After conquering stages on the west coast, Edgar Alejandro arrives in New York City with his Todo Lo Bueno Takes Time Tour, ready to share with his fans a musical proposal that takes mariachi in unexpected paths.
After selling out the tickets in San Francisco and offering the biggest concert of his career in San Diego, Edgar Alejandro will arrive at The Gramercy Theater on November 2 to celebrate the Day of the Dead with his New York fans. Born in Guadalajara and raised in East Los Angeles, the independent artist combines mariachi with bolero, jazz, bossa nova and Latin indie.
His most recent single, “Cansado de Querer,” and the album he is preparing for 2027, with songs based on his own experiences, reflect the evolution of his sound. In an interview with Noticia, Edgar Alejandro talks about his musical influences, his commitment to artistic independence and what he hopes to share with his fans in New York. Read the full interview and discover how he is taking mariachi towards new sounds.
You were born in Guadalajara and grew up in East Los Angeles, surrounded by mariachi and your parents’ music. At what point did you begin to imagine a musical career that would take that family legacy into your own sound?
I have always loved music very much, but I had never given myself the time to think that I could really turn it into a career. I just did it because I liked her, because I loved her. I think it was during the pandemic, when I was in school, that I thought: “I have a lot of songs written, I better start recording instead of staying here doing nothing.” That’s where it all started.
As I grew up playing in mariachi performances, I saw the versatility that the genre had and still has. From the beginning I wanted to incorporate some of my own ideas. We grew musically and met people who also knew a lot about music. We began to include jazz, bossa nova and other styles. I also grew up and listened to more genres, and that’s how I began to discover my own sound.
Mariachi, bolero, jazz, bossa nova and Latin indie coexist in your music. What other sounds would you like to explore with mariachi?
Now we are starting to experiment a little with synthesizers and explore digital and analog sounds. They have already been used in films and cinematographic compositions, but I wanted to see how they could sound within our proposal.
In my latest single, “Cansado de Querer,” we incorporated some of those elements for the first time, although still in a subtle way. We are exploring little by little and, as they say, accustoming people’s ears so that they don’t get out of touch.
“Tired of Wanting” explores the emotional wear and tear that love can leave behind. What interests you when writing about heartbreak: telling a specific story or capturing a feeling that other people can relate to?
I think it’s a little bit of both, even all three. There are also personal experiences, although not necessarily because I have experienced those situations, but because I have observed them in other relationships and in other people.
As you get older, you become more involved and begin to hear the stories of family and friends. Then, start seeing things differently. So yes, it’s about capturing a feeling and at the same time telling a story. That’s a little bit of the idea of this stage of heartbreak that I’m exploring.
You have built your career independently and have managed to sell out concerts and participate in important festivals. What has been essential to maintain the artistic direction you want?
You have to make certain sacrifices because this path has ups and downs, and everything becomes a little emotional. Many times I try to get out those emotions and the things that affect me through writing.
For me, creative freedom is non-negotiable. I always listen to advice and try to stay open to everything, but in the end, I need to follow the vision I have for my music. That’s one of the things I can’t negotiate. Finding the best options and the right people to work with has been important in being able to maintain that creative freedom.
On November 2 you will perform at The Gramercy Theater in New York. If someone comes to the concert without knowing your songs, what moment in the show might spark their curiosity about your music?
I think that from the beginning of the show you can see the mix of genres, both musically and visually. You see the mariachi musicians and, at the same time, the pianist incorporating elements of jazz. I think that combination is captured in both ways.
From the first minutes, people may be interested in listening more, especially because we start with a song that mixes mariachi and bossa nova. It is a song with a very positive and high energy, so I think that from the beginning the audience can connect with what we are doing.
For this tour you will work with Mexican designers Uziel Sakuragi and Roberto López Ceballos on an exclusive suit, in addition to offering special meetings with your followers. What would you like the public to discover about you beyond your music?
I think, more than anything, I want to share a message of empathy. I feel like the world is upside down and that we need to think not only about ourselves, but also about the people around us and those who share that same space with us during a presentation.
I would like people to leave the concert trying to make the world a little better. Our job is not just about singing songs; We also have a certain responsibility to transmit positive messages.
If someone comes out and says they didn’t like a song, no problem. But I would like you to also recognize that this artist has the good intention of contributing to making the world a little better. If I can leave something positive in people, I am satisfied.
You have a collection of vinyl from artists like Chelo, Javier Solís, Los Bukis, Raphael, Luis Miguel and Armando Manzanero. What do you find in those records that keeps you coming back to them in a time when we can listen to any song with the touch of a screen?
They are artists that I admire and listen to constantly. In fact, I made it a point to spend time listening to a vinyl from start to finish. Now, with the tour, I can’t always do it, but I want to keep that habit.
Music is so accessible that sometimes I feel like people don’t fully appreciate it. If you don’t like a song, you just remove it. With vinyl, on the other hand, I sit down to listen to the entire album and try to appreciate every note and every letter. It’s a different way to enjoy music.
Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers?
I hope people like the show and know that things can also be done completely independently.
We are planning to release an album in 2027, so I want you to stay tuned. Many of my songs are romantic, but on that album you will also get to know another version of me, with songs that reflect my own experiences.
