The ambassadors of cumbia, Los Angeles Azules, will receive the Premio Billboard Trayectoria Artística award next month in honor of their long history and the musical impact they have had in the realm of cumbia.
The award was announced Tuesday and the designation adds Los Angeles Azules to the list of winners that includes Carlos Santana, Conjunto Primavera, Emmanuel, Flaco Jiménez, Intocable, Andrea Boccelli, Los Temerarios, Maná, Marco Antonio Solís, Jorge Pinos, Miguel Bosé, Ricardo Arjona, Roberto Carlos, Los Lobos, Armando Manzanero and José José.
In addition to the award, Los Angeles Azules, who will be performing at the YouTube Theater in Inglewood on Sept. 14, are also nominated for Tropical Artist of the Year at the Premios Billboard de la Música Latina on Oct. 5 in Miami. Other acts nominated in that category include Peso Pluma, Bad Bunny, Grupo Frontera, Karol G and Shakira.
Con esta designación se unen al selecto grupo de artistas que han obtenido el galardón como Marco Antonio Solís, Roberto Carlos, Los Lobos y Carlos Santana, entre otros
Over the last several decades, the natives of Iztapalapa, a humble neighborhood in Mexico City, have become the biggest-selling act in the Mexican cumbia genre thanks to their innovative collaborations. Their success has allowed them to play some of the most important venues in the U.S. and Latin America, including a set at Coachella.
With their latest album, “De Buenos Aires Para el Mundo,” Los Angeles Azules have brought together some of the biggest names in South America, including Vicentico, Lali Espósito, Soledad Pastorutti, Jay De La Cueva, Américo, Abel Pintos, Ángela Leiva. The album debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard Mexican Regional charts and became their 12th album to reach the Top 10 in that category during their career.
Los Angeles Azules are also the only Mexican band to have twice topped 1 billion streams on YouTube for a single song with “Nunca es Suficiente” with Natalia Lafourcade and “Mis Sentimientos” with Ximena Sariñana. The collaborations with both Mexican pop singers were key to broadening the audience for the traditional cumbia sounds.
Last year the band also performed at the ‘Besame Mucho festival at Dodger Stadium with some of the biggest acts in Latin music, including Alejandra Guzmán, Caifanes, Café Tacvba, Juanes, Enanitos Verdes, Hombres G and Julieta Venegas.
Their new song “El Amor de Mi Vida” with Argentine singer Maria Becerra has already reached over 8 million streams on YouTube in only two weeks since its release. It follows a steady stream of collaborations with pop acts such as Nicki Nicole, Santa Fe Klan and Guaynaa.
