On Sunday (Sept. 8) day two, the second edition of the Arre Festival, taking place in Mexico City’s Curva 4 Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, became a platform for new artists in the regional Mexican music space, featuring corridos tumbados superstar Junior H as the headliner. Read day one recap here.
Throughout the various stages of the music marathon — which gathered around 60,000 people, according to the promoter Ocesa — groups and solo artists such as Miguel Cornejo, Flor de Toloache, Delilah, and Jasiel Núñez performed, alongside contemporary stars like K-Paz de la Sierra, Banda Los Recoditos, Nortec: Bostich + Fussible, and Gerardo Ortiz, as well as veterans like Los Invasores de Nuevo León and La Única Internacional Sonora.
The cold weather that enveloped the Mexican capitol was no obstacle for attendees, who showed off their best outfits: denim miniskirts, tight jeans, plaid shirts, leather pants, tops, Cowboy hats and boots stood out among the outfits, a mix of urban and country styles. Although the festival is dedicated to various genres of regional Mexican music, punks, rockers and hip-hoppers also attended, surrendering to norteño music and corridos tumbados, and did not hesitate to bust out their best dance moves without prejudice or guilty pleasures.
Outside the venue, images dedicated to the “saints of corridos tumbados” — Saint Natanael Cano, Saint Gerardo Ortiz, and Saint Junior H — were sold by vendors, standing out among the unofficial merchandise items that are usually a sensation among concert attendees.
Here are our five favorite performances from the second day of the Arre Festival 2024.
-
Junior H closes with a bang
At 24 years old, Junior H, a cornerstone of the corridos tumbados genre, had the honor of closing the second and final day of the festival with a bang, winning over even the hardest-to-please fans of regional Mexican music.
The so-called Sad Boy stirred emotions among the audience — who, as night fell, eagerly awaited his performance, which included songs like “Y Lloro” and “Luna.” With “Las Noches,” Junior H captured the hearts of attendees, who sang along to every song in his show.
-
Banda Maguey, 30 years and counting….
The group from Villa Corona, Jalisco, brought the celebration of their first three decades of career to the Arre Festival, taking attendees on a journey through the band’s most successful songs to the delight of old and new fans. With their song “Eva María,” they unleashed a dance party in the Little Caesars tent, where they demonstrated that the people from the capital also enjoy dancing to the rhythm of la quebradita and banda music.
Some curious attendees who approached the tent were left pleasantly surprised by the enthusiasm and delivery of the popular group. They immediately connected with the energy, and let themselves be carried away by the rhythm of songs like “Tumbando Caña,” “Si Tú No Estás” and “Tu Eterno Enamorado.”
-
The Duranguense step of K-Paz de la Sierra
The Duranguense sound was revived with K-Paz de la Sierra, one of the genre’s leading groups, at the Little Ceasars Tent during the second day of the Festival. The group, originally from Chicago, unleashed their singing prowess and even inspired some tears among the attendees at their show, who sang their anthem “Mi Credo” at the top of their lungs.
K-Paz de la Sierra had informed the press that their show in the Arre would be the start of a celebration for their first 22 years — a period in which they had to overcome many things, including the murder of their leader and vocalist Sergio Gómez in 2007, when the surviving members had to weigh whether or not to continue with the project.
-
“Tijuana Makes Me Happy”
The fusion of electronic music with norteñas was celebrated in the Little Ceasars Tent, where the DJs known as Bostich and Fussible — two of the founding members of the famous Tijuana ensemble Nortec Collective — arrived to make thousands of people dance.
“Tijuana Sound Machine” and “Tijuana Makes Me Happy” drove the crowd crazy, as they moved their bodies to the rhythm of the beats and wind instruments — and of course, that unmistakable accordion. “Sueño Fronterizo” was added to the repertoire as well. The duo made for one of the best shows that Arre brought us this year, hands down.
-
¡Arriba, female-led mariachi!
Flor de Toloache — a female-led group formed by Mireya Ramos and Shae Fiol — stood out in the male-dominated genre and space. One of the highlights of the event, they brought a folkloric touch to the musical gathering.
With songs like “Quisiera” and “Besos de Mezcal,” they showcased their identity as Mexican-Americans, as well as their talent for blending traditional mariachi sounds with new, fused rhythms that connect with younger generations.
