How the Inland Empire became key to musica Mexicana's success

"Not even a mini heatwave could deter thousands of Inland Empire residents from showing up to a local música Mexicana festival. On a Saturday afternoon in May, when the temperature peaked at 100 degrees, dozens of banda fans filed into an ever-growing line outside downtown Riverside's John W. North Park as they waited to enter La Tardeada. It's a banda festival going on its second year and organized by Division 9 Gallery - a community arts space that hosts citywide Latino-focused cultural events."

"Many of the attendees opted out of wearing comfortable summer attire, despite the intense heat, and instead put on their best vaquero outfits: a mix of leather botas, cowboy jeans held by intricately designed belts, embroidered blusas, plaid button-down shirts and classic tejanas. For hours, the main stage was crowded with dressed-up dancers embracing cheek to cheek, moving to the sounds of trumpets, guitars and the occasional accordion. They only stopped to lift their micheladas and Modelos into the air as the lead singers shouted them out for braving the heat."

"La Tardeada's success, in being able to draw around 4,000 attendees throughout the day and with the crowd's excitement to participate in the festivities, is a reflection of the large impact the genre has had on the region. It also showcases how the Inland Empire and its residents have played a key role in música Mexicana's rapid growth across the United States. A report by entertainment data analysis company Luminate, released at the end of 2024, found that it's the largest Latin subgenre in the U.S., with on-demand streams almost tripling since 2021."

La Tardeada attracted around 4,000 attendees to downtown Riverside despite temperatures reaching 100 degrees. Attendees wore traditional vaquero outfits and gathered for hours on a crowded main stage to dance to banda instrumentation including trumpets, guitars and accordion. The event was organized by Division 9 Gallery, a community arts space that curates Latino-focused cultural programming. The festival's turnout reflects the Inland Empire's deep connection to regional Mexican music. Industry data shows the regional Mexican genre has surged in popularity, becoming the largest Latin subgenre in the U.S. with on-demand streams nearly tripling since 2021.

Read at Los Angeles Times