Grupo Frontera
El Comienzo Tour
Smart Financial Centre
Sugar Land, Texas
August 24th, 2023
In an interview published on Youtube earlier this year, the members of Grupo Frontera recall how they began their rise to fame nearly one year ago as a small groupo from Edinburg, Texas and have now risen to become one of the biggest, most famous bands in the world. The litany of artists they have collaborated with include Grupo Firme, Peso Pluma, Carin Leon and Bad Bunny, who invited Frontera to perform the hit single “Un x100to” with him on stage at Coachella in April.
Many of their songs have made it into the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot Latin and Top 100 charts, which is amazing since their first proper album entitled “El Comienzo” (The Beginning) was just released earlier this month!
The “official” genre for Grupo Frontera is Regional Mexican, but in reality they are a mix of Norteño and Tejano with a strong emphasis on melodic, supremely danceable cumbias. Their first hit “No Se Va”, which was released in 2022, is a cover of a song by Morat, a pop band from Colombia. The cover went super viral on social media, which catapulted Grupo Frontera into stardom. By the end of 2022, the song “Bebe Dame” with Fuerza Regida experienced the same success.
Last night’s concert in Sugar Land was filled to capacity, with Tejanos of all ages coming together to support their Rio Grande Valley neighbors. This was definitely one of the most anticipated shows of the year, and everyone in attendance was ready to sing and dance and cheer along to their favorite songs of love and heartbreak. ¡Puro 956, compa!
The evening began with a fun Spotify playlist which featured music from Selena, Calibre 50, and Peso Pluma, who filled this very same venue with 2 sold-out shows earlier this month. The mood shifted when Lil Troy’s “Wanna Be A Baller” blasted loudly near the end of the opening playlist, and the crowd was loving every minute. The lights dimmed and Bad Bunny’s “Titi Me Pregunto” proved to be the last track prior to the start of the show.
The video intro featured each each band member working their “day jobs” prior to the fame, with each receiving “the call”, letting them know to leave their jobs behind to focus on the rising status of Grupo Frontera. The voice-over ended with a positive message about “sueños echos realidad“, or dreams coming true.
The setlist started strong with a shortened version of “No Se Va,” followed by “Di Que Si” and “Le Va Doler” before ending the opening round with the fan favorite “Bebe Dame”. Many in the crowd danced in their seats and in the aisles, with wide smiles, singing at the top of their lungs. To say that Frontera has mastered the formula for making a hit is a definite understatement. Every song they perform becomes an earworm that grows in popularity and lives in your mind, heart, and soul, leaving you thirsty for more.
In true Grupo Frontera fashion, they paid tribute to one of their musical heroes by playing a cover, this time it was “Eso Y Más” by the late, great Mexican singer Joan Sebastian. Over the weekend at one of their homecoming shows in Payne Arena in Hidalgo, Texas, Frontera lead singer Payo serenaded Sebastian’s daughter Juliana on stage with this very song. The emotional video made it’s rounds on Tik Tok, showcasing the love and admiration this group has for Mexican music. It was a beautiful tribute and lovely cover.
The band proceeded to pay tribute to their Tejano roots, showcasing Selena, Intocable, Grupo Mazz, and many more displayed on the LED video screens that flanked the stage. The set list continued with “Como La Flor” and “Si Una Vez” by Selena, and then an awesome rendition of “Tragos Amargos” by Ramon Ayala. The message on the video screens declared “De Tejas Para el Mundo” (from Texas to the world), which is the embodiment of what this band represents.
The evening ended with a few of their most popular songs, including “Un x100to.” “El Amor de Su Vida”, “Tulum” and ending with “Que Vuelvas.” The venue provided the band with a large cardboard concert ticket with the words “SOLD OUT” stamped on the front in big red letters, celebrating that every seat in the venue was full for Frontera’s show.
The band closed with an extended version of “No Se Va” and then an encore of “Un x100to,” thanking every fan before leaving the stage. It really was a magical evening, with amazing Tejano music and love for all adjacent musical genres. I even danced with a beautiful tejanita as we sang along to our favorite songs. She was lovely!
The future of Grupo Frontera is big and bright, and I’m excited to see their continued growth, from Texas para todo el mundo!
Can we please get Grupo Frontera at RodeoHouston though?!!!!
This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2023.
