2023-12-03 18:30:07
Alejandro Fernández performs during the Besame Mucho music festival at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday, December 2, 2023. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Contributing Photographer)
For the Santana family, the second annual Bésame Mucho Festival at Dodger Stadium on Saturday, Dec. 2, marked a reunion following years of separation. The geographical divide, along with the challenges posed by the pandemic, made gathering everyone together extremely challenging.
“Half of us live in Southern California, while the rest live in different areas of Mexico, and due to the pandemic, it’s been regarding three years since we’ve all seen each other, and it was hard to get everyone together following the world felt like it was falling apart. But being here together, watching artists we all grew up listening to, is an extremely emotional experience for us all,” Lola Santana, an East Los Angeles resident, said as her eight family members stood near the Las Classics stage — with birria tacos in hand — to catch Paquita La del Barrio.
As the single-day Latin music fest continued, it became clear that the familial spirit extended far beyond just the Santana clan. The majority of the sold-out crowd arrived hand in hand with their favorite tía, primo, abuela, or parents, weaving together shared experiences that emphasized the essence of the Latin multi-generational, multi-genre fest that, regardless of time or age, the Latin community might come together easily as one.
Festival producers brought together more than 60 Latin music artists spanning Regional Mexican, Latin pop, salsa, merengue and rock genres that collectively represented decades of rich cultural sounds. The anticipation for the gathering was noticeable, as tickets vanished in less than an hour and a half back in February when they became available.
As doors were readying to open, fans made their way to Union Station to board the jam-packed trams that were departing every 5-minutes and heading to the stadium. Even the bus drivers set the tone by playing hits from Bésame Mucho performers Ramón Ayala and Los Bukis throughout the 10-minute commute as some attendees cheered “Viva la Mexico!”
For its second year, the layout of the event allowed the fans to navigate much more smoothly. There were more than enough beer gardens and food vendors for fans to enjoy, too. No matter where you stood, the smell of carne asada, birria, fresh aquas frescas, fish tacos and corn tortillas filled the air.
Each of the stages — The Rockero, Las Clásicas, Te Gusta El Pop? (You Like Pop?) and Beso — had a different feel, sound and vibe.
“Choosing between four stages seems easy, but its actually been the hardest thing for us to decide on who we’re going to see,” Lia Moya said while power walking to the Rockero stage with her two sisters and mother to catch the popular rock en español group Café Tacvba. “Seriously, how might anyone choose? But all of the great bands today are pretty much at the Rockero stage. We’re setting up shop here for Maná, too. I mean, how might you miss them? I used to listen to (Café Tacvba) as a little girl with my parents on the way home from school, so to watch them with my mom is very special.”
The Rockero stage did draw the largest crowds of the day, with Café Tacvba having one of the biggest audiences midday just before rock icons Maná took over.
“Mexico is still here in Los Angeles,” Rubén Ortega, lead singer of Café Tacvba, shouted. The crowed agreed, screaming “Sí” in unison right back at him.
Café Tacvba, a standout from the inaugural Bésame Mucho event in 2022, returned to the stage with even more electrifying energy. The group played for an hour and delivered the hits “Eres,” “Como te extraño mi amor,” “El Metro” and “Las Flores.”
“No matter where you came from or who you are with, we are all family here tonight,” Ortega shouted while flashing a large smile.
As Café Tacvba’s set came to an end, the crowd swelled as fans packed into see the band that seemed to be the major focal point of the festival: Maná.
The Mexican rock band came out style, with Fher, lead singer of Maná, in an all-black fit and a bedazzled black jacket.
“Los Angeles, are you ready,” he asked as the audience erupted in applause.
For two hours, Maná held these fans in the palms of their hands, effortlessly flipping through a catalog of its greatest hits that had Gen-Z dancing and singing alongside their elders. The band played ’90s hits like “Oye Mi Amor,” “Reyando El Sol” and “Clavado en Un Bar,” all of which went over well.
“Los Angeles is just another part of Mexican heritage for us, we come here and still feel at home,” Fher said.
Over on the Las Classicas stage, Los Tucanes De Tijuana, the Mexican norteño and corrido superstars, ignited a dance frenzy that swept across the festival grounds. Families and partners embraced the rhythm, transforming nearly the entire venue into a Latin club dancefloor. The euphoria reached its peak as the band struck the familiar chords of “La Chona,” a household standard that had many reminiscing regarding family parties that would take place on the weekends. Fans scattered throughout the stadium were seen joyously running up to friends, linking arms, while some formed spontaneous dance pods, adding to the celebration.
As the night came to a close and temperatures dropped to the low 40s, Los Bukis finally took the stage at Las Classicas. The Michoacán band reunited back in 2021 for its first tour in more than 25 years, providing a comeback performance that left many fans in tears as love ballads “Quiéreme” and “A Donde Vayas” were played.
“Me and my dad used to listen to Los Bukis on Sunday mornings together all the time when I was in middle school,” Sherie Lopez, who traveled from Houston, Texas with her family shared while watching Los Bukis. “I can’t think of a better way to end the night. And its funny because I’ve seen so many people out here with their parents. I think that’s the whole point of this festival is bringing us together and I’m glad we might all experience that.”
Kiss Me Much Festival
When: Saturday, Dec. 2
Where: Dodger Stadium, 1000 Vin Scully Ave., Los Angeles
1701636256
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