Andrea Bocelli will join the list of international artists who have performed at the iconic Zócalo in Mexico City on April 18, when he takes to the country’s main public square for a free concert. And he won’t do it alone.
That night, the acclaimed Italian tenor will be accompanied by the Mexican cumbia band Los Ángeles Azules and singer/songwriter Ximena Sariñana, announced Banco Plata, the event’s organizer alongside the city government.
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“Can you imagine that fusion? Neither can we, but we can’t wait to hear how it sounds,” said the bank in a message posted on social media on Tuesday night (April 7).
Bocelli will bring his celebrated 1997 album Romanza — one of his most successful and commercially acclaimed — to the Plaza de la Constitución (the official name of the Zócalo) in celebration of its 30th anniversary.
Clara Brugada, Mexico City’s head of government, previously expressed excitement about Bocelli’s performance at the iconic venue. “It will be a magical evening that reaffirms Mexico City as the cultural capital of the world,” she said.
The Zócalo is considered a landmark of great importance, as it is a plaza filled with symbolism where politics, social movements, culture and religion intersect. It is the second-largest public square in the world, only behind Tiananmen Square in Beijing.
One of the earliest concerts held at the Zócalo on record was by Los Tigres del Norte in 1999, which lasted nearly three hours. Since then, artists like Paul McCartney, Roger Waters, Justin Bieber, Shakira, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs and Grupo Firme have performed there before thousands of attendees.
On March 1, Colombian superstar Shakira set a record as the artist who has drawn the largest number of attendees to a free show in the Zócalo, with 400,000 people gathered, according to official figures. The previous record-holder was the Argentine band Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, which brought together 300,000 people on June 3, 2023, followed by Grupo Firme, which attracted 280,000 attendees a year earlier.
Today (April 8) Joan Sebastian, the Mexican music icon whose hits remain benchmarks not just for the genre but for Latin music in general, would have turned 75.
Born in 1951 in Juliantla, Guerrero, the “Poet of the People,” as he was also known, dedicated five decades of his life to music, blending his campirano-style love and heartbreak lyrics with Sinaloan banda, mariachi and even pop, leaving a remarkable legacy behind.
During his prolific career, Joan Sebastian — whose real name was José Manuel Figueroa — appeared 43 times on Billboard‘s Hot Latin Songs chart, with 11 songs reaching the top 10, including “Te Irá Mejor Sin Mí,” “Un Idiota” and “Más Allá del Sol.” On Top Latin Albums, he achieved 35 entries, 19 of which landed in the top 10, while three reached No. 1: En Vivo: Desde La Plaza El Progreso De Guadalajara (2001), Celebrando El 13 (2013) and Personalidad (2015) — the latter released shortly before his death on July 13, 2015, after a tough battle with cancer.
Over the years, artists from various musical genres have paid tribute to him in their performances and even recorded versions of his songs, each infusing their own style without altering the essence he brought to his work.
From the rock of Moderatto and the ska of Panteón Rococó to the regional Mexican sounds of Valentín Elizalde and Edén Muñoz, or the bolero stylings of Charlie Zaa — here are 10 of the best covers to celebrate the life and work of Joan Sebastian, presented in chronological order based on their original release.
