Newly Dedicated Valley Intersection Honors Group That Broke Ground For Mexican Music At Coachella

PANORAMA CITY, CA — An intersection in Panorama City was dedicated Monday as Los Ángeles Azules Square in honor of the group whose accomplishments include being the first to perform traditional Mexican music at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.

Mayor Karen Bass and Councilwoman Imelda Padilla joined representatives of the group at the ceremony at Van Nuys Boulevard and Chase Street.

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"For more than four decades, Los Angeles Azules have pioneered cumbia sonidera, transcending borders and generations," Padilla wrote in her motion creating the square. "Their music is woven into our weddings, quinceaneras, festivals and everyday celebrations.

"Their journey from Iztapalapa to international stages mirrors the resilience, ambition and spirit of immigrant and working-class communities that define Los Angeles."

Formed in the late 1970s by a group of siblings from the Mejía Avante family in the Mexico City borough of Iztapalapa, the group whose name means the Blue Angels introduced a new genre, cumbia sonidera, which blends cumbia dance music "with the expansive sonic possibilities of a symphony orchestra," according to the Los Angeles Times.

"For Los Ángeles Azules, it is a tremendous honor to receive this recognition from the city of Los Angeles," the group said in a statement. "The fact that the iconic corner of Van Nuys Boulevard and Chase Street in Panorama City bears our name means much more than a tribute to our career: it is a symbol of the deep bond we have built over so many years with this city, with the Latino community, and with the families who have made our music a part of their lives.

"We were proudly born in Iztapalapa, and we have been immensely fortunate that, through our music, we have been embraced in other parts of the world. Without a doubt, the city of Los Angeles holds enormous significance for us and will always remain deep in our hearts.

"Here we have found generations of fans who have welcomed us with warmth, danced to our cumbia, and passed it down from parents to children, making it part of the cultural history of this great city.

"We accept this honor with emotion, pride and deep gratitude."

Los Ángeles Azules was the first Mexican group to enter YouTube's Billion Views Club with its 2014 video "Mis sentimientos," featuring Ximena Sariñana, receiving 1.2 billion views. It also surpassed the billion views threshold with its 2018 video, ``Nunca es sufficient," featuring Natalia Lafourcade, which received 1.8 billion views.

The group performed at the opening ceremony of the FIFA World Cup in Mexico City in June. Its other honors include a Latin Grammys Lifetime Achievement Award, three Latin Grammy nominations and a Grammy nomination.

The ceremony comes one day before Los Ángeles Azules headlines El Grito 2026, Los Angeles' celebration of Mexican independence in front of City Hall.

City News Service