How the Inland Empire became key to música Mexicana’s success

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Even during a brief, local heatwave, countless residents of the Inland Empire still made their way to a Mexican music festival, undeterred.

On a swelteringly hot Saturday afternoon in May, with temperatures reaching 100 degrees, hordes of Banda enthusiasts began queuing outside John W. North Park in downtown Riverside, eagerly awaiting entry to La Tardeada – an annual Banda festival now in its second year. This event is coordinated by Division 9 Gallery, a local arts center known for hosting citywide cultural activities with a focus on the Latino community.

Instead of choosing comfortable summer clothing due to the scorching heat, several attendees decided to don their finest vaquero ensembles, featuring leather boots, cowboy jeans with ornate belts, embroidered blouses, plaid shirt-jackets, and traditional tejana outfits.

For hours on end, the main stage was teeming with dancers adorned in costumes, locking arms and swaying rhythmically, responding to the melodies of trumpets, guitars, and occasionally an accordion. They would pause momentarily to raise their micheladas and Modelos aloft as lead singers cheered them on for enduring the heat.

Cielo Ramirez, an attendee, mentioned that if these events happened every month, she might find herself there consistently.

The significant turnout at La Tardeada – with approximately 4,000 participants throughout the day, expressing their enthusiasm to engage in festivities – underscores the substantial influence Mexican music genres have had on the local region. It additionally highlights the crucial part played by the Inland Empire community and its residents in fostering the rapid expansion of música Mexicana throughout the United States.

There’s no denying that regional Mexican music has experienced significant growth in its fan base over the past few years. An end-of-year report by entertainment data company Luminate in 2024 revealed it as the most popular Latin subgenre in the U.S., with on-demand streams nearly tripling since 2021. Additionally, Spotify data shows that streaming of Mexican music on their platform has increased over 440% globally over the past five years. A Luminate report from 2023 states that Latinos account for 83% of listeners in this genre within the United States.

This area has given birth to some of the genre’s biggest celebrities: The musicians of Fuerza Regida frequently showcase their roots from San Bernardino in numerous songs and visuals. “Sierreño sadboy” Ivan Cornejo hails from Riverside. DannyLux, a romantic balladeer, is from the Coachella Valley. Cumbia pop queen Estevie grew up in Beaumont.

From 2015 onwards, Fuerza Regida stands out as one of the most diligent groups in Mexican music. Through their eighth studio album titled “Pero No Te Enamores,” they are advancing the genre.

The Inland Empire’s demographics also make it a major market for the genre.

According to Pew Research Center’s findings, Riverside and San Bernardino counties rank sixth and eighth respectively among U.S. counties with the largest Hispanic/Latino populations. Both counties are part of the top ten counties experiencing the most significant growth in their Hispanic/Latino population between 2010 and 2020. The center also noted that people of Mexican descent constitute a staggering 86% of the total Latino population in these regions.

The significant Latino population in the Inland Empire can be attributed, in part, to its extensive rural areas and lower living expenses, as stated by Xóchitl Chávez, an associate professor in UC Riverside’s music department. Beyond her career as a musician, she has spent years researching how Mexicans have preserved their cultural heritage after moving to the United States. She explains that for decades, the region has drawn immigrants seeking to replicate their homeland’s culture. Furthermore, she discovered that these two counties have served as a significant market for Mexican music for many years before its recent mainstream popularity surge.

As a true film enthusiast, I’d say this: “In our community, many hardworking individuals are eager to put their savings into real estate development,” Chávez mentioned. “Thanks to this opportunity, people were able to acquire land parcels and transform them into thriving spaces.

She indicated numerous establishments such as family-operated restaurants, ranches, and music hubs – eateries like A Mi Hacienda in Norco, bars like El Rodeo in Moreno Valley, and arenas like Rancho Imperial in San Bernardino included – which serve as an unofficial platform for local regional Mexican artists. These platforms, she clarified, operate informally since artists typically learn about these places or get hired by them through casual communication.

In her research travels, she’s often found herself at various events in unusual locations such as rented parking spaces behind factories or private ranches. However, when speaking about La Tardeada, Chávez pointed out that this event could potentially be the city’s biggest banda festival, and it also symbolizes a significant mainstream market trend towards larger venues and concert halls.

Chávez mentioned that it was likely the casinos who realized this first, just before the pandemic. He’s referring to a novel observation since the Vaquero and Banda cultures are costly, and many overlook their financial aspects.

Over the past few years, establishments such as Yaamava’ Resort and Casino in Highland, Morongo Casino Resort, Spa in Cabazon, and Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio have frequently invited a diverse range of Mexican music artists to perform. Notable figures like Grupo Firme took the stage at the Highland casino towards the end of last year, while Los Ángeles Azules and renowned Mexican group La Arrolladora Banda El Limón are set to grace their stages in the near future.

At these local venues, artists similar to Mariangela Nobre often play, and Nobre herself has been doing tributes to the late regional Mexican artist Jenni Rivera at these casinos since 2021. According to Nobre, it’s the Inland Empire audience that has shown her the greatest appreciation, as fans frequently attend her shows to join in singing their favorite Jenni Rivera songs.

“I think it’s a community that pays attention to the artist, and that’s very rare,” Nobre said.

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In addition to being part of the Inland Empire, it’s worth mentioning that the city of Ontario is where you’ll find the Toyota Arena. This 11,000-capacity venue has been graced by some of the biggest names in music over the past few years. The latest buzz surrounding this arena came about in 2022, when Fuerza Regida put on a sold-out show following a marketing strategy that involved blocking traffic on the westbound 10 Freeway.

As a film critic hailing from San Bernardino, I’ve always found myself drawn to venues buzzing with Mexican music – a scene that, according to Mark Ocegueda, an assistant professor of history at Brown University, has been a long-standing hotbed for such tunes. Mark himself grew up in these parts and is currently penning a book on the historical journey of Latinos in our region.

In the 1930s, San Bernardino boasted the second-biggest Mexican community in the Greater Los Angeles area. This substantial population, as he posits, significantly contributed to making the region a magnet for Mexican artists. Notably, the Toyota Arena previously played host to Vicente Fernández during the early 2010s.

Ocegueda noted that the market has long been recognized as robust. He believes that the prominence and success of this genre in the Inland Empire make it an essential platform for this type of music.

Mexican Music, particularly in the past five years, has gained mainstream popularity among Generation Z and millennial Latin audiences. This article will offer insights into the genre’s crucial musical instruments, suggest top venues for authentic Mexican-themed parties, provide guidance on finding the ideal cowboy attire, and more.

In the beginning scenes of Fuerza Regida’s music video for “Mi Vecindario,” shots of the vibrant downtown San Bernardino nightlife intersperse with those of the band’s lead vocalist, Jesus Ortiz Paz, or JOP, cruising around in a Rolls-Royce. Additionally, the group subtly mentions Rancho Cucamonga and Colton, two significant cities within San Bernardino County, during the initial 30 seconds of their song “El Walks.

In the artwork for their first studio album titled “Del Barrio Hasta Aquí,” the band underscores their roots in the area by depicting scenes reminiscent of the Beatles’ iconic “Abbey Road” cover, but instead of London streets, they showcase the city’s Santa Fe smokestack and rail yard.

The location holds significant historical importance for Mexican Americans in the region, as per Ocegueda’s account.

During the time of the Mexican Revolution, there was an increase in Mexican immigrants arriving at railway junctions and cities such as the Inland Empire, for instance, San Bernardino, as stated by Ocegueda.

Over long periods, recently arrived laborers often found themselves concentrated in the residential areas near factories, as noted. This pattern over time fostered the development of a substantial, multi-generational Mexican neighborhood.

He mentioned that Fuerza Regida capturing that specific photo serves as a tribute to the rich history of Mexican immigration on the western side. It feels fitting, he added, as it connects contemporary immigrant communities with the extended history of Mexican immigrants.

The thriving popularity of this genre and the renown of its top stars from this area have sparked an interest among the region’s youngsters who grew up here, leading many of them to aspire to music careers within this swiftly expanding genre.

In the evening at La Tardeada, four young performers named Herencia Firme took the stage situated some distance from the primary dance floor to commence their performance.

For roughly two years now, the quartet has been harmonizing. Their lead singer, Enrique Ibarra, shared that they all originate from Moreno Valley, attended the same high school, and formed the band due to their mutual passion for the genre.

I deeply admire the lead singer of Fuerza Regida, as stated by Ibarra. It’s amazing to see them consistently ranked at the top for so long, because this indicates that not only one chance but multiple opportunities exist for our band.

Up until now, they’ve mainly played at family gatherings, quinceañeras, and as opening acts at casual ranch festivals. However, their upcoming hourlong set at the downtown Riverside festival would mark their biggest performance to date. Approximately 50 attendees step onto a compact wooden dance floor, while another 50 linger in the background, eagerly anticipating the band donned in urban streetwear. With a repertoire of cover songs from both contemporary and classic corrido artists, Ibarra swiftly adjusts their setlist on stage to kick off with some cumbias, noticing the enthusiastic crowd ready to dance.

Gradually, they switch back to their regular playlist, performing hits such as “Tú Name” by Fuerza Regida and “Tu Tu Tu” by Clave Especial. As the banda enthusiasts move towards the grassy area, they settle down to enjoy the band’s debut large-scale festival performance.

They managed to keep everyone engaged without encountering significant problems. In the afternoon, the organizers proposed another performance time on the same stage for Herencia Firme, enabling them to carry on entertaining the audience further.

Ibarra noted that the Inland Empire offers numerous chances,” he stated. “If you’re part of a solid team, there’s plenty of job opportunities available.

Hernandez is a freelance writer residing in Riverside. This article contributes to De Los’s endeavor to broaden coverage of the Inland Empire, which is financially supported by the Cultivating Inland Empire Latino Opportunity (CIELO) Fund housed at the Inland Empire Community Foundation.

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2025-09-08 18:31