SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. (KABC) — From backyard parties in the Inland Empire to packed arenas across the U.S. and Mexico, Fuerza Regida is part of a movement that's bringing regional Mexican music to a global level.
“We are part of this music, we are part of the people that started it,” Jesús Ortiz Paz, lead singer-songwriter for Fuerza Rejida, told Eyewitness News. “We're happy to be a part of this genre that's on the rise,” Moises Lopez said.
The five-piece group formed in San Bernardino in 2015 as a covers band.
“We're really proud of what came out of it, especially representing our music and our culture and having it go global,” Ortiz Paz said.
The band currently tops the charts, boasts over 11 billion streams worldwide, a multicultural fanbase, and collaborations that include hits with Shakira and DJ Marshmello.
We were Photoshopping ourselves in arenas while partying in our backyards, and now it's real
Jesús Ortiz Paz, lead singer and songwriter of Fuerza Regida
One of the things that makes Fuerza Regida stand out in this field is its dual cultural identity.
“I don't think anyone else has had as much success as we have, and I can say that as Mexican-Americans in our genre,” Ortiz Paz said.
On Friday, Fuerza Regidad released “Pero No Te Enamores,” Spanish for “But Don't Fall in Love,” a song named after their current U.S. arena tour.
“Let's say you have a nine-to-five job and you're not happy with it,” Ortiz Paz says, “or you're happy with your salary because you're providing for your family, but you really want something more. Don't fall in love with your situation.”
To launch the album, the band installed murals and partnered with small businesses in cities across the U.S., including the Santa Fe Market in San Bernardino and East Los Angeles. Ortiz Paz, also known as JOP, explained that while they will continue to play corridos, a narrative genre, this album introduces something new.
“A lot of EDM Jersey clubs. We created a new genre for ourselves called Jersey corridos,” Ortiz Paz said.
The album also features reggaeton, with tracks from Colombian rapper and singer Maluma and DJ and producer Afrojack.
“All the big DJs were there, even the little ones,” Ortiz Paz says. “We just did it for the music, for the love of music.”
Tickets for the show at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood have already sold out.
“The manifesto is real,” Ortiz Paz said. “We were partying in our backyards and we were Photoshopping ourselves in the arena, and now it's real.”
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