Los Guitarrazos: Step Into Mexico’s Bohemian Nightlife, Where Everyone From Xavi to C. Tangana Performs

In Mexico, there’s a unique spot that celebrates traditional music in a community-driven way. But it’s not tied to a specific venue — it’s a traveling event that usually pops up every two weeks in Mexico City, known as Los Guitarrazos. This bohemian hangout mostly showcases up-and-coming artists from the scene, but it has also drawn big names from the genre and beyond, like Xavi, Adriel Favela, and even Café Tacvba‘s keyboardist, Emmanuel “Meme” del Real.

“This isn’t anyone’s show — it’s everyone’s show,” Said Amaya, an A&R professional and well-known figure in Mexico’s music industry, tells Billboard Español. Amaya is the mastermind behind this unique concept, which, in less than a year, has become the go-to spot for musicians, regional Mexican music fans, influencers, and other celebrities.

The guest list has also included international stars like Spanish artist C. Tangana, who showed up to “echar guitarrazo” (or “jam out”) at the event on June 11 — the same night singer Adriel Favela took the stage. Now, this one-of-a-kind gathering is heading to the hometown of “El Madrileño” to celebrate Mexico’s Independence Day on September 16 at El Internacional, a trendy local club.

“Mexicans are taking back the conquest through music!,” Amaya jokes.

Los Guitarrazos is a perfect example of how Mexican music has connected with younger generations both inside and outside the country. This passion for popular music has even propelled Mexico into the Top 10 Global Music Markets for the first time, according to the 2025 Global Music Report by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), released in March.

With the shout of “¡Valió ve–ga, plebada! ¡Se armaron los guitarrazos!” (or “The guitar showdown kicks off!”) at every edition, host and corrido singer Joaquín Coronel fires up the crowd of nearly 500 attendees at the venue of the night. Far from a declaration of war, it’s an open invitation to an evening of music, drinks, and a true gathering born from a shared love for Mexico’s popular sounds — whether it’s corridos of all kinds, cumbias, norteñas, or rancheras — and the desire to hang out and have a good time, as they say.

Amaya, originally from the northern state of Chihuahua, shares that Los Guitarrazos actually began about four years ago at a spot he rented as a restaurant in the southern part of Mexico City. Friends would usually gather there to hang out, and the get-togethers would stretch into the early hours of the morning when someone would pull out a guitar.

“Ever since José Alfredo (Jiménez) was in the corner of a cantina, since the corridos of the Mexican Revolution, the guitar has always been the driving force and the common instrument,” he explains.

At the center of the chosen venue — usually a bar in Mexico City’s iconic Roma neighborhood — a small stage and a front table are set up where emerging musicians, and occasionally a famous guest, share the mic. “There’s no exclusivity here; everyone is on equal footing,” says the promoter, who keeps the tradition of hosting the event only on Tuesdays, with invitations announced through the event’s Instagram account.

The stage at Los Guitarrazos has also welcomed artists like Luis Ángel “El Flaco” from Los Recoditos, Esaú Ortiz, songwriter for Carín León and Peso Pluma, and the pop trio Reik. On Tuesday night (Aug. 19), when the event took place at the Jardín Paraíso bar, attendees included Meme del Real, DJ group 3BallMTY, Miguel Cornejo, Hernán Trejo, and Grupo Hacendado. The musicians who accompany Coronel every night include lead guitarist Compa Chucho, Rozé, Uriel AR, Osvaldo Azael, and Los Del Cuartel 4.

“Do you like rock?!” Coronel asked the crowd as Meme fine-tuned the final details with the young musicians who joined him on stage. That night, his new single, “Embeces,” a pop ballad fused with regional Mexican influences that pays homage to his northern family roots, was performed for the first time. Sierreño-style arrangements of Café Tacvba classics like “Eres” and “La Ingrata” captivated the audience, who erupted in cheers, singing and dancing along, embracing the visibly moved rocker with their warm reception.

The setlist at Los Guitarrazos includes all kinds of songs, though corridos are the most requested. It’s not uncommon to hear covers of hits by Junior H, Natanael Cano, Peso Pluma, and other stars of the corridos tumbados movement — a musical style that, along with narcocorridos, has been banned or restricted in 10 of Mexico’s 32 states.

“Many kids in underprivileged areas want the chance to build a different life through music,” says Coronel, a native of Culiacán, Sinaloa — the birthplace of corridos and a state deeply affected by the violence of drug trafficking. “Taking away their ability to talk about what they live and see is like taking food off their plate.”

But Amaya insists that Los Guitarrazos is a space open to all kinds of expression. “Reik came and performed ‘Ya Me Enteré,’ and the kids totally forgot about corridos tumbados for a moment,” he says. “I think it’s really important to amplify different narratives without censoring any. As a society, we need to be aware of all the realities we live in.”

The promoter has even extended an open invitation to participants of the México Canta contest, a government-led initiative aimed at promoting songs free of violence glorification, to take the stage at Los Guitarrazos. “If a songwriter from this initiative wants to come and share their music, they’ll be welcome,” he says. “We believe we should take the sociocultural situations we’re experiencing and use them to push our music further.”