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Bedroom producers are essential to Latine music’s innovations, connecting with their immediate community by finding inspiration in collaborators to their surroundings to enrich their sounds. In partnership with vitaminwater, for the third year in a row, we’re spotlighting three producers who are bending the rules, mangling traditional styles and genres to create seldom-heard sounds.

When harnessing their magic, bedroom producers often work in their rooms. Spending long hours synthesizing their ideas into something unique, they often need a handy way to nourish themselves, and vitaminwater plays a big role in helping them stay hydrated to pursue their visions. As a brand with roots in NYC, vitaminwater shares many distinctions with these musicians and their surroundings.

When it comes to places that brim with inspiration, New York City is one of the most vibrant cities in which to find it. With so many people from different cultural backgrounds, one can simply stick one’s head out the window and listen to at least four different genres blaring from homes, cars, small storefronts, parks, and everywhere else. It’s the ultimate producer’s playground.

These producers we’re about to meet all come from different countries and backgrounds. However, they all found a home in NYC as well as a strong pull from all the music that the city has to offer everyday. From Latine rhythms from all over the culture to music from the other side of the world, the Big Apple can be an infinite jukebox that musicians can tap into for inspiration. In their hands, these sounds become some of the most exciting new music out there.

This time, we’re focusing on three New Yorkers who understand the vibrancy and diversity of their environment. All three producers work with different sounds—from cumbia, mariachi, and bachata to techno, hip-hop, and contemporary ballads—making some of the most exciting music and bringing a new vision of what Latine music means.

Mireya Ramos Mireya Ramos is a walking example for young Afro-Latinas who dare to dream big and find their voice. She was born in California to a Mexican father and a Dominican mother and grew up in Puerto Rico. Ramos was bound for musical greatness.

She’s a vocalist, instrumentalist, composer, producer, and arranger, probably best known as the founder of Flor De Toloache. This all-female mariachi ensemble transcended the trappings of its genre while respecting and perpetuating its tradition. She’s won a Latin Grammy and collaborated with various musicians in genres like classical, salsa, hip-hop, rock, and much more.

Her fusion of styles goes one step further, blending and changing into different styles through the magic of digital recording technology.

Moving to NYC, he also encounters many different styles of music around different boroughs—especially Queens—and connects the dots in his particular style. Quiroz has many different sides to his music, creating electronic music that fuses Caribbean genres, techno, and house, revitalizing club music. He also plays bass and synths in Latine rock powerhouses Combo Chimbita, providing a big part of the groove.

Felipe Quiroz Like many Colombians, Felipe Quiroz, a.k.a. Prince Of Queens, feels cumbia’s impact from deep within. Born in Bogota, Quiroz internalized many of these styles so that he recognized their elements in genres from around the world.

Moving to NYC, he also encounters many different styles of music around different boroughs—especially Queens—and connects the dots in his particular style. Quiroz has many different sides to his music, creating electronic music that fuses Caribbean genres, techno, and house, revitalizing club music. He also plays bass and synths in Latine rock powerhouses Combo Chimbita, providing a big part of the groove.

For Quiroz, music constitutes a community of sounds that can be forged into irresistible rhythms.

Faustino Growing up in the Dominican Republic before relocating to NYC, singer, songwriter, and producer Faustino Armando Ortega Toribio describes making music as a way to bring a delicate balance between peace and the city’s noise. It allows him to communicate across cultures, establishing conversations that transcend roots into something more cosmic.

He taps into the multicultural environment of the streets around him and forges it into something entirely his own. Namely, his music blends his Dominicano roots with the vibrant energy of the Big Apple, resulting in a fusion of bachata, Latin rock, pop, and folk. His guitar-based music harmonizes melody and rhythm, resulting in marvelous passages and hooky tunes. Indeed, for him, the guitar is more than just an instrument; it’s a conduit for the universe’s messages, as he explains in the video.

In his hands, Ortega Toribio crafts songs that heal, inspire laughter and evoke tears, giving listeners a wide range of emotions as much as life has to offer. All this is done from his room and broadcast to the rest of the world.

Check out the playlist below, featuring some of our favorite bedroom producers.

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In Partnership with Honda.

For María Zambrano—an elementary school therapist who explores nature in her spare time—the outdoors is where she feels most herself. With its endless inspiration and adventure, it offers an escape from daily life. This Southern Californian Mexican-American has built a community where people discover the mental health benefits of nature, from mindfulness to the simple joy of experiencing a sunset and gentle breeze. Through hiking challenges, Zambrano helps Latines make the extraordinary accessible—a mission she shares with the all-new Honda Passport TrailSport.

Presented by Honda, “Touring Home” is a Remezcla editorial series that explores towns, cities, and off-the-beaten-path destinations through the eyes of local Latine key figures. “Touring Home” offers an authentic perspective on these places and showcases their most memorable and incredible spots.

There’s always a way to find balance, taking you from the city to the outdoors and back. Learn more about the all-new 2026 Honda Passport, the perfect balance of rugged capability and comfort.

When not working in Santa Ana or commuting, Zambrano spends most of her time in the town of Homeland. Yet her heart belongs to Idyllwild-Pine Cove—a small town nestled in the closest national forest to her home. “I go year-round,” she says. “We’ve done group hikes in the snow and during the summertime; I’m always there. Even if it’s just me hiking alone, I have a special connection to Idyllwild. I love it!”

Zambrano’s connection to the outdoors began in childhood. Growing up on a farm in Southern California, she was, in her own words, “an outdoorsy kid”—spending her days with horses and creating games among the plants around her house.

As a first-generation college graduate, Zambrano temporarily left nature behind to pursue her education and career in the city. However, she reconnected with the outdoors during college when visiting a national park with friends, which ignited her passion. “I was like, ‘Wow, this is amazing,’” she says. I didn’t know that national parks were that awesome. Once I saw the world out there, I wanted to keep exploring it.”

Her passion led her to seek new challenges in nature. Testing her capabilities both outdoors and as a community builder, Zambrano took action. “And that’s where I started the group and started promoting it on social media, and it grew fast,” she says, referring to Mochilita Mix Hiking Group, an inclusive space to explore nature.

“Nature brings this sense of mindfulness,” Zambrano says, emphasizing its vital therapeutic value. “Even a simple walk in the park engages all five senses—you notice the different colors, listen to the sounds around you, catch various scents, feel the breeze and sunlight, and sense how your body temperature shifts. It naturally becomes a mindfulness practice.”

Mochilita Mix has flourished. “We have a core group of people who come every single month. They’ve formed a wonderful community—it’s truly become a sisterhood,” Zambrano says.

Connecting with the outdoors is vital for Zambrano. Her current job demands a two-hour daily commute, limiting her time in nature. “I leave before sunrise and miss the sunset,” she says. During the week, I miss out on so much sunlight and outdoor time. Finding that balance is a challenge.”

Seeking to restore this balance, Zambrano describes Idyllwild as a magical place—a peaceful town whose hiking trails offer fresh experiences and exciting, rugged challenges with every visit. During the drive up, she recommends a scenic lookout perfect for an in-car picnic. “It’s pretty high up, so it’s a nice view of the National Forest,” she tells us. “You can see houses stretching to the mountain ranges in Southern California.”

During the drive up, she recommends a scenic lookout perfect for an in-car picnic. “It’s pretty high up, so it’s a nice view of the National Forest,” she tells us. “You can see houses stretching to the mountain ranges in Southern California.”

Among Idyllwild’s notable features is Lily Rock, a rounded granite formation reminiscent of Yosemite’s Half Dome. “There’s a lot of trees, maybe some redwoods, a lot of different pine trees, a lot of nice grass, wildflowers,” she says.

The town charms visitors with its unique character. “I don’t think there are any chains there,” Zambrano says. It’s all local restaurants, thrift shops, and little grocery stores. It all looks like it’s family-owned or small businesses.” At the heart of the town stand three magnificent pine trees, a distinctive local landmark.

She notes that in Idyllwild, trails often weave between residential areas. “When driving to a trailhead, you’ll pass through neighborhoods and small schools. It’s charming,” Zambrano says.

As she settles down in the future, she plans to get closer to nature, like what you can find in Idyllwild. As someone who spends her workdays in the city and free time outdoors, Zambrano embodies the balance we should all strive for in our lives, bringing forth the best of both worlds.

Looking ahead, she hopes to live closer to nature—finding an environment as immersive as Idyllwild. As someone who balances city work with outdoor adventures, Zambrano exemplifies how to embrace the best of both worlds.

Learn more about a rugged and exciting lifestyle with the all-new Honda Passport Trailsport, and prepare for your next adventure.

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It’s easy for anyone to identify with Chiquis. As part of one of the most influential families in regional Mexican music, she feels proud of her roots and motivated to make her own mark in music. From her personality to her music, keeping traditions while innovating is second nature to her as an artist.

We discussed this and more with Chiquis at the Walmart Backstage Lounge during Billboard Latin Music Week 2024. Running from October 14 to 18 at the Fillmore Miami Beach in Miami, this star-studded lineup featured over 70 artists. And like each year, fans can access content from the Backstage Lounge, where they can find exclusive interviews and live performances.

In these videos, we can see pieces from The Nuevolution Project—a celebration of visionary Latine creatives through a capsule collection of exclusive, only-at-Walmart “bold, style-forward” products—as well as other Latine-led brands and home items you can find at Walmart.

For her Walmart Backstage Lounge performance, Chiquis chose her recent hit, “Que Siga Pasando.” “I’m very excited because I love this song,” says the three-time Billboard Latin Music Awards winner. “Personally, I don’t like to put my name or image with anything that I haven’t used or don’t love, and I absolutely love Walmart. I love that my Latin people love Walmart,” she says about the session.

Speaking about regional Mexican music and the songs she performs, Chiquis points out how her identity and heritage are directly linked to regional Mexican music through blood and upbringing. She remembers that the first song she learned was “La Puerta Negra” by Los Tigres Del Norte, which forever links her memories of music with this style. “It has always been part of my life,” she says.

She continues to explain the importance of this genre. “I love that our music is reaching different audiences [while] keeping the tradition and the culture, but also bringing in different elements while still respecting the sound. I think that’s beautiful. I think that’s what music’s all about. Music is its own language, and you don’t have to understand the lyrics; you just feel it.” Bringing to mind The Nuevolution Project and other efforts by Walmart, which also keep a balance between time-honored artifacts and methods as well as innovations.

For Chiquis—who is currently in the middle of an international tour, including a stop at Mexico City’s Auditorio Nacional, fulfilling a dream of hers—“feeling” is perhaps the most important thing. “When writing or choosing songs, I need to [know what it] feels like. If I’m feeling the funk, the public is gonna feel it. For me, it’s super important to tell my story and my experiences because that’s genuine, and that’s what’s authentic. That’s all I know, to be myself.”

Ultimately, what makes Chiquis unique is her ability to keep her roots intact while also searching for something just beyond her grasp. One can say this is the same story as that of Latin American music as a whole; it remains an inspiration that any individual can take and make their own. “I respect what my family has done, and I’m very happy that I’m doing something in the same line, still being música mexicana,” she says. “But it’s important to bring a lot of Chiquis to it. I love that I can express myself through this music. I felt a lot of pressure at the beginning of my career because I didn’t know what direction I wanted to take. I wasn’t as confident as I am now, but I’ve learned not to compare myself to anyone or listen to negativity, just do what feels right in my heart.”

Interview conducted by Remezcla’s Joel Moya and Thatiana Diaz.

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Mexicans celebrate special occasions through self-expression and art. Most major celebrations have a way of exploding with color and forms, calling for creatives to make art to go along with whatever important holiday or party we celebrate. In turn, these masters of their craft usually make work that displays the beauty and profundity of these festivities in ways that we could never do. These are our living muses, inspirations for these occasions that inspire us in a video series.

Driven by passion, creatives Willy Chavarria, Runsy, and El Creativo have come together to share how they celebrate beloved holidays for Mexican gente alongside Don Julio 70. In time for the launch of the limited Tequila Don Julio 70 Cristalino Artist Edition bottle, we’re highlighting what makes these creatives’ Mexican culture a driving force for them to create Por Amor, specifically work in connection with holidays as Mexican Independence Day and Día de Los Muertos. All three create something unique using their roots and heritage and share it with the world.

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In the first installment, we visited celebrated fashion designer Willy Chavarria in his natural habitat: his studio in Brooklyn. There, he explains how he spends his time creating with his team. Chavarria prides himself on integrating Mexican motifs into his work, seen here in exquisite detail on the special edition Tequila Don Julio 70 Añejo Cristalino bottle and a new, breathtaking linen collection. Both these works use Día De Los Muertos imagery like skulls and flowers, respecting the culture while giving it a spin. The results are an amazing demonstration of Chavarria’s craftsmanship.

The second installment focused on Esperanza Rosas, better known as Runsy. A Mexican-American artist based in Chicago who makes extraordinarily vivid art with pencils, we attended her “minimalist” studio—a feature for her to work and encourage her to create something that’s not there—and saw her design a trajinera displayed within Tequila Don Julio’s immersive experience at El Grito Chicago. She drew inspiration from her “core memories” of visiting Mexico and dahlias (Mexico’s official flower) to make her art come to life, using color to give it a more lively appearance—something she usually shies away from, as she mentions in the video.

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In the last installment, we met Juan Rentería, known professionally as El Creativo. Born in Cuernavaca, Mexico, and now living in Los Angeles, El Creativo seized his direct connection with Mexico to build his work of art, in this case, an Ofrenda dedicated to Don Julio González himself. Working in his studio, he takes cempasuchil flowers as his primary material. He works it into the Ofrenda, part of a bigger piece displayed in Venice Beach from October 26 through November 2. Rentería emphasizes how his heart always informs his work and mentions how it’s known that the color and scent of the cempasuchil flower help lead the spirits in the right direction.

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Muses in Mexican culture are everywhere if we know where to look. Seeing what these artists can do inspires us to enrich our daily lives. As the Don Julio founder has done with the creation and tradition behind their tequila, these creatives follow their passion and bring more beauty into the world.

Honor the legend. DON JULIO Tequila. 40% Alc/Vol. Imported by Diageo Americas, New York, NY. Sip responsibly. Don’t share w/ under 21.

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Taquería El Poblano prides itself in perfecting the taste of the most delicious street taco you’ll ever have. With a taste of home that evokes memories you forgot existed, this Southern California chain offers the most delectable choices of Tijuana street food, including quesadillas, tortas, and burritos–all done as closely as the originals.

When eaten with an irresistible ice-cold PEPSI®, tacos are the perfect companion to a thrilling football game, and El Poblano offers the best choices. With its blend of rich caramel and bright citrus notes, PEPSI® complements the taste of any of your favorite choices of carne.

Presented by NFL Por La Cultura and sponsored by PEPSI®, the Official Soft Drink of the NFL, Game Day Antojos pairs our rich and varied food traditions across our cultures with NFL football. This series explores how delightful Latin food–suitable for snacking with amigos and familia–is enjoyed while watching the number one leading sport in the United States.

For Game Day Antojos, El Poblano provided the best selection of their original menu to savor with an exhilarating NFL game. Their choices include tacos de asada made with handmade tortillas topped with mouth-watering guacamole, cilantro, onion, and your choice of salsa. Also presented by the taquería were savory tacos al pastor and juicy tortas.

For Taquería El Poblano’s founder, Guadalupe Alonso, tacos are the best food for any occasion. El Poblano has become Southern California’s choice for Tijuana-style tacos, with six locations where patrons can enjoy tacos like those in TJ. They have become quite popular on social media, making El Poblano one of the most popular places to eat tacos, boasting a community of 483,000 followers on Instagram and 831,000 on TikTok. “We’re used to homemade or artisanal food,” Alonso says about El Poblano’s popularity. “A friend told me when I started: ‘Your tacos are artisanal.’ It’s like mezcal. It takes more work, but you’ll enjoy it more.”

From our love of food to football, every aspect of Latine life is marked by passion. Fans within our families and among our friends demonstrate loyalty to their teams in every way possible. We follow each game from the start of the season to the Super Bowl. Passed down from generation to generation, everything we do together around football becomes another set of traditions. With nuestra gente, enjoying homemade antojitos and rooting for our favorite NFL team is a big part of our lives. (We’ll take any chance to get together to scream over the TV.)

El Poblano’s Game Day Antojos selection is about getting the details right. Their tacos are made from asada—steak—al carbón, cooked on a charcoal pit for the best balance of flavor and juiciness, a time-honored tradition. Nothing can top a juicy taco on any occasion, and watching the NFL with a refreshing PEPSI® in your hand is perhaps the ultimate trifecta.

El Poblano’s tacos de asada are second to none. Getting their meat fresh every day and marinating overnight achieves a flavor and juiciness without comparison. Likewise, their soft and delectable tortillas are made one by one by hand from masa amarilla and then cooked on the comal. Their guacamole holds no secrets but is one of the best you can find anywhere around, with just a bit of water added to it before smashing it to get the best flavor. Flavorful onions and cilantro are also chopped fresh, and your choice of four unique salsas—green, chile de árbol, red, and birria-style— add to the tasty experience of eating their tacos.

Also on the menu are tacos al pastor, roasted to perfection in an upright trompo to achieve a magnificent, tangy-yet-tender flavor. Their quesadillas are cheesy and delicious, and their finger-licking tortas are stuffed to the brim with tasty ingredients in a crunchy telera bread, making for a fulfilling meal. El Poblano’s offerings are a perfect match with the unique flavors of PEPSI®. Tacos are a natural pairing with the bright citrus notes in PEPSI®, while the rich caramel notes uniquely complement a melting quesadilla.

Alonso moved from Puebla to Tijuana, where he learned the finer points of his craft before settling in California with his young family. For him, bringing a taste of Mexico to the area has become a personal mission. Starting as a street stand in Compton in 2014, their perseverance and quality led them to open an establishment in 2017 and quickly gained a large audience that continues to grow.

With its attention to detail and commitment to its craft, Taquería El Poblano brings us a tasting experience unlike anything else, enhancing our football-watching experience with our friends and family. Game Day Antojos is about using plenty of napkins, dripping salsa, and reaching for another refreshing PEPSI®. Get excited to become enthralled by the exhilaration that only the NFL can provide.

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Señor Lechón keeps its recipes simple and the environment snug, resulting in a tasty and extraordinarily welcoming experience. The West Palm Beach restaurant serves traditional and delicious Puerto Rican dishes like mofongo, chicharrón, and the undisputed star of the show, lechón (a full-roasted pig)—all inspired by authentic, original recipes from Puerto Rico. Señor Lechón lets the flavor do the talking and empowers a community to form around itself.

From carne frita to mini tostones, Señor Lechón offers a variety of great Puerto Rican staples ideal for game day. The restaurant’s dishes pair perfectly with the blend of rich caramel and bright citrus notes from an ice-cold PEPSI®.

Presented by NFL Por La Cultura and sponsored by PEPSI®, Game Day Antojos brings together our rich and varied food traditions across our cultures with football. This series explores how scrumptious Latin food–suitable for snacking with our seres queridos–is enjoyed while watching the number one leading sport in the United States.

For Game Day Antojos, Señor Lechón expertly served a spread that goes amazingly with what we need during a good football game. Their game day menu included tasty dishes like carne frita and mofongo, chicharrón con papitas fritas, alitas, mini tostones, and mini sandwiches with lechón. They also presented an incredible appetizer sampler that included alcapurria—a traditional deep-fried fritter made from masa of green plantains and Yucca and filled with meat—bacalaitos, and surullos; along with an equally mouth-watering empanadilla sampler with four types of fillings: pizza, lechón, chicken, and morcilla.

Their seasoning and taste best define Señor Lechón. According to owner Edwin Rivera— also known as Eddie—he saw an opportunity to bring authentic Puerto Rican cuisine to South Florida. After starting with a food truck, Rivera opened a small restaurant with open fire pits for the roasted pigs. “For Puerto Ricans, it brings them back to their roots,” he says. “But [for] people from other places, we offer something they have never tried. When I get Colombians, Cubans and Dominicans in the restaurant, their first impression is, ‘Wow, this is really good.’ That’s why we focus on the food.” This is how we come together under one flavor.

This passion is a cultural aspect that goes beyond food and into every aspect of Latine life, including football. From the season’s first kickoff, nuestra gente follow their favorite teams through every game, a ritual best defined as a lifelong commitment—sporting team colors and passing the love from generation to generation. In our community, it’s now a time-honored tradition to gather around to watch the game and get wrapped up in the excitement.

For game day, Rivera says that their menu—and Puerto Rican cuisine in general—offers much more than what is typically associated with watching sports. “We have such a diverse menu that we can put together,” he says. “You don’t want something healthy. You want greasy, you want to be able to lick your fingers, and you want to be able to eat with your hands. We have plenty of that.”

Their delectable carne frita is made from cushion meat, or “macita de cerdo,” and left to marinate overnight for maximum juiciness before deep frying it. The result is crunchy and meaty, and it’ll be difficult to stop eating!

Their scrumptious mofongo is made into two-inch bite-size bites with a plantain and chicharrón filling, while their rich morcilla—rice-based blood sausage—is topped with cilantro and onions. Both promise to fly off the plate as soon as they’re served.

Speaking of their show-stopping chicharrón, they make it from diced-up pork belly, while their yummy bacalaíto is a deep-fried “pancake-like” mix of flour and cod fish. These bring variety but offer distinctive savory options for your craving. With their distinctive spices and full-bodied flavor, Señor Lechon’s dishes are complemented perfectly with PEPSI®’s unique flavors. The rich caramel notes in PEPSI® enhance the delectable flavors of the empanadillas, while the bright citrus notes bring out the best of the mini tostones’ distinctive, crunchy taste.

Rivera was born and raised in Massachusetts and has been self-employed since he was 19. He arrived in South Florida in January 2017 and opened his first food truck immediately. Many brick-and-mortar branches followed before shutting down in December 2023. Once he ventured to establish Señor Lechón, he had his mission clear: setting up an open fire pit with wood-based charcoal outdoors to lure customers in. Ever since the restaurant has grown, it’s common to have a long line of customers waiting to be delighted by their food. Once inside—or at their outdoor seating—the clientele is treated to a lively, homey environment punctuated by live music on the weekends.

Señor Lechón is about serving traditional food that feels like home for Puerto Ricans and anyone willing to be part of their family and delivering delicious and greasy food to make game day an even bigger event. Game Day Antojos is about the most delicious bite-sizes best enjoyed with a refreshing and bubbly ice-cold PEPSI®. Let your passion take over and get into the explosive thrills only the NFL can provide.

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Casavana is one of the most beloved spots in South Florida for comfort food, Cuban style. They serve classics like rice and beans, yuca, and Cuban sandwiches with service that feels like you’re among family. Casavana is the neighborhood diner that feels like home.

Restaurants like Casavana are known for bringing our gente together to enjoy the thrill of a touchdown while eating nostalgic dishes and savoring a deliciously ice-cold PEPSI®. From croquetas de jamón to mini Cuban sandwiches, Casavana offers a range of bold Cuban staples perfect for game day and elevated by the blend of rich caramel and bright citrus notes of PEPSI®.

Presented by NFL Por La Cultura and sponsored by PEPSI®, Game Day Antojos brings together our rich and varied food traditions across our cultures with NFL football. This series explores how scrumptious Latin food–suitable for snacking with familia–is enjoyed while watching the number one leading sport in the United States.

Casavana knows what we need for game day, serving an assorted menu of delights. Their spread includes a mouth-watering selection of mini Cuban sandwiches, pasta Habanera with picadillo, tasty garlic shrimp with tomato sauce sauteed with onions, Creole-inspired shrimp with garlic and olive oil, and a delicious croquetas de jamón platter—food that deserves a refreshing PEPSI® to complete the meal. These are delicious recipes from the Latin cookbook to munch on game day.

Manager Nelson Ham describes Casavana’s dishes as “good, everyday meals.” “It’s food from my background and heritage. I grew up eating this food from my mom, so it was a good fit.” Since opening, Casavana has built a loyal clientele that goes for that same familiar taste. “We have people that have a little cafecito in the morning and come back for lunch in the afternoon with us every day,” says Ham. “We have a culture and a bond with our customers. We know the kids, the grandkids, the mother, the father.”

This cultural sense of passion is translated to all aspects of Latine life, including football. Florida is home to three of the most enduring NFL teams. As soon as the season starts, fans wear their team colors proudly. You can feel this dedication to their favorite team, passing it on from generation to generation like traditions. It’s natural that getting together and watching the game is one of the most time-honored rituals in our community.

When it comes to game day, food is at the center of conversation, especially in our Latine communities. For Casavana, their choice of food for this occasion is what Ham describes as “finger food”—bite-size, easy to eat, and no utensils needed. You’ll only need a toothpick after wiping the plate clean.

Their showstopping pasta Habanera features picadillo made Spanish and Creole style with ground beef, raisins, olives and peas over fettuccine noodles drenched in tomato sauce. Shredded red peppers on top add a savory and slightly sweet flavor. It’s no surprise that the pasta Habanera is a customer favorite.

The mini Cuban sandwiches are a smaller version of the classic: pork, sliced ham, Swiss cheese, pickles and mustard on toasted bread. They have a slightly salty and full-bodied bite that will leave you reaching for another when no one is looking.

Casavana also offers two versions of garlic shrimp: the Creole-inspired version with shrimp sautéed in garlic and olive oil. The other version is enchilado, featuring red sauce made from garlic, red tomatoes, and red peppers. The camarones enchilados, sauteed with onions, are spicy–perfect for those who love heat.

We have fried croquetas with minced ham, bechamel sauce, and a crisp exterior for a crunchy bite. Casavana’s dishes, with their rich flavors and bold spices, are the perfect complement to the unique blend of flavors of PEPSI®. The rich caramel notes in PEPSI® enhance the indulgent flavors of the Cuban sandwiches, while the bright citrus notes lift the lighter flavors of the pasta Habanera.

Ham, a first-generation Cuban-American born in New York City, began his career managing renowned restaurants. After moving to South Florida, getting married, and starting a family, he opened Casavana in 2008 to bring authentic Cuban comfort food to the community. Now a proud abuelo, Ham has made Casavana a ‘home away from home,’ where customers feel like extended family, gathering to enjoy Cuban flavors.

Ham describes how some customers—including an older couple—know the wait staff by name and when their birthdays are. This home-like atmosphere goes both ways; Ham shares how some of their employees have been with them for a long time, including someone who started as a cashier when she was 15 years old and now, as a 35-year-old married mother, is still part of their team as a general manager. “That’s Latin culture; it’s who we are,” Ham says.

With such care for the culture, Casavana is all about enjoying homemade Cuban antojitos among familia as everyone enjoys the highs of game day. Don’t be ashamed to use your hands! Game Day Antojos should leave you licking your fingers and make you want to grab a refreshing ice-cold PEPSI®. Let yourself get wrapped up in the unparalleled excitement of the NFL.

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Whenever someone purchases something, I feel like they wear it with pride,” says Alex Ordonez, co-founder of Wish Me Luck. “They feel like they’re part of something. That’s the most important thing for us.” Although saying so is a cliché nowadays, Wish Me Luck is more than just a clothing company. Starting with Ordonez and Sam Dameshek in 2019, their designs include shirts, jackets, caps, and tights based on the ‘70s and ‘80s style designs, recalling a nostalgic sense of fashion timelessly. Their philosophy empowers individuals to pursue their dreams and face challenges. It’s about making your own luck.

Wish Me Luck collaborated with Walmart’s The Nuevolution Project—a celebration of visionary Latine creatives through a capsule collection of exclusive, only-at-Walmart “bold, style-forward” products—taking inspiration from their background and people in their immediate circle. “I come from a small town in Connecticut, and I feel like we don’t have many resources [there], especially for immigrants,” says Ordonez. “The fact that I, as a Latino, collaborated with Walmart is impressive. My dad shared the project in his Facebook feed, and the feedback he got was impressive. People saw my accomplishment [as something] they were a part of. They were congratulating the culture.” Indeed, their collaboration aimed to give Latine workers who shop at Walmart something they would find valuable and unique.

Their collaboration reflects their predilection for classic cuts and images. It includes T-shirts, goodies, bowling shirts, and work jackets. In terms of graphics, they chose words like “DREAMERS” and “From The Motherland” and their label’s logo.

It has been a long journey for Ordonez to get where he is now. Connecticut didn’t offer many options, so during his high school years, he made a daily three-hour commute to New York City to design t-shirts and hoodies, eventually becoming a model. On the other side of the country, Dameshek grew up in California, where he picked up photography at age 15 and pursued it as a full-time career. But, he faced doubt from those around him that he could make it in this field. Still, they didn’t let doubters or any other obstacle get in their way.

Ordonez and Dameshek met in 2017 at a fashion campaign for an eyewear brand in Lake Tahoe. They hit it off immediately. “There’s a lot of synergy between us,” Dameshek says about that fortuitous meeting. “He was so cool in a way that I don’t think I was used to yet.” Likewise, Ordonez was impressed with Dameshek, and they kept in touch.

Later, Ordonez moved to L.A., where he bumped into Dameshek on his first day in this new city and began hanging out in real life. Shortly after, Dameshek made t-shirts “with a kind of silly graphic” for an exhibition of his photography; unfortunately, he forgot to bring them to the show, so he decided to sell them on his own. Ordonez, who helped with packaging the items for shipping, had the idea to partner up and start a clothing business. “It brought us closer than just friends,” says Ordonez. “It’s been inspiring, and it’s been a pleasure to work with like-minded people.”

Soon after starting Wish Me Luck, they realized they wanted to do more than sell t-shirts and hats. As Dameshek explains, they landed on making the brand “a vessel for our community.” “Sam kind of knew a bunch of influencers and celebrities from California,” says Ordonez. “And me, coming from New York. I knew a lot of rappers, for example. So when I first approached him with this idea, it was a no-brainer like, let’s mix both worlds. It carried the brand, and it helped us get a head-start.”

Although they have plenty of common ground together, the guys from Wish Me Luck think that their differences are what can push them to make great stuff. “I don’t think that a partnership is necessarily about finding the most agreeable person,” Dameshek says. “I think it’s about finding somebody that pushes you to see things differently.” Indeed, one of the most important things for them is achieving a balance between all the people involved. “Every day, we inspire each other,” says Ordonez.

Ordonez, Dameshek, and the rest of the Wish Me Luck team constantly have in mind that they’re living their dream. “Anybody would want to take their passion or hobby and make a living off it,” says Dameshek. “In our case, it didn’t feel like it was a gamble in the sense that we didn’t know what we were doing, but we had enough confidence and enough of that itch that we’re just like ‘screw it. Let’s go for it. Wish me luck!’”

[marcoshassanlevy]

One thing about modern working life is that creativity is indispensable. Most of our day-to-day labor involves a ton of this specific skill, whether you’re in the creative industries or not. Nowadays, solving problems and searching for ways to deliver our expertise also involves getting creative. That’s why we need ways to spark creativity at will, often multiple times daily.

Creativity isn’t as easy as flicking a switch, so sometimes, we must develop specific mechanisms and triggers to help foster this essential skill. As it turns out, there are many different ways to train your brain and make it easier for you to get into that headspace, from long-term practices to stuff you can do in a matter of minutes to get those ideas flowing.

One of the most surefire ways to get our heads going is with music, and this is where things get interesting. Music is the kind of art that generates more art and gets us in the mood to create. This is especially true when talking about music we already love and are familiar with. Recalling a sense of emotion and exhilaration from listening to our favorite tunes gets our creative juices flowing. This kind of music gets us to think outside the box since it makes us feel good and confident, sparks us into action, gets us moving, or even gets us right into our feelings and helps us imprint a significant mark into our actions.

However, if you’re inclined to leave everything by the side to concentrate on moving your butt to the music, perhaps a better approach is to put on some instrumental jams. Without vocals and lyrics distracting you and letting the music take you where it wants, your thoughts will drift to a place where you’ll start coming up with new ideas. Instrumentals can be found anywhere, and there’s music built to blend with the background, like ambient and drone, that can still fire up your synapses when listening to it.

We have assembled this playlist of old favorites and new classics to get you in that creative headspace. From Bad Bunny to Santana, as well as other classics, are present to get you in the zone. There’s also some great instrumental music by Latine and Spanish-speaking acts, including Gustavo Santaolalla’s soundtrack for the TV adaptation of The Last Of Us, as well as producers like Rafael Anton Irisarri and Edgar Mondragón, who have slowly evolving tracks that will envelop you with their vibes.

So press play, get in the zone, and leave every other decision in the hands of DoorDash. You don’t need to think through what to have for lunch or dinner after you’re done with your job, so why not fire up the app and order in? What about taking a break and getting those groceries delivered instead of being pressured to go to the store later? You can even order vinyls and speakers to get a better listening experience.

Music and creativity go hand-in-hand. Let us help you find the right sonic mood for your ideas to flow.

TRACKLIST: Bad Bunny – “MONACO” Santana – “Oye Como Va” Willie Colon – “Talento De Televisión” Natanael Cano, Belinda - "300 Noches” Kelman Duran – “South London” Gustavo Santaolalla – “Last Of Us” Rafael Anton Irisarri – “Arduous Clarity” Edgar Mondragón – “Nova” Fania All Stars – “Fania All Stars Cha Cha Cha” Los Mirlos – “La Danza De Los Mirlos”

[marcoshassanlevy]

Roberto Lugo remembers working as a doorman in a high-rise building, making $4.35 an hour and eating his lunch at the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art across the street. He never went inside; in fact, he had never been to a museum growing up. He didn’t know for sure, but he thought at the time that there was nothing of interest in there for someone from a Puerto Rican, low-income neighborhood in Philadelphia like him. Several years later, his art was exhibited in that same museum. “Having work in that museum is really important,” he says. “For people like me who think there’s nothing in a museum for them, they can come across something that they can recognize and feel a connection to [it].”

Born and based in Philadelphia, Roberto Lugo is an artist who has made his name as a ceramist, taking up traditions of classic pottery and updating them to immortalize people and moments that he deems worth remembering, with a heavy socio-political bent. Lugo has accomplished so much thus far; he holds a BFA and an MFA, and his work has been featured at prestigious museums across the states and has won noteworthy awards.

Lugo has contributed to Walmart’s The Nuevolution Project—a celebration of visionary Latine creatives through a capsule collection of exclusive, only-at-Walmart “bold, style-forward” products—making his designs available to a wider audience. This has been an opportunity for his work to connect with people from a similar background. “Being Puerto Rican is complicated,” Lugo says. “That means that you’re part African, part indigenous, you have Spanish roots, Portuguese, and so much is involved. The story I wanted to tell was as a Puerto Rican, not from Puerto Rico, who grew up here and still tries to figure out their identity and that sort of being misunderstood, but then growing to understand the world through that lens.”

For his collaboration—which includes streetwear and home items—he chose imagery involving dominoes, chickens, and pigeons, common in Puerto Rican culture. Having his work available at Walmart, where people can wear and buy his designs, has great significance to the artist. “I never thought in a million years that I would find myself in this place, but now that I am, I want other people to see me,” Lugo says. “Not necessarily see me as an individual but to see my trajectory and see themselves reflected in that it’s possible for them too. I think that’s important.” People can find brightly-colored short-sleeved shirts, patterned coffee mugs, and attractive products for everyday use.

Lugo describes how it “wasn’t an easy life” growing up. He relates how he has had direct experience with trauma and poverty and a lot of people around him going in and out of prison or passing away. Needless to say, not many friends and family had the opportunity to pursue college or careers. Taking up graffiti made him curious about art, but it wasn’t until his mid-20s that he moved to Florida and tried a drawing course at a community college. The teacher of that course was a potter by trade and encouraged Lugo to try it himself. It was then that he received the first positive words about his work. “That encouragement was something that I was hungry for,” he says. “I got really passionate about making art because it felt like it was what I was supposed to do. It felt like I found my thing.”

According to him, his rough upbringing has informed his work more than anything else. “I own where I’m from to where I’m at in many ways,” he says. “That’s my lived experience; it’s really difficult for me to make art about anything else. That’s just my reality and what inspires me to continue to represent the culture that I’m from.”

After Florida, Lugo enrolled at the Kansas City Art Institute, a historically important school for ceramic artists in the United States. He described this period as “a complicated experience” and “intense” but one that allowed him to work hard in pursuit of his calling. “This is my chance of life, my one shot to do something special,” Lugo remembers; he didn’t leave the studio much and avoided partying. After graduation, he attended Penn State, which helped him “figure out what it all means and communicate that to others.”

Lugo feels that pottery is a great tradition that connects humanity for thousands of years. “It definitely feels like there’s a lineage in terms of what I’m doing here, and how it was done so long ago,” Lugo says that he’s been studying how Greeks communicated through pottery to communicate his own stories. “If you think about urban cities, Black and brown communities, and impoverished communities, very rarely do people have time to do things like craft, especially craft at a level where you can sell the work or develop a skill and have a career in it. [In that sense], I don’t feel like there’s lineage, but it feels like an opportunity to help create one.”

“I’m never working from a blank space,” Lugo says about his inspirations. “I know what it is that I want to communicate with my work.” While he has done portraiture in the past—choosing figures like Cornel West and The Notorious BIG for his work—he’s now attempted narrative and figurative work around his and his family’s everyday, personal experiences. “Giving them a visual representation helps to tell these stories and do it in a way that lasts permanently. Our life is just as valuable as everybody else’s,” he says.

What Lugo considers a direct relationship with some of the people of color in the United States, like the roots of poverty and living in the diaspora, is something he likes to highlight in his work. “I wanted my work to recognize the relationship between Black and Latinos. So that’s why, historically, my work is high portraits of figures like Harriet Tubman, because I feel like the struggle for freedom is something we share.”

Lugo wants to preserve his culture and surroundings so that future generations can learn the stories of the people he highlights. To him, pottery is a way to communicate for a long time. “Pottery lasts for thousands of years, and things we’re making today will be around in the future. People might not recognize the people I put in my work, but they will recognize the pottery.”

He’s currently working towards an exhibition at Princeton, where his work will be displayed alongside ancient Greek pots.

[marcoshassanlevy]

One of the many things that makes life worth living is our individual collection of passions; we all have them, yet different things drive each of us, and our responses make us us. Yet, one of the most rewarding phenomena we can experience is finding common ground between two seemingly different passions and bringing them together. In this unique partnership between Remezcla and the all-new Camry, we bridge the world of car culture and art for something extraordinary.

While not exclusive to our people, custom car culture has been part of the Latine DNA for decades. We have made our mark in this field so that it can be considered a modern integral part of who many of us are. This has spread to the Slamry subset of this subculture, where owners of the all-new Camrys customize their cars for a better look and feel. Predictably, Latines can be seen leading the way in this revolution.

An integral part of the care of cars is what houses them. Customizing the garage and giving it that unique artful makeover seems as logical as any paint job and souping-up to the engine. That’s why we have created Nest Level, where we have selected a member of the Slamry community and paired him with an artist to work on creating custom art for the vehicle’s nest. The result is truly a garage fit for a king of a car.

In the first video of Nest Level, we meet Alejandro Hernandez, a proud owner of an all-new Camry and the blank canvas that’s his garage. According to the Venezuelan-born Miami resident, cars have been an interest of his since he was a small boy; now, he has a car of his own, and his love for it can be felt in his testimony.

It’s no surprise Hernandez and many others are Slamry members. The all-new Camry is a hybrid with a JBL premium audio system, aluminum pedals, and aerodynamic features inspired by racing.

He also details what makes the Slamry community so unique; according to Hernandez, those belonging to this subculture feel like a family that regularly gets together and bonds beyond their engines, periodically hanging out or throwing BBQs. “It’s more than just cars,” he says.

In the second visual, we touch down with Muta Santiago (also known as MUTA), the artist responsible for the interior makeover of Hernandez’s garage.

He describes his style as a mixture of shapes and elements from everyday life and how those dots connect. We also get a quick look at his own nest and his studio where he creates his art; MUTA relates to Hernandez because he knows what it’s like to have a unique space to connect with his passion.

For his piece for Nest Level, he takes inspiration from his style and pieces of the all-new Camry to create the visuals, resulting in a mural that gives the idea of a spaceship blasting off every time he takes his car out of his garage.

The results are inspiring. Thanks to the different colors and shapes, the aesthetics take on their own life and give the garage an extra punch. By the end, you can tell that both Hernandez and Muta are pleased with this experiment.

Passions can take any shape or form, but they can inspire everyone when different passions collide to create something more profound and exciting.

[marcoshassanlevy]

From Gummies to Ointments, This Mexican Punk Rocker Is Harnessing Cannabis’ Medicinal Powers

By Marcos Hassan 04.16.25

Punk and cannabis have a long history together as recreational partners. But for one punk musician, cannabis offers so much more than a way to party. Jordi Alacont has a long career in the Mexican underground scene as a member of Gula in the ‘90s and ’00s and, since the early 2010s, Los Viejos. Along with skateboarding, his other passion is developing cannabis products for therapeutic use with Köshy. Offering a variety of CBD drops, gummies, and balms, Köshy is harnessing the medicinal powers of the substance for people looking into alternative medicine.

Alacont became interested in cannabis beyond recreational use when he started growing his own flowers after a friend gave him a cabinet to grow at home. It was a conscientious effort to withdraw from the illegal market and consume “blood-free” cannabis. Curiosity led him to extract oil from his flowers, opening a whole new world for him to explore. “The technique, the methods, the tools. I really liked it,” he says. “The lab part really appealed to me.” Once he immersed himself in this world, Alacont began doing his research, finding information around the internet developed by independent scientists and growers. He learned all about the plant’s therapeutic and medicinal uses and decided to take a step in that direction. 

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Although the use of cannabis as a therapeutic and medicinal aid stretches back to at least 2,800 B.C. in China, the plant has been targeted by authorities since the early 20th century, limiting not only its distribution for consumption but also any clinical research. Independent studies isolated the plant’s chemical components and experimented with how they affected people in different ways, prompting the legalization of medical cannabis in California in 1996 as part of the Compassionate Use Act. Since then, an industry has developed in the U.S. and Europe.

Once Alacont decided to develop different products, he used his close friends and family members as “guinea pigs.” He would give products to people he knew who had issues ranging from anxiety to migraines to insomnia. “They would tell me, ‘I was able to sleep really well,’ ‘My pain went away,’ ‘I got migraines like crazy [and now they’re gone],’” he says. “This was all through trial and error and a huge responsibility on my part that I didn’t take lightly.” At first, Alacont gave these products to his friends for free. Afterwards, he decided to make gummies, which he thought would lead to commercializing his products. Making edibles came with its own set of troubles, like mixing the right amount of gelatin so they wouldn’t melt. Then came CBD drops and pain relief ointment. However, taking the next step hasn’t been easy.

Right now, the future for cannabis-based therapeutic products in Mexico doesn’t look very bright. With Köshy, Alacont spends most of his time on social media informing people as well as selling his products. While there have been inroads in legalizing cannabis in the country, little has changed in terms of commercialization. “It’s still a niche market,” Alacont says. “It’s still limited to marijuana users and enthusiasts and people who are doing research. I mean, my aunt and my neighbors aren’t even aware of what cannabis is or what it’s used for. So it’s really bad. As long as our government doesn’t pass a law and introduces a regulated market, well, you can’t do much.” 

Alacont says that he has created several Instagram accounts for Köshy since they get taken down constantly. Selling these products remains illegal and constitutes a risk. “I can’t use the word ‘cannabis’ on my posts because they get flagged,” he says. “There’s no way forward yet. There hasn’t been a political intention for many years.”

While cannabis has been legal in Mexico for recreational and medicinal uses since 2021, it has not been approved by state or federal laws, and the Supreme Court hasn’t given a deadline to enforce the decision. Alacont points out that there’s a moral reaction from older generations in power. However, he’s confident that complete legalization will happen once Mexico follows a lead from other countries and the growing market. As far as the general public, he says that cannabis is already normalized. “I don’t think people give a damn, dude,” he says. “Nobody cares if you smoke weed anymore.”

Whatever the future of cannabis may be, Alacont will continue with his endeavor as a passion. He says that nowadays all the products are made professionally, analyzing each one so they are up to code with U.S. standard regulations. While Köshy can’t grow beyond people in the know, there’s hope that new developments will allow his products to be commercialized without risk or stigma. “Anyone can benefit from a CBD product,” he says with cautious optimism.

Alacont continues learning every day about new discoveries, technology, and uses regarding cannabis. And taking care of plants — cannabis and others he started growing at home — has become a constant for him. “You have to be there every fucking day,” he says, pointing out that he often has to rush back from gigs with Los Viejos to tend to his garden and sometimes gets anxious thinking about it when he’s on tour. “Gardening is an art form; it’s something very beautiful to me. You have to be really responsible. The most important thing is your garden. It’s tough, but it’s really cool. Very fun,” he says.

Another positive effect is that he has found a community of people around cannabis. He offers a workshop on growing cannabis at home three times a year so that younger generations can grow their own plants. “Most of them don’t know anything about weed, but they’re passionate,” Alacont says. “I think it’s really cool for me to be able to share information. We’re passing the flag, and a community is forming.”

Alacont thinks that spreading the word about cannabis’ benefits can only bring good things, and the ability to expand this community is one of the most important aspects. “We’ll always be sharing information and creating connections with other people,” he says. “We feel like we have a little gem there, and in the end, it’s really cool for humans.”

[marcoshassanlevy]

10 Songs That Hype up Fans During Fútbol Games

By  Marcos Hassan 04.21.25 at 11:58

Few things in life match the excitement of watching a stadium fútbol game amid a roaring crowd. Being surrounded by fans cheering for the same team while feeling every play on the field creates an intoxicating atmosphere, and music plays a vital role. When thousands of voices unite in a single melody, it energizes an already electrifying experience.

Singing, specifically, is integral to the sport—a unifying force. Through our Colores franchise, we’ve compiled some of the best Latin anthems that elevate adrenaline-fueled fútbol games to the next level. Colores, consisting of a writing and a radio series, celebrates the unique connection between fútbol and Latine culture by exploring the threads that weave together the fútbol community: the sport, its players, and its fandom.

We’ve curated a list of songs that fans have embraced to connect with players, the game, and each other. These anthems fuel the stadium’s passion and energy, hyping up crowds before matches, lifting players’ spirits during games, and encouraging teams to dominate their opponents. Each chant resonates with the fans’ fervor.

These songs embody fútbol’s unique communal spirit, capturing its passion, energy, and soul. Some do this through lyrics that call for unity and victory, while others borrow melodies that fans adapt to convey their message. Teams across the continent share many of these selections—you might hear a Mexican team’s barra chanting a song written in Argentina or vice versa, creating messages that transcend borders, like when Argentina’s fans adopted a 1969 Creedence Clearwater Revival song to taunt Brazil. This music—often backed by percussion and horns—calls for action and spiritual communion. Here are ten of our favorite Latin fútbol stadium anthems (in no particular order), each with its own cultural significance.

Los Fabulosos Cadillacs - "Matador"

Many of Argentina’s Los Fabulosos Cadillacs’ catalog is perfect for stadium chanting, but this song particularly resonates with fútbol spectators. A player who regularly scores goals is known as a “matador”—like Luis Hernández’s nickname in Mexican fútbol—making this song an obvious choice.

Cruz Azul - "Guantanamera"

Many clubs and fans have adapted this traditional Cuban song, “Guantanamera.” Cruz Azul fans use the infectious lyrics for their chants. The melody and insistent chorus unify any crowd.

Jeanette - "Por Qué Te Vas"

While Spanish singer Jeanette’s original is a melancholic track, when sung by barras like Monterrey’s Tigres, it transforms into an anthem of underdog pride and inevitable triumph.

José Alfredo Jimenez - "El Rey"

One of the most iconic songs in the Mexican songbook, “El Rey,” is a natural fit. In the face of defeat, this anthem of defiance remains a stadium staple, especially when the home team loses.

Convictos De La Villa - "Desde Niño Te Sigo"

Here’s how fútbol transcends borders: Convictos De La Villa, a Mexican group that plays cumbia villera (a subgenre of cumbia birthed in Argentina), giving fútbol aficionados an anthem that expresses their lifelong loyalty.

Celia Cruz - "Carnaval"

This song serves as an anthem for victories and encouragement during tough times. Celia Cruz’s life-affirming melody energizes crowds even without lyrics.

Hugo Blanco - "Moliendo Café"

Another continental traveler, “Moliendo Café,” reached Mexico after Argentine fans embraced it. You can hear it through La Rebel, one of the league’s most passionate fan bases, supporting the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM)’s Pumas.

Los Auténticos Decadentes - "Loco"

Like Los Cadillacs, Los Auténticos Decadentes craft music perfect for thousands of voices singing in unison. Though “Loco” began as a love song, in fútbol it expresses boundless passion.

Farruko - "Pepas"

This modern classic has become a worldwide stadium staple thanks to its undeniable catchiness. As this video shows, it’s not just fans who embrace it—teams like Real Madrid use it for pre-game motivation and victory celebrations.

Julieta Venegas - "Andar Conmigo"

Sometimes a song is so powerful that it needs no adaptation to become a stadium anthem. Although Julieta Venegas may not have intended to create her hit song for fandom or competition, it inspires entire stadiums to sing along to an undeniable banger.

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‘Aquamosh’: Plastilina Mosh’s Weido Pop Masterpiece

The music from this Mexican alternative classic is perfect for a generation that’s grown up on short-form video and eclectic playlists.

Published on May 15, 2025 By Marcos Hassan

During the commercial heyday of Mexican rock, bands made their mark by fusing different genres. Artists such as Caifanes mixed post-punk and arena rock with pre-Hispanic music, while others like Café Tacvba and Maldita Vecindad borrowed elements from ska, punk, son cubano, cumbia, disco, and more. But few artists deftly combined as much as Monterrey’s Plastilina Mosh.

The duo, composed of Juan José “Jonás” Gonzalez and Alejandro Rosso, made wildly exploratory music using both traditional instruments and state-of-the-art tools like computers and samplers. They made their mark right from the get-go with their 1998 full-length debut, Aquamosh. It was an amazingly creative and fun mishmash in which everything from lounge to industrial coalesced into a nearly flawless record. It helped establish Plastilina Mosh as auteurs of experimental hook-laden music that still sounds fresh decades after its release.

Listen to Plastilina Mosh’s Aquamosh now.

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Plastilina Mosh started in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon in 1997. Jonaz had played in a metal band called Koervoz De Malta and Rosso, a classically-trained musician, played keyboards in the prog-leaning outfit Acarnienses. Both had interest in a wide range of music, from acid jazz to punk.

Around this time, Monterrey was becoming a mecca for music in Mexico. The Mexican rock boom – which started with bands like Caifanes and Botellita de Jerez in the late 1980s – had its epicenter in Mexico City. But as the 90s progressed, attention began to shift to Monterrey, with the G-funk-inspired Control Machete, the power pop-meets-rap rock of Zurdok, the Britpop-leaning Jumbo, the Latin rhythms of El Gran Silencio, and many more. The press dubbed this generation of bands La Avanzada Regia. Loosely translated, it means “The Regal Avant-Garde.” (“Regio” is a nickname for people from Monterrey.)

After signing with EMI, Plastilina Mosh recorded what became their debut full-length, Aquamosh. The album was produced by Tom Rothrock and Rob Schnapf, with additional production from Jason Roberts and Sukia – the latter coming on board after being recommended by the Dust Brothers. (P-Mosh had asked for the Dust Brothers themselves, thanks to their work on the Beastie Boys’ Paul’s Boutique and Beck’s Odelay.)

“We use everything that we have ever listened to and liked,” explained Jonás. “It’s like going to a gigantic supermarket where you pick everything that’s good, and sometimes even some bad items.” That’s apparent from the off. Aquamosh is marked by a devil-may-care attitude, everything but the kitchen sink instrumentation, and a kitsch aesthetic; characteristics that put them in conversation with the aforementioned Beasties and Beck. At the time, Billboard even hyped them as “Mexico’s answer to the Beastie Boys.”

Even so, Plastilina’s sound had plenty of unique elements. The album opens with “Niño Bomba,” their most political track – think Rage Against The Machine if they were raised on DJ Shadow instead of Black Flag. From there, the sound and tone zigzags: “Afroman” inhabits the same galaxy as Digital Underground while “Ode To Mauricio Garces” – named after the Mexican B-movie casanova – delves into bossa-inflected lounge not too far from Stereolab’s gentler moments. “Monster Truck” is a digital blues stomp and “Bungaloo Punta Cometa” could well have been a Butthole Surfers deep cut. The album ends with “Mr. P-Mosh,” a weirdo pop collage that’s the most unclassifiable song on the album. It also became the biggest hit. Featuring boogie bass, aggro-rapping, girl-group backing vocals, harmonica, and a plethora of samples, the song is as irresistible as it is unpredictable.

Aquamosh soon reached instant classic status. Singles like “Niño Bomba,” “Afroman,” and most importantly, “Mr. P-Mosh,” quickly became staples of Mexico’s rock radio while their artfully kitschy videos were in constant rotation on MTV’s Latin channel which broadcasted to all of Latin America. Plastilina soon toured all over the continent as well as Spain, Europe, and the U.S. Outlets such as Spin and Vibe praised the album. Further critical and commercial success came with their contributions to soundtracks for internationally renowned Mexican movies like Y Tu Mamá También and Todo El Poder.

Plastilina Mosh returned with Juan Manuel in 2000, abandoning the adrenaline-inducing punk attitude of Aquamosh to delve into dance music, disco and trip hop, all with their fun-loving anarchic spirit in place. Later, they leaned toward melodic experiments with songs like “Peligroso Pop” and “Perverted Pop Song,” showcasing their ability to make picture perfect power pop without sacrificing their experimental instincts.

After their 2008 full-length album, All You Need Is Mosh, Plastilina slowed down. While the duo never officially disbanded, Jonás and Rosso took time to focus on side projects as well as solo albums. Plastilina would come back periodically to play sporadic shows and release the occasional new single, like “MJLM” and “Controlemos El Fuego (People’s League Version).”

Today, their status as elder statesmen in the Mexican scene is secure. They paved the way for more Mexican music fusionists like Nortec and 3BallMTY, groups that put together genres like norteño, cumbia with electronics, and hip-hop. Much like the Beastie Boys and Beck in the United States, the group’s music predicted a generation that’s grown up on short-form video and eclectic playlists, where hip-hop, corridos, and rock mix together without a second thought.

Perhaps Plastilina Mosh’s biggest contribution to Mexican music, cemented on Aquamosh, is that, with the right attitude, different sounds can coexist.

Listen to Plastilina Mosh’s Aquamosh now.

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Belafonte Sensacional para Quemasucabeza

Guión, investigación y copy

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Ricos Discos para Quemasucabeza

Guión, copy y material gráfico