Same Stage, Two Different Countries of Sound
Over Mexican Independence Day weekend, PH Live at Planet Hollywood hosts two of the most beloved names in regional Mexican music on back-to-back nights, and the two could hardly be less alike. Los Angeles Azules bring orchestral cumbia on Saturday; Los Tucanes de Tijuana bring accordion-driven norteño on Sunday. If you only know one kind of Mexican music, here's a chance to hear how wide the tradition really runs, in the same room two nights running.
Los Angeles Azules: Orchestral Cumbia (September 12)
Los Angeles Azules come from Iztapalapa in Mexico City, and over four decades they turned cumbia into something symphonic, wrapping violins, brass and a full arrangement around a rhythm made for the dance floor. They were the first Mexican group to enter YouTube's Billion Views Club, a measure of how far their sound has traveled. Their Las Vegas stop is part of the Cumbia Sin Fronteras tour, and it's the more celebratory, all-ages, everyone-on-their-feet night of the two. If your idea of a perfect concert is a room that never stops dancing, this is the one.
Date: Saturday, September 12, 8:00 p.m. | Sound: Orchestral cumbia | Best for: Dancers, all-ages groups, first-timers to regional Mexican music
Los Tucanes de Tijuana: Storytelling Norteno (September 13)
Los Tucanes de Tijuana are the other side of the tradition entirely. Formed in Tijuana in 1987, they built norteño into an institution: accordion and bajo sexto, upbeat rhythms, and songs that tell stories about real lives. They have sold more than 13 million records and won a Latin Grammy for Best Norteño Album, and they have filled everything from Dodger Stadium to Mexico City's Zocalo. Their Vegas show brings support act Tapy Quintero. Where the Azules night is about the dance, the Tucanes night is about the songs -- narrative, rooted, and unmistakably northern Mexican.
Date: Sunday, September 13, 8:00 p.m. | Sound: Accordion-driven norteño | Best for: Storytelling fans, adult crowds, norteño diehards
The Practical Truth
These are two separate concerts on two separate tickets, one night apart, and both are single dates rather than runs -- once the weekend passes, they're gone. That opens a possibility most people miss: if you're in town that weekend, you can do both and hear the full range of regional Mexican music in about 24 hours, cumbia one night and norteño the next. If you only want one, choose by what you want the room to do -- dance with the Azules, or listen with the Tucanes. Check the booking section below for current availability on both nights.
