Carin León “celebrates” on stage. (VALERIE MACON / AFP) (Photo by VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty Images)
The Mexican artist Carín León is experiencing the best moment of his career and, apart from the days in which his children were born, also the best moment of his life. The most remarkable thing is that it is all a product of the way he has approached his artistic career since he was 15 years old. Step by step, with irreverence and intelligence, he has become an artist who is much more than just a fad. The proof of this was his spectacular 2023, in which he released two albums (the best in urban style) and even became the first representative of the genre (that does not lie down) to appear with Jimmy Fallon on “The Tonight Show”.
“Music is generous. If you do it out of love and respect, it will give you back with success and money,” said León, 34, in an interview with Yahoo Life and Style. “I believe so much in just focusing on the present, on maintaining the passion and joy for what I do. Here’s to enjoying the journey.”
You enjoy what you do and the joy remains 100%. He not only fulfills the dream of his youth, but also that of his ancestors. His maternal family, the Huez, is a breeding ground for musicians, although he is the only one who has dedicated himself professionally to this family.
Without gags
The revolution in regional Mexican genres – a term that, by the way, angers her – that Carín León has promoted is not just about music. There's a lot of that, but it starts with his way of being. Although he has never followed the rules of the music industry, success has completely removed his resentment for saying the right thing. An example of this is that he recognized the use of banned substances. “With one respect or another, a little mushroom, a little pill, but all nice, but as long as I'm a person who focuses on work, I can persist in it, but I really like my job,” mentioned in one Interview reproduced by La Tribuna de México.
During his recent appearance on the Spanish show “La Resistencia,” he not only revealed how much money he has and what he spends it on, but also revealed the expected prices on the market. From a 1968 Dodge Charger worth more than $80,000 to a Mercedes Benz G-Class worth $144,444. The collection, stored in a warehouse in Hermosillo, also includes a 1965 Shelby Cobra, a 1964 Chevrolet Impala, a 1997 Camaro, a 1997 Toyota Supra, a 1959 Buick Invicta, a Lincoln Navigator and a Dodge Durango STR pickup. among others.
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“If you're not yourself and don't say what you think, then what's the joke?” he asked. The same goes for his songs and his interactions with the press. Its flag demonstrates authenticity at all costs.
Oscarin from Hermosillo
Óscar Armando Díaz De León Huez was born on January 26, 1989 in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico, in the family of Oscar Díaz de León and Carmen Julia Huez. His brother Kevin made music with him, albeit in an amateur way.
Oscarin showed a deep interest in music since childhood. He grew up listening to the genre's greats such as Vicente Fernández and Antonio Aguilar, whose songs and styles profoundly influenced his own artistic development. For the lyrics, he cites the Cuban singer-songwriter Silvio Rodríguez as one of his influences. This early exposure to Latin music spurred him to experiment with various subgenres, including mariachi, norteño, banda, blues and more.
He passed this musical legacy on to his children. Carín León is the father of two boys. He rarely talks about it, although he sometimes posts videos on social media.
The stage name comes from the childhood nickname Oscarin, without an accent and with echoes of the childlike joy and passion that protects at every step.
The tickling of the music
Music as a profession was an idea that gradually grew. “We started playing guitar in high school and almost forcefully picked up the guitar. There was a teacher who came from Bacerac (a nearby town) and founded a small group as Sierreño. At that time I had this desire.” I had never done anything to make music, and I got involved with them, we had a wedding engagement, we played at the first one, and after 15 days they took the teacher to exchange and he was the one who played the guitar “I had to hurry up to play the guitar in 15 days,” he said.
Los Reales, the name of the band, dedicated themselves to performing at local parties and events and made progress. In 2010 he founded his own band: Grupo Arranke, known for their version of “Athrough the Glass”, in which he not only acted as singer and bass guitarist, but was also responsible for administrative matters.
He now went to university to study music, but “I'm very crazy and it didn't help me having to adapt my style to what they were teaching me. Even the teachers said it was better for me to follow my destiny,” he said.
Carín León, the soloist
At the beginning of 2018, Carín León goes solo with a new version of “A Través Del Vaso”. His voice and innovative musical style caught the attention of the music industry. Nevertheless, he refused to fully enter the system and founded his own company, which he called Tamarindo Rekordsz, which closed in 2022. “I go at my own pace, so I liked releasing my music myself,” he remembers.
Then came his version of “La Boda Del Huitlacoche,” which made him a star. In 2022, he received his first Latin Grammy nomination in the Best Regional Mexican Song category for his collaboration on the song “Como lo did yo” alongside Matisse.
Carín León became one of the favorites of young audiences and the king of social networks. Today, he is one of the most popular Mexican artists on TikTok.
His latest album “Colmillo de Leche” is the highlight of his entire musical life. Its 18 songs “are my most intimate face” and fuse his essence with other genres. In addition to collaborations with Pablo Alborán, Ángela Aguilar and Camilo.
The songs on “Colmillo de leche” combine Mexican rhythms with soul, flamenco, pop and salsa, an experiment that is as novel as it is risky and one that turned out very well. The album won him this year's Latin Grammy in the “Best Northern Album” category.
In addition, he promoted the music of his hometown and influenced it. “95% of the musicians on this album are from Sonora, and the ones who aren't there are from other parts but live in Hermosillo,” he told Billboard upon release.
And one of his great loves is his city. “What I am experiencing is very beautiful, but to this day I don't want to leave Hermosillo, I love my city and it is like a place that continues to preserve many traditions and at the same time also adopts new customs, many new things.” “Nearby “We adopt a lot of American things at the border and that’s reflected in our music,” he said.
His talent and vision have earned him the respect of many colleagues. First, it opened the door for collaborations within the Mexican region and then outside of the genre. His song “Según qué” with Maluma is currently the No. 1 Spanish video on the global YouTube charts.
“Carín is one of those authentic artists who adapts to any style and has an ethic as strong as his party. He’s the perfect partner,” Reik’s Jesús Navarro told Yahoo Life and Style. León and the Mexican trio released their pop song “El Correct” in October.
Venezuelans Mau and Ricky, who invited him to sing “Hands Cold,” emphasized that he is “one of those artists who really love music and don't care too much about numbers and trends, like those that are a fashion .” is a “musician’s musician. He’s all about art, and that’s why he’s free to play and experiment.”
This feeling was expressed by artists such as Pepe Aguilar, who accompanied him on stage for the first time at his concert on the Prime Music evening at the Latin Grammy Week 2023 in Seville. A day later, videos of León, Aguilar and their children and other musicians singing Mexican music in a restaurant appeared on the networks. It's hard to imagine a greater seal of approval for a Mexican artist.
The second album of the year
“UVV Vol. 8” (Urge Valer V3rg@), Carín León's new live album, was released this week and is part of a Christmas tradition. It sounds like a very conscious and very end of year album. “We want to dance and dance for everyone who loves partying, but especially music,” said the artist in the advertising statement.
It is a compilation of some unreleased songs and covers of hits that are already part of music history and part of his life. The new thing is that it was recorded in Colombia, where it was received with great fanfare and open doors. The 18-song production includes powerful collaborations such as “Nos extrañó” with Banda MS, “Una noche tumba” with Mariano Barba and “Fuerza” with El Fantasma, as well as several songs with Hijos de Barrón and Remmy Valenzuela.
