Los Angeles Azules are preparing to hit the U.S. in a big way…
The six-sibling Mexican cumbia troupe, which found unlikely international success after 40 years together, is launching its biggest U.S. tour to date.
The De Iztapalapa Para El Mundo tour, so named after their Mexican hometown, will feature 34 dates across 33 cities, beginning in Denver, Colorado on August 26, and ending in New Orleans on April 1, 2023.
Tickets for De Iztapalapa Para El Mundo go on sale beginning on Friday, April 22 at 10:00 am local time through www.losangelesazules.com.mx.
The tour is presented by Live Nation Entertainment.
While music from Mexico is increasingly gaining mainstream fans, both Latin and non-Latin, the continued popularity of Los Angeles Azules is one of the most remarkable success stories in Latin music in recent years.
Officially founded in 1980 by the Mejia Avante siblings, the group early on opted to sing its own version of Colombian cumbia, giving it a Mexican twist. Popular at home, Los Angeles Azules were thrust into the international spotlight in 1997, when their heartfelt cumbia “Como Te Voy a Olvidar,” landed the group for the first time ever on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs and Latin Airplay charts, peaking at No. 7 on the February 22, 1997-dated charts.
Three years later, “El Liston de tu Pelo” reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Regional Mexican Airplay chart. It would take 19 years for Los Angeles to go to No. 1 again, this time with on the Regional Mexican Airplay chart with “Nunca Es Suficiente,” featuring Natalia Lafourcade.
It was one of many collaborations with artists of other genres that have increasingly raised the group’s profile. In 2018, Los Angeles played Coachella, and last month, the group sold out five nights in Buenos Aires’ legendary Luna Park theater, making them perhaps the first-ever Mexican cumbia group to achieve that level of success in Argentina.
In the U.S., the De Iztapalapa para el Mundo tour marks the culmination of almost a decade of steady touring. In 2013, Los Angeles were averaging a gross of $82,700 per tour stop, selling an average of 4,000 tickets at an average price of $20. Last year, their average gross was $270,000 with an average of over 7,000 tickets sold per stop.
All told, the group sold out 25 U.S. dates in their last tour, including shows in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Chicago and two in Los Angeles.
This time around, their trek is even more ambitious, with first-time stops in cities like New Orleans and Miami, where Mexican cumbia is not popular.
Here are the tour dates:
Los Angeles Azules’ 2022 De Iztapalapa Para El Mundo:
Aug. 26 – Denver, CO – Bellco Theatre
Aug. 27– Salt Lake City, UT – Maverik Center
Sept. 9 – Anaheim, CA – The Theatre Honda Center
Sept. 10 – San Diego, CA – Viejas Arena
Sept. 11 – Fresno, CA – Save Mart Center
Sept. 16 – San Jose, CA – SAP Center
Sept. 17 – Las Vegas, NV – Michelob ULTRA Arena
Sept. 23 – Los Angeles, CA – YouTube Theater
Sept. 24 – Los Angeles, CA – YouTube Theater
Sept. 30– Rancho Mirage, CA – Agua Caliente Casino
Oct. 1 – Phoenix, AZ – Arizona Federal Theatre
Oct. 7 – Laredo, TX – Sames Auto Arena
Oct. 8 – Edinburg, TX – Bert Ogden Arena
Oct. 9 – Houston, TX – Smart Financial Center
Oct. 13 – Austin, TX – HEB Center at Cedar Park
Oct. 14– San Antonio, TX– Freeman Coliseum
Oct. 15 – Dallas, TX – The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
Oct. 21 – El Paso, TX – UTEP Don Haskins Center
Oct. 22 – Albuquerque, NM – Kiva Auditorium
Oct. 23 – Dodge City, KS – United Wireless Arena
Nov. 18 – Atlanta, GA – Gas South Arena
Nov. 19 – Miami, FL – FPL Solar Amphitheater
Nov. 23 – Greensboro, NC – Greensboro, Coliseum
Nov. 25– Boston, MA – Orpheum Theatre
Nov. 26 – New York, NY – Hulu Theater
Nov. 27 – Fairfax, VA– EagleBank Arena
2023
March 12 – Reno, NV – Grand Sierra Resort & Casino
March 17 – Kennewick, WA – Toyota Center
March 18 – Seattle, WA – WAMU Theater
March 19 – Portland, OR – Veterans Memorial Coliseum
March 24 – Minneapolis, MN – Orpheum Theatre
March 25– Chicago, IL – Allstate Arena
March 31 – Orlando, FL – Dr. Phillips Center for Performing Arts
April 1 – New Orleans, LA – Saenger Theater
The “Pepas” singer is among a list of new performer additions that includes Banda Carnaval, Eddy Lover, Grupo Frontera, La Factoría, Marc Anthony, Nicki Nicole, Pepe Aguilar, Sky Rompiendo, Sofia Reyes, Ximena Sariñana and Yng Lvcas. 
