Were we in Laval or Mexico?
His name means nothing to you, but on Monday evening, he filled Place Bell. He is a star on his planet, that of Latin American music.
They are nom : Featherweight.
His age: 24 years old.
He is unquestionably a phenomenon and to see the frenzy he aroused in the amphitheater of Laval – adorned with numerous green, white and red flags –, it was to believe that we were in the capital of the country of which he is so proud, Mexico. We were rather in a world apart, in Laval.
Three musicians on brass, four on strings, Peso Pluma takes music seriously behind his little bum looks. And it was only in Spanish that he addressed the crowd.
From the second song, a guest appeared on stage, Jasiel Nuñez, with whom Peso Pluma collaborates on his new album Génesis, released last June.
Later, it was the public who sang with him Nueva Vida, Las Morass, Siempre Pendientes, El Azul or even his success Lady Gaga.
If Enrique Iglesias, Ricky Martin, Daddy Yankee and the king of the Bad Bunny charts are names known to the general public, those of Nicky Jam, Maluma, Sebastián Yatra and Wisin y Yandel are less so. However, they recently performed at the Center or at Place Bell in front of a fond and young audience.
Often “sold out,” adds Emilio Zaga Mendez, project manager at promoter evenko.
Of Colombian origin, Karol G. has just launched a new album entitled Mañana Será Bonita, the first extract of which was a duet with Shakira. With nearly 54 million monthly listeners, Karol G. is listened to as much as Beyoncé on Spotify. She also ignited the amphitheater of the Canadian less than a year ago.
This is to say how Latin American pop is listened to all over the world, but also in Greater Montreal! Another proof: the new Fuego Fuego festival.
With a show announced just a few weeks ago, it was all in all “a bet” to present Peso Pluma in Laval on a Monday evening, points out Audray Johnson, who is part of evenko’s programming team. A bet easily won given the some 4,750 spectators who answered the call.
We met families, but especially thousands of young adults, including four cousins of Mexican origin who had made the trip from Sherbrooke. “It’s the first time that I’ve been very interested in music that is more typically Mexican,” said one of the cousins, Jimenas Flores. Peso Pluma has an original musical style that appeals to young people. »
“I didn’t expect there to be so many people,” added Danna Flores. It makes us proud. »
Peso Pluma released their third album, Génesis, last June. He has since topped Bad Bunny with a record 25 singles on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart.
In his country, the megastar is one of the artists recognized for having modernized the traditional musical genre “corrido”, associated with ballads of the people, with urban or rap influences. In addition to Peso Pluma, we find among those called the “corridos tumbados” Junior H, Natanael Cano as well as the groups Fuerza Regida and Eslabon Armado.
Visceral, the raspy voice of Pluma boils from the inside. In show, he relies on an altogether traditional instrumentation (trumpets, guitars), but he uses scenic devices specific to pop. It was great when his silhouette turned into a hologram on the giant screens.
“Normally, it is above all pop, reggaeton and salsa artists who stand out in Latin culture”, emphasizes Emilio Zaga Mendez.
“He’s a character,” he adds, citing his more hip-hop look and punk attitude, especially when he sticks his tongue out.
One thing is certain, Peso Pluma has incredible energy and charisma on stage. Prior to the show, videos featured its musicians to the sound of Talking Heads’ Psycho Killer. The class… and a revelation for us who did not know who Peso Pluma was just a few weeks ago.
What other Latin stars will be drawing crowds soon? Romeo Santos will be at the Bell Center on November 22 while Marco Antonio Solis will perform at Place Bell on September 22.
Otherwise, it’s heartening (and relieving) that among Latin American artists to watch, Emilio Zaga Mendez cites three female rappers: Dominican Tokischa, then Nicki Nicole and Nathy Peluso, both from Argentina.