Los Ángeles Azules

Los Ángeles Azules
Background information
OriginIztapalapa, Mexico City, Mexico
GenresMexican cumbia, Cumbia Sinfónica
Years active1976 (1976)–present
Websitelosangelesazules.com.mx

Los Ángeles Azules are a Mexican musical group that plays the cumbia sonidera genre, which is a cumbia subgenre using the accordion and synthesizers. This results in a fusion of the sounds of cumbia from the 1950-1970s with those of 1990s-style electronic music.[1]

History

The group got together in 1976, but started officially in 1980. It was formed by the siblings of the Mejía Avante family: Elías, Alfrado, José Hilario, Jorge, Cristina and Guadalupe.[1]

The group went through various periods of popularity and various styles. In 1997, they had a huge hit with Cómo Te Voy a Olvidar, re-recorded many hits with guest vocalists including Carla Morrison, Lila Downs, and Ximena Sariñana in 2013. In 2014, they launched a new musical genre cumbia sinfónica as they performed their greatest contemporary hits with the Mexico City Symphony Orchestra. Their subsequent album Cómo Te Voy a Olvidar Edición de Súper Lujo reached #5 on the Mexican regional music charts.[1]

In 2016, they issued De Plaza En Plaza, which features collaborations with Mexican artist Gloria Trevi, Yuri, Natalia Lafourcade, Spanish musician Miguel Bosé, American duo Ha*Ash, among others.[2] The first single from the album was "La Cumbia del Infinito" with Natalia Lafourcade and Rodrigo & Gabriela; released on June 3, 2016. The second single "Mi Niña Mujer" with Ha*Ash was released on August 5, 2016.[3] The same year they recorded their twenty-seventh album Esto Sí Es Cumbia.[4]

The album was officially released in June 2018, under the OCESA Seitrack.[5] Esto Sí Es Cumbia consists entirely of cover songs.[5] Included interpretations of "Nunca Es Suficiente" with Natalia Lafourcade, "Me Cuesta Tanto Olvidarte" with Ana Torroja, "Perdón, Perdón" with Ha*Ash, "El Amor Después del Amor" with Fito Paéz, among others.[6] In 2018, they played on the Coachella Stage at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, making it the first time a traditional cumbia group has played at the popular festival.[7]

Discography

Studio albums

  • Ritmo... Alegría... Sabor!, Vol. 1 (1982)
  • Los Ángeles Azules, Vol. 2 (1983)
  • Los Ángeles Azules, Vol. 3 (1984)
  • Cumbia de la Tostadita, Vol. 4 (1985)
  • Cumbia de las Chispitas, Vol. 5 (1987)
  • Los Ángeles Azules, Vol. 6 (1988)
  • Y Valió La Pena Esperar, Vol. 7 (1989)
  • Y Esta... Si Es Cumbia, Vol. 8 (1991)(Last álbum recorded at Discos Pearless)
  • Entrega de Amor (1993)Disa
  • Sin Pecado (1995)
  • Inolvidables/Como Te Voy A Olvidar (1996)
  • Confesiones[El Grupo Tropical De La Década] (1998)
  • Una Lluvia De Rosas (1999)
  • Alas Al Mundo (2002)
  • Nunca Te Olvidaré (2004)
  • Interpretan Éxitos de Juan Gabriel (2006)(Last álbum recorded at Disa)
  • Tu Juguete (2007) Musart/Balboa Records
  • A Ritmo De Cumbia/Iztapalapa Te Quiero (2012)
  • Cómo Te Voy a Olvidar (2013) OCESA Seitrack, Sony Music
  • Viernes Cultural (2014) OCESA Seitrack
  • De Plaza En Plaza (2016) OCESA Seitrack
  • Esto Sí Es Cumbia (2018) OCESA Seitrack
  • De Buenos Aires Para El Mundo (2020) OCESA Seitrack, Sony Music
  • Cumbia del Corazón (2022) OCESA Seitrack
  • Se Agradece (2024) OCESA Seitrack

Live albums

  • En Vivo, Azul Vivo (2002) Disa
  • En Vivo, Gira2005 (2005) (DVD) Disa
  • En Vivo Desde Phoenix.(2020)Sony Music(Only available on digital download)

EPs

  • Dance Mixes (1997)(Remixes Album). Disa

Compilations

References

  1. ^ a b c Los Ángeles Azules: Artist biography by Drago Bonacich", AllMusic
  2. ^ "Los Ángeles Azules estrenan de Plaza en Plaza". Tropicalísima 13-50 (in Spanish). Retrieved 2020-08-07.
  3. ^ "Los Ángeles Azules lanza el tema "Mi niña mujer" Feat. Ha*Ash". Vesper Public Relations. 2016-08-11. Retrieved 2020-08-07.
  4. ^ @ecra; oreyes (2018-06-05). "Los Ángeles Azules lanzan álbum "Esto sí es cumbia"". Diario de México (in Spanish). Retrieved 2020-08-07.
  5. ^ a b Roque, Chilango com-José Quezada (2018-06-04). "Esto sí es cumbia: el nuevo disco de Los Ángeles Azules". Chilango (in Spanish). Retrieved 2020-08-07.
  6. ^ Diario, El Nuevo. "El Nuevo Diario". El Nuevo Diario (in Spanish). Retrieved 2020-08-07.
  7. ^ Wood, Mikael. "Azules' cumbia beat: A well-received first for Coachella". LA Times.