By Nestor Salgado
The show kicked off with “Entrega de Amor” (Delivery of Love) which immediately set the crowd on fire. The lights went dim, Los Ángeles Azules walked on stage and the band started playing their instantly recognizable keyboard and accordion combo.
The dancing didn’t take very long to start as the upbeat tropical sounds put everyone in a festive mood. In fact so many people were dancing, it was hard to walk around. The narrow paths were flooded with dancers. So much so, that security had to intervene and stop people from blocking the walkways near the front row. The band noticed that the dancing came to a halt and asked the crowd why they’ve stopped. People started shouting “Security won’t let us dance!” Frontman Elias Avante assured security that it’s okay and the celebration resumed with fans in attendance dancing the night away.
Towards the middle to end of the show, the anticipation to witness and sing along to the band’s top hits was incredibly high. Elias Avante even teased the crowd saying, “thank you very much” and dimming the lights as if to close out the show. After that, the fans got their wish. The cheers and screams for “Como Te Voy Olvidar” (How Will I Forget You) and “Nunca Es Suficiente” (It’s Never Enough) erupted in the venue. Everybody in the horseshoe shaped arena went mad! Pandamonium from the floor seats and extreme excitement from the nosebleeds. These songs are the band’s biggest hits. For some, that’s what they came to see! For the die hard fans, they got a 12 track set list and a show that lasted nearly 2 hours.
This musical group formed in 1980. Since then, they’ve been consistently releasing music to Latin music lovers all over the world. “Nunca es Suficiente” feat. Natalia Lafourcade reached #1 on the Regional Mexican charts. That same year, Los Ángeles Azules became the first traditional cumbia band to play at Coachella.
Los Ángeles Azules have recently collaborated with rising stars Santa Fe Klan & Cazzu on “Tu y Tu” (You and You) which was released a week before this show and is already racking up numbers. Do Los Ángeles Azules have another hit on their hands? We’ll have to wait and see.
