming from exclusive limited-edition sales of hats and a merchandise collaboration with comedian and internet personality Druski.
In addition to immigration enforcement, the Trump administration has also revoked work visas for such regional acts as Los Alegres del Barranco, and stadium acts Julión Álvarez and Grupo Firme, citing at least one of the cases in connection to “glorifying a drug kingpin” during a concert in Mexico. Paz says his band is not involved nor do they promote this kind of violence with their music, however, their lyrics have made references to cartels in the past.
“Music is like a movie,” Paz says. “Just like any other genre, corridos have a deep history and there’s different kinds of them — they’re not all bad. Am I going to continue singing them? Yes, of course. It’s a part of us. Everything we do in our music is for the people. Generally, I do what I want, but what I want is to listen to my people.”
For the “111XPantía” shows, the group will perform the 12-song album in its entirety, in addition to some of their biggest hits. Paz admits the size of the shows, and the decision to do them back-to-back, was a risk (“New York is typically a tough market for Mexican acts,” he notes) that grew riskier following the changes in political climate, “but we’re really happy about the shows, and all we feel is pride.”
Their 12-song set includes dips in other genres, incorporating new elements like the banjo on “Peliculiando,” and samples that range from Ellie Goulding’s “Don’t Say a Word” on “Tu Sancho,” to John Williams’ “Love Waltz” from Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Godfather” on the aptly-titled “Godfather.”
“We’ve been doing this for so many years now, and so our studio sessions move a lot faster,” he says. “I like to go by the 80/20 rule — 80% of effects come from 20% of causes. My team works with me, I put in 20% in a lot of different places and they easily bring the 80% and that allows me the [flexibility] to do and try a lot.”
On the ethos of Street Mob Records, Paz hopes to share what he’s learned from “being in a lot of bad situations, and a lot of good situations” to his signees. “We’re working hard to make this the best and biggest team we can,” he says.
“I want everyone who wants to learn about music and this lifestyle to have the best opportunity with us. It’s all about building the structures out, and just trusting in the vision. We’re doing superstar things.”
Fuerza Regida will make their debuts in New York’s Madison Square Garden on June 20, and L.A’s Hollywood Bowl on June 21.
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