The blue Angelsthe popular cumbia group formed in 1976 in Iztapalapa, a popular neighborhood in Mexico City, has achieved great success in Mexico, Latin America and the United States. The band is made up of the Mejía Avante brothers: Elías “El Doc”, Jorge, Alfredo, José, Héctor José and Cristina, who chose the name of the group in a random way.
In an interview with journalist Cristina Pacheco, José Mejía Avante, one of the founding members of Los Ángeles Azules, shared the origin of the name that has become synonymous with cumbia and joy. The story begins when the group, originally called “The Blue Angels“(the blue angels), separated after a fight between its members.
The maternal figure became relevant in this stage of the band. In the face of adversity, Mrs. Martha, always insightful in finding solutions to her children’s challenges in the world of music, suggested to Raúl Díaz that she not worry about the departure of her colleagues. Instead, she encouraged him to form his own ensemble with the musicians around him and continue sharing the magic of music.
After the disagreement, Raúl Díaz, a member of the band, kept the rights to the name. Raúl, infected by Mrs. Martha’s optimistic vision, accepted the suggestion and, when the time came to baptize the new group, the woman herself proposed the name: The blue Angels.
(We also recommend: Why is living in the United States called the ‘American dream’? The secret is revealed)
The internationalization of Los Ángeles Azules
Los Ángeles Azules are known for their cumbia music with touches of danzón, mambo and chachachá, with sales of more than 30 million records. In 2017, The band was invited to perform at the Coachella festival, in California, the first time a cumbia band performed at the annual festival in Indio, California. Their performance was a success and helped popularize cumbia in the United States.
In the United States, the Blue Angels have had great success, being nominated for two Grammy Awards and have won a Latin Grammy Award. They have appeared at major music festivals and collaborated with American artists such as Gloria Estefan, Becky G and Nicky Jam.
The collaborations of Los Ángeles Azules have helped popularize cumbia internationally. The band has shown that cumbia can be an accessible and attractive genre for a diverse audience. Some of their most successful collaborations have been the following:
- It’s never enough (2018) with Natalia Lafourcade: This song was a smash hit in Mexico and Latin America, reaching number one on the charts in several countries. This song authored by Natalia Lafourcade helped popularize cumbia in a new generation of listeners.
- Love at first sight (2019) with Belinda, Lalo Ebratt and Horacio Palencia: This song was another international hit for Los Ángeles Azules. The collaboration helped cumbia reach a new audience, especially among young people.
- My feelings (2020) with Ximena Sariñana: This song earned them their first participation on the Latin Grammy stage.
#Los #Ángeles #Azules #famous #Mexican #group