Latin music at SXSW 2025: Sultanes Del Yonke, Conjunto Rienda Real command the dance floor

2:25 a.m.

Sporting black sequins and leopard print, the San Luis Potosí ensemble carried a carefree dance party until 2 a.m. with their jazzy brand of norteño sax. Lovers, goths and anime fans encircled each other to the frisky pace of the music, which occasionally detoured into rock n’ roll territory; the band cleverly covered Julieta Venegas’ 2006 indie classic, “Me Voy,” prompting a singalong from the ladies in attendance. Not even I, dear reader, could resist the allure of a norteña dance with a friendly stranger. It was a family-style, rooftop asada at Mala Fama — sans the carne, but full of heart.

Wednesday, 12:51 a.m.

Led by singer Francisco “Shrek” Rodriguez, Arsenal Efectivo was the band that launched a thousand copycats who now record under the “trap corrido” label; on Tuesday night, they reminded Austin exactly who they’ve been since they dropped their influential 2015 EP, “Vida Peligrosa.” Swathed in a dense cloud of pot smoke, the band ambled through a series of hard gangster ballads. Glamorous buchonas in the front row took selfies with Shrek, who puffed on a joint and shouted “F— the feds!” He then ushered in his friend, San Antonio crooner Distinto, to sing a couple sad sierreño-style songs; the band then closed the set with a haunting 2024 corrido, titled “Eternamente.” Shrek dubbed it “the first corrido with an Akai MPC synthesizer,” which — fun fact — was the same synth used by Kanye West in his 2004 album, “The College Dropout.”

11:55 p.m.

Have you ever wondered what the B-52’s would sound like if they were from a border town? No? Me neither. Hailing from El Paso and Ciudad Juarez, Sultanes Del Yonke, or, Sultans of the Junkyard, already showed promise when they sound-checked to the quirky ukelele music from “Spongebob Squarepants.” But they delivered on that promise at the De Los showcase with a series of absurdist cumbia-punk jams, inspiring fans to pogo and waltz in frenzied intervals. All bets were off once their chaotic drummer and vocalist, Toño Ramos, dropped his pants and bestowed the crowd with a cheeky full moon.

10:37 pm

Austin singer-songwriter Midnight Navy, born Francisco Jose Rosales, brought a sultry, alternative flair (along with many instruments) to the rooftop of Mala Fama. Fortified by a four-piece psychedelic band, Navy’s groovy take on the Chicano rock classic by Malo, “Suavecito,” prompted the audience to join in singing and swaying to the beat. Navy volleyed between his keyboard, guitar and saxophone — and all the while, delivered soulful vocals in English and Spanish. The crowd’s demands for an encore kept the band onstage for just one more number: a funky, mesmerizing rendition of Fito Olivares’ “Cumbia de La Cobra.” Magic filled the air as the audience became light on their feet.

10:10 p.m.

Blending touches of mariachi and jazz, TikTok crooner Edgar Alejandro brings a fresh new perspective to an old school sound. Onstage at Mala Fama, the Inland Empire-based musician beguiled the crowd in a meditative trance. With one sip of his beer, he ditched his acoustic guitar and called his friend, Bolo the DJ to join him onstage for an EDM interlude. A blaring house track swept the rooftop as Alejandro sang lyrics about an ex-lover — giving way to a freestyle solo from the trumpet player. Within a matter of minutes, Alejandro took his tear-jerking set and became a house vocalist.

Tuesday, 9:00 p.m.

L.A.-based club extraordinaire Bolo the DJ — a.k.a. Edgar Avalos — paused his reggaeton-EDM mega mix to raise a glass in celebration of his Tuesday night SXSW set, hosted by De Los. The crowd on the rooftop of Mala Fama came together for the toast, with the unifying chant: “Pa’rriba, pa’bajo; pal centro y pa’ dentro.” His lively set brought together remixes of Bad Bunny’s “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS,” sneak peaks of his own new music... but above all, Latinos.

Tuesday 1:30 a.m.

Revelers gathered under the neon lights of the Coconut Club on Monday night, thirsty for reggaeton and ron de coco. Puerto Rican producer Caleb Calloway, renowned for his intrepid work on records by Feid, Rauw Alejandro, Alvaro Diaz and spun a medley of his own greatest hits (so far) — and pleased the crowd with a marathon of upbeat, 2000s perreo classics.

The Latin Grammy-winning DJ-producer Trooko took over the deck at 12:45am and turned it into his own personal laboratory; with the frenzied passion of a mad scientist, he mixed live, splicing his own tracks for Bad Bunny and Residente with currents of bhangra and chicha rhythms. A highlight: the moment when Trooko’s sandungueo mix met the jangling sample from Run DMC’s “Peter Piper,” cueing an impromptu break dance session on the dance floor.

Monday, 11:00 p.m.

Sometimes hearing Migos repeat the words “Hannah Montana” over and over again on top of a pulsing beat can be the warmest welcome.

As Joaqu.n played the Coconut Club’s La Subcultura showcase on Monday night, he found the ultimate intersection between contemporary rap and Latin beats. From JT’s “Okay” to Los Enanitos Verdes’ “Lamento Boliviano,” he was sure to also throw in the sounds of early reggaeton like “Pam Pam” by Wisin & Yandel. Atop the Austin rooftop bar, the night was still young and the crowd was growing by the minute.

Despite the thin chattering crowd, there was no lull in sight for the Venezuelan DJ — drawing on current hip hop like the chart topping Kendrick Lamar and Sza collaboration “Luther” and Sexyy Red’s “Get it Sexyy” over various cumbia beats. Like any other DJ, he was bordered by a few hype people nodding their head to every heavy bass drop. Surrounded by the angular skyscrapers of the city’s skyline, Joaqu.n’s modern blend of hip hop, old school reggaeton and touches of rock en español set the tone for the remainder of the night.

In 2024, De Los, the Latino-centric vertical of the Los Angeles Times, hosted an official showcase at the South by Southwest Music Festival in Austin, Texas, a multiday event that turns every nook and cranny in downtown into a makeshift stage. It was an intimate affair with a lineup that included the likes of Los Aptos, Pink Pablo and Bodine, all acts who recorded songs that made my list of most played tracks last year — a special shoutout to Pink Pablo’s “Perdimos el Control,” whose hook I hum at least once a day.

We had so much fun that we’re doing it again.

On Thursday, De Los announced via Instagram the list of acts performing at our upcoming showcase. While 2024’s lineup featured a sampling of various Latin music genres, this year’s selection of artists has a strong emphasis on música Mexicana, which has been dominating the streaming services over the last 12 months.

Now in its 37th year, South by Southwest, the annual arts and tech conference that runs March 7-15 in Austin, Texas, has no shortage of stellar Latin music acts on its roster.

On March 11, we at De Los will host our second annual SXSW showcase at Mala Fama. Arsenal Efectivo, Edgar Alejandro and Midnight Navy will star in the program, which you can find here.

In the meantime, below are 10 essential Latino performances we’ll be penciling into our schedule, listed in chronological order.