Tecate was first brewed in Tecate, Mexico in 1943, and since then has grown to where its iconic blue and red cans became the “official beer of boxing,” sponsoring major fights like championship bouts between Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather.
But times have changed, and so must Tecate.
With the introduction of its new senior brand director, Oscar Martinez, the official beer of boxing has been angling to become the official beer of music and good times for young Mexican-Americans across the country, starting with last year’s Lindo y Querido cultural festival to celebrate Mexican Independence Day.
The city of L.A. is full of talented Mexican-American songwriters, painters, poets, and prophets, and the Lindo y Querido cultural festival is back to celebrate them and their Mexican heritage — but this time, L.A. doesn’t get to have all the fun. The two-day virtual concert will also feature new artists from Texas performing alongside a robust backdrop of iconic L.A. and Texas locations, each with deeply-rooted Mexican-American cultural connections.
The concerts, which will take place in L.A. on September 15 and Texas on September 16, will be streamed live to Tecate’s Twitter and YouTube channels.
“The artists with whom we’re collaborating this year embody the unapologetic and maverick spirit of Mexican-Americans who live life on their own terms,” Martinez says. “We’re thrilled to provide a platform for these rising artists who are breaking conventions — more important now than ever with so many unable to perform on a live stage.”
The full list of musical artists for Lindo y Querido includes:
–Jasper Bones – A 23-year-old L.A. local known for his self-described Chicano wavy-soul music.
–Inner Wave – A Los Angeles indie quintet with a unique sound that mixes psych-pop and synthwave that has earned them a significant streaming presence and die-hard regional following.
–Avalon Lurks – A multi-instrumentalist and producer from East Los Angeles known for her bedroom indie/pop sound.
–Piñata Protest – A Tex-Mex punk rock band from San Antonio, Texas, that combines traditional rhythms of the Mexican button accordion with the thrashing tempos and attitude of punk rock to produce their own distinguished sounds.
–Gina Chavez – Austin native and internationally acclaimed Latinx pop artist from Texas.
–Bobby Pulido – A Texas native, Pulido is credited for introducing Tejano music to a younger crowd while becoming an idol and one of the most influential Tejano recording artists among Mexican Americans.
Additionally, as part of the 2020 Lindo y Querido festival, Tecate has partnered with Annie Gonzalez, who plays Lidia Solis in the hit Netflix series, “Gentefied,” which was just renewed for a second season. In the first season, Gonzalez, herself a proud Chicana from East L.A., plays an adjunct professor at the very same East Los Angeles College she studied Chicano Studies in real life.
Being invited to the event is “pretty much the lime on the top of my Tecate!,” Gonzales says excitedly. “It’s not only important to celebrate one’s heritage, but necessary. I am so grateful that companies like Tecate recognize that and have opened up the floor and have made it a part of their business model.”
As soon as she was asked to participate in the event, she jumped at the opportunity. “First, the slogan itself Lindo y Querido,” she says. “I love what Tecate is doing, inviting Mexican-American artists, and Chicanas like myself, to the party to celebrate our beautiful heritage. I strongly believe that you don’t know where you’re going, unless you know where you come from. Which is exactly what this campaign is doing by paying tribute to such great L.A. Mexican-American artists, like The Midniters.”
Music by Mexican-American artists has been “the soundtrack of my life,” she adds. “From Ritchie Valens to Quetzal, it’s nice to see yourself reflected in the culture that surrounds you. I’m very thankful for having been exposed to some of the most beautiful mirrors that these fantastic musicians have given to the world. You can’t become, what you can’t see. If I’m able to do that for other beautiful little brown girls, then, I would say what a success.”
For Bones, “As an artist myself, the more I see our community represented and celebrated, the more inclined I am to continue putting my music out for the world to listen. I’ve learned a lot about the history of my community through campaigns like these and appreciate that they can be very informative and unifying.”
The many acts will pay homage to the legendary ‘60s Chicano rock band, Thee Midniters, as well as the Mother of Tejano music, Lydia Mendoza. Bands will perform their own renditions of the classic song “Mexico Lindo y Querido,” — the namesake of Tecate’s festival — which will be recorded on a new original compilation titled “Los Angeles Lindo y Querido,” releasing this year. Piñata Protest, who hails from San Antonio, will debut their version “Texas Lindo y Querido” live at the show in Texas.
The most exciting part of the “Lindo y Querido” festival for Martinez is how it has grown from an event to a national campaign, including celebrities, influencers, and of course a two-day music festival in two cities.
Tecate still proudly bears the name of the Baja California city it is from – and its iconic logo. Looking forward, Martinez hopes to use his new marketing position to introduce new varieties of beer under the Tecate brand, including expanding the line of micheladas.
“I love what we’re doing right now, our cultural values actually come from the place we are from in Tecate, so I’m very, very proud,” he says. “That’s why California is our second home — not because we sell a ton of beer in California, but because we consider California part of our heritage as well.”
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This article was edited and published by Rick Weinberg, California Business Journal’s Founder and Editor-in-Chief. Click here for Rick Weinberg’s biography.
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