It’s an early Sunday morning in the heart of downtown, where black chained doors stand between the streets of Los Angeles and a renowned sneaker studio currently housing the next big musical sensation in regional Mexican music. Just four months ago, the Martinez siblings who make up Yahritza Y Su Esencia were just your typical high school (except for the eldest, Armando, who goes by the name Mando), living a quaint life in Yakima , WA. On Easter Sunday, the recent viral sensations were on the way Dominique Ciambrone‘s, commonly known as the Shoe Surgeon, fashion studio to work on a custom pair of shoes – a luxury only the brightest of stars have had the pleasure of experiencing. Also present at the finish were their family, their publicist and representatives of the Lumbre label. Proper feelings of a carne asada backyard, Remezcla spent the morning with the sensational sierreño siblings. We got to learn more about what constitutes their inimitable formula that beat the algorithms and accelerated their digital rise from humble teenagers to regional Lumbre-signed superstars with nothing less than a phone and mighty raw talent.
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Born into a Mexican home of working-class farm workers in the Pacific Northwest, typical days for siblings Yahritza, Jairo and Mando consisted of humble teenage routines at school, fieldwork and home activities that included lots of music practice, dinner parties, and a family tradition of Sunday movie nights. “We’re a very close family,” shares Adriana Martinez, whose role as both older sister and manager only solidifies the nuances of a family act. “It makes our dynamic a lot easier and their careers a lot easier because they know that no matter what, they will always be big stars in our eyes.”
At the sneaker studio, the band works carefully with Ciambrone to create their best work. Their creative process becomes evident throughout the activity. Yahritza checks in with Adriana to determine which shoelace color is best. Jairo asks Mando to help him finish his bright yellow drip design on his Nike logo. David Gonzales with Lumbre shares his comments on colors and fabric, while their publicist Ximena Acosta shares laughs with parents as they proudly overlook their children’s experience. Their family dynamic, even as their careers evolve, shines through first and foremost in everything they do. “He is so focused. He was always like that,” their mother, Rosa Martinez, says of Jairo’s hawkeye focus. “He’s even like that at school. How wonderful to see them doing things they are passionate about and love. »
Like the new kicks they complete, their family dynamic is what sets the Unique in their sound and visual aesthetics. We ask if that’s similar to their workflow when it comes to creating their music, and Mando says, “I think it’s a lot easier because we’re siblings, and we really understand each other, everything we like and dislike. ”
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The group continues to focus, and we turn our attention to their parents and Adriana to find out if the group’s new cyber-fame was something they saw coming. With excitement in their eyes, they begin to tell the stories of the three youngest siblings and their deep passion for music that has always shone. The eldest of the three at 24, Mando was the first to explore his talent by taking up the guitar after a bet he made with his uncle on who could learn to play faster. He immediately bought himself a $300 guitar and started self-teaching through simple chords via Youtube videos. Now 17, Jairo remembers following his older brother’s example. But having no patience for the guitar, he opts for the acoustic bass styles of the bajoloche.
As for the youngest member, Yahritza’s singing and singing skills have been present since her debut, which she confirms when she recalls that her first memory of her skills came with her impressive rendition of the ABC in elementary school. Her mother remembers Yahritza’s talent for carrying the home karaoke machine with her wherever she went and would perform on any occasion she got. Her father, Jose Martinez, says she asked to participate in songs whenever they were playing mariachi. “His voice has always been beyond his age. They all left us speechless when we heard him sing,” Adriana shares.
That ability didn’t stop inside his home. This is the factor that marked Ramon Ruiz and Alex Guerras, members of Legado 7 and founders of Lumbre Music, when they came across a viral tiktok video which featured Jairo and Yahritza on vocals. The digital encounter inspired a fateful and immediate DM to the band, shares label rep Brian Guerrera. While Lumbre wasn’t the only label to quickly tap into successful digital stars, they were the ones who stood out from the very family-centric act. “They were consistent and you could really see their effort,” Mando shares.
The regional label soon visited Yakima’s family, playing into the family dynamic by sharing an intimate performance and breaking bread over dinner, which led to him signing a record deal over dessert. Yahritza Y Su Esencia walked into the recording studio the very next day and started rocking on his debut EP, Obsessed, out today. Two singles were released, including the viral track “Soy El Único,” which broke records by reaching No. 20 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. This made Yahritza the youngest Latin performer to ever hit the charts. And to continue the trajectory of their bullet train careers, the EP was impressively recorded over the span of seven hours. With such a quick delivery process, Yahritza shares that they even had time to add a new song, “Dejalo Ir”, a tale that revolves around friendship and its powerful bond after heartbreak, which she enthusiastically dubs “a banger!”
The compilation highlights each of the siblings’ refined talents – from Mando’s lively tonadas to Jairo’s rich requintos and Yahritza’s deep and emotional lyricism and delivery. Diving into inspiration, Yahritza delves into her writing process and how she, at age 15, is cementing her place in the world of digital media, from streaming services to social media, with highly relatable heartbreaking ballads. “It’s like a research process for me. I observe what people are going through around me and I write from there.
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Of course, we can’t forget to mention one obvious factor in the band’s incredible history: Yahritza’s popularity in a male-dominated genre. Unlike Jenni Rivera, another notable and isolated figure regarding women in Regional, Yahritza carries an air of gender ambiguity, trading the more characteristically feminine aesthetic for the street style androgyny she has become popular for. His opinion ? “Be yourself. People will like you because you’re just you. If I put myself out there, I want people to feel inspired that they can do it too. When it comes to his right-hand men, Mando agrees with big brother fashion: “It’s super dope because she’s my little sister. The fact that I’m here with her, that I feel comfortable enough with me and that I’m on stage with her, that already does it.
Their custom sneaker pieces are nearing completion, and we want to hear more about what each means to them. Yahritza refers to the fact that she “just had fun with it” and was inspired by street artists like KAWS, and expressions of things important to her, like trendy slogans and even song titles. his songs. And then there was a “The Future Is Female” patch, aptly placed on the heel for those following in her footsteps to take inspiration from. Jairo dives into his love for the aesthetic of dunks for his creation. His final product displayed a neon cow print that included personal touches like evil eye patches and a cherry on top. Mando took a more traditional approach, deeply inspired by a shoe he loved – the Off-White 4, which he wanted to replicate.
“Our goal is not to have fame or money. Our main goal is to do it for our family, so that they can have a better life to give back for giving us the best life that we have. they could give us.
We talk a bit more about streetwear and how, if at all, it inspires their creative worlds and plays a part in their music. “You can express yourself with clothes and a lot of our inspiration with streetwear comes from the things we see online,” Mando explains. Jairo chimes in to add, “You can just wear whatever you want to wear. It’s about wearing what looks good on you. From fashion to music, it seems the sirreño siblings have a knack for playing with medleys of family classics and fresh new trends to create an inspired vision all their own.
With a full musical career developed in just a few months, there is a curiosity about how their lives have changed. Yahritza shares a funny story of how she really doesn’t feel any different, but laughs when she recalls a case two weeks prior where she was stopped at a local neighborhood carnival for photos and was even invited to sign a $100 bill. “I feel like it didn’t change our minds,” Jairo shares. “We feel equal to people. We take everyone the same way we used to take them when we weren’t viral. When asked where they see themselves going, Mando shares, “Our parents are so humble and raised us that way, so I think we get that from them. Our goal is not to have fame or money. Our main goal is to do this for our family, so they can have a better life. To give back for giving us the best life they could give us.
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The trio head to the indoor soccer field to show off some of their surprising soccer skills with the Shoe Surgeon before donning their latest new kicks. They gather their things before leaving, preparing to take their first steps through the chained black doors, out into the world awaiting their undoubted superstar. But not without taking some photos and videos for their social networks. After all, their digital footprint was the key to their quick and well-deserved success.
