On the beaches of Mazatlán, Sinaloa, live banda songs playing at the beach are a hallmark. Last month, restrictions were placed on banda musicians following excessive noise complaints from tourists and the local hospitality industry. Now, those musicians recently took to the streets to protest the recent regulations in Mazatlán.
For years, one of the main attractions in the beach city has been live music from the local banda musicians. They are known for assembling in groups and playing banda and norteño music on the beach. Recently, a video went viral on social media of a guitarist playing for a crowd of tourists at the DoubleTree By Hilton while music from banda musicians playing at the beach a few feet away could be heard. The video allegedly sparked tourists to complain about excessive noise from the live music playing at the beaches. In response, 19 businesses in the hotel and tourism industry came together to ask the city to regulate the live banda music. Though live banda musicians were not banned from performing at Mazatlán’s beaches, new restrictive regulations were put into place.
The local musicians in Mazatlán protested the regulations soon after by playing live music in the streets. Their efforts appeared to tip the scale in their favor, with President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) recognizing their right to peaceful protest. Sinaloa’s governor Rubén Rocha also spoke out against the proposed regulations. Hopefully, these recent developments will allow musicians to play freely and conduct their business on the beach again.
One of the biggest tourist attractions of the city of Mazatlán is their banda Sinaloense, and commissioning musicians to play for you at the beach is a vacation staple to fully soak in the culture. With the situation appearing to go back to normal, here are six banda songs we would love to request those bandas to play for a beachside bailecito.
Banda MS - “Que Maldición”
One of the most long-running and iconic banda groups is Banda MS. The Mazatlán ensemble celebrated its 20-year anniversary in 2023. The voices of singers Oswaldo “Walo” Silvas Carreón and Alan Ramirez Salcido have made them among the top-selling contemporary música mexicana acts. The Banda MS song perfect for a beachside baile is “Que Maldición.” They released the banda banger with hip-hop influences in 2020. It features Snoop Dogg and Becky G later jumped on the remix.
"Ovarios" - Jenni Rivera
One of the most iconic banda singers of all time is the late Jenni Rivera. During her lifetime, the Mexican-American singer blazed a path for women in the música mexicana genre. Before her passing in 2012, Rivera was known for her songs that pushed back against the mistreatment of women and machismo. For the women among the live banda ranks, Rivera’s music could be a great outlet for them to blow off some steam among the tourists’ pushback and let the men know that women are affected by these regulations as well. A good option they could perform is the defiant and fiery banda anthem “Ovarios.”
Grupo Firme - “Ya Supérame”
Grupo Firme is the self-proclaimed disruptors of the banda music. Since breaking out in 2020 with “El Tóxico,” the Mexican group from Tijuana has sold-out stadiums across Mexico and the U.S. A voice like lead singer Eduin Caz’s could be a big asset to the banda musicians’ movement against the regulations in Mazatlán. One song that could convey that message clearly is their biggest hit, the kiss-off anthem “Ya Supérame.” That could be like a musical middle finger to the people who are complaining. It’s also one of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s favorite songs, so maybe that might help catch attention on the issue.
La Arrolladora Banda El Limón De René Camacho - “Los Puritos Huesos”
Another legendary banda group is La Arrolladora Banda El Limón De René Camacho, with a career spanning 50 years and releasing over 30 albums. Like the protesting banda musicians, this group also hails from Mazatlán. Among their biggest hits are the classics “Secretos De Mi Memoria,” “Antes De Partir,” and “De Mil Maneras.” The group’s lead singer Esaul Garcia has recently spoken out in defense of the live banda musicians in his city. One song by La Arrolladora Banda El Limón that would be perfect for a day at the beach is the fiery “Los Puritos Huesos.”
Banda El Recodo De Cruz Lizárraga - “Mi Vicio Más Grande”
Banda El Recodo De Cruz Lizárraga is known as “La Madre de Todas Las Bandas.” No list of banda music would be complete without this iconic Mexican group from Sinaloa. Hailing from the same state as the banda musicians, a boost from one of the genre’s most iconic groups could surely help their cause. A boisterous song by Banda El Recodo that can’t be excluded from a beach day in Mazatlán is “Mi Vicio Más Grande.”
La Adictiva Banda San José De Mesillas - “JGL”
La Adictiva Banda San José De Mesillas is one of the top-selling groups in música mexicana. The ensemble was formed in Sinaloa back in 1989. La Adictiva has since scored countless banda music hits, including “En Peligro De Extinción,” “El Amor De Mi Vida,” and “Después De Ti, ¿Quién?” Claudio Alcaraz, who used to sing in the group, recently spoke out in defense of the local musicians in Mazatlán. One song that we’d love to hear live close to the hotels in Mazatlán is La Adictiva’s bélico banger “JGL.” Mexican singer Luis R. Conriquez features on the corrido-infused song. That song could send a message that banda musicians playing at the beach aren’t the ones to be messed with.