This week on Salucita, we’re talking Hispanic Heritage Month — and why everybody suddenly wants a piece of Mexican culture. 
Brands are investing. Mexican-Americans are sitting in bigger rooms and making bigger decisions. Our music is packing stadiums. Our food, fashion and culture are everywhere.
We love seeing it. But we also have a question:
Where is that same energy the other 11 months of the year?
We talk about the brands that actually get it, the influence of Mexican women pushing culture forward, and why people trust creators who actually live in the communities they represent.
And then things get a little heated.  David, Manny and Eric don’t agree on everything — and this time, nobody lets it go.
We also get into what Salucita has become over the last seven months, the pressure and responsibility that comes with telling someone else’s story, and some of the people we’ve had the opportunity to sit down with — including Chuy García of Los Huracanes del Norte, Martin Amini, Angélica Gallegos and Ramiro Medina.
Plus Gente Fina, Carnitas Uruapan, JUANGA, Mexican identity, growing up Mexican-American, Eric getting star-struck meeting Don Silvestre, and plenty of anécdotas along the way.
No polished answers. No press release.
Just three Mexican-American guys talking about culture, business, music, family and what we’re seeing happen in real time.
SALUCITA 
From aquí. From allá.
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Almost 30 years of Montez de Durango, told by the family that lived it.
For us, this one is personal. We remember the duranguense era firsthand. The packed dances, the music everywhere, and late nights seeing these guys come through Los Comales in Melrose Park after their gigs. Montez wasn’t just part of the scene. They helped define an era that shaped a lot of our youth.
Now Los Hermanos Terrazas sit down at the Salucita table and take us back to where it all started.
Their father walking away from his career as a programmer to bet on his family. Building Terrazas Records when the industry wasn’t paying attention. Hearing Montez coming out of cars on 26th Street. The alacrán, the sombreros, the guayaberas and helping create a market that didn’t exist before them.
También hablamos de los sacrificios. Family, lineup changes, growing up between two cultures, the difficult moments and what it takes to keep something alive for nearly three decades.
And somehow the story keeps going. A new generation is discovering Montez through Roblox and singing music that came out long before they were born.
From Chicago to México and across Latin America, Montez de Durango left its mark on the early 2000s and on a generation of us who lived it.
Mucho respeto y cariño a Los Hermanos Terrazas for trusting us with their story.
Today, we finally get to share it.

"Mexicans changed my life." 🇲🇽Martin Amini has been rocking with us for a minute, and we are so happy we were able to catch up with him while he was in town for his four-night sold-out run in Chicago. Hearing how an Iranian-Bolivian kid earned the respect of the culture and built a fanbase that is 99.9% raza is an incredible story.From hearing how the Mexican community literally took him out of poverty, to sharing the stage in the city where he booked his very first headlining show for just 100 people, this conversation is special. Hearing where he came from made us all reflect on how a lot of first-generation kids in the United States are raised, and how much we genuinely have to appreciate our immigrant parents. He is officially one of the homies, y siempre está invitado a la carne asada.

[In This Episode]

David, Manny, and Eric dive deep into Martin's real story. He opens up about his first-generation upbringing, and how dealing with bullying and having an older brother gave him his tough skin.We talk about the reality of the hustle—navigating the streets and selling drugs from 14 to 22, the 14-year comedy grind it took to go from living at his parents' house to selling out national tours, and his massive goal to buy the block for his own comedy club, taquería, and barber shop.

[Connect with Us]

Follow Salucita Podcast: @salucitapd

Follow Martin Amini: @martinamini

Follow David Suarez: @davidasuarez

Follow Manny Cabrera: @midwest.manny

Follow Eric Suarez: @ericpapisuarez

[Production Credits]

🎙️ Recorded at: La Tequileria

🎬 Produced by: Si Sabo Media LLC

Ramiro Medina has been synonymous with the Chicago regional music scene for the last decade. Starting his journey at just eight years old playing the violin at Mi Tierra, he has become an absolute veteran of the game while still in his mid-twenties.We sit down with the Lemanz frontman to cover the full spectrum of a wild career. We get into the massive hype of joining Dos Banderas and his legendary run with Vanguardia during what many consider the greatest cast of musicians in the group's history. We also finally address the rumors to answer the question everyone in Chicago has been asking: how did the massive hit "El Vago" actually start, and who truly owns the rights to the song? (Plus, we make sure to throw some necessary jabs at our friend Hector de La M).But this conversation also goes to some incredibly raw places. Ramiro gets deeply vulnerable about the intense pressure of his father's ultimate dream to see him play with Mariachi Vargas, the painful reality of living in the same house without speaking, and the profound grief of losing his dad in 2020. It is a heavy, honest look at the sacrifices behind the music and the lingering fear of "el fracasar solo."Grab a drink and pull up a chair.Listen to the full episode on all audio platforms:YouTube: @SalucitaPodFollow the Salucita Table:Instagram: @SalucitaPodcastTikTok: @SalucitaPodcastFilmed at La Tequileria

3.5 million views is a lot of eyes.When we sat down with Chuy García from Los Huracanes del Norte, we knew the story was heavy. But watching that conversation explode across Facebook this week was a completely different reality.Welcome to El de Pilón—our new unscripted bonus drop where we just talk about what happens after the cameras cut. Eric, Manny, and I sat back down at La Tequileria to unpack exactly what it feels like to be exposed to an audience that massive overnight.Yes, the algorithm pushed us out to Mexico. Yes, our Spanglish threw some people off, and we lean into the reality of being completely misunderstood. But the real story is the fans. We dive into the massive wave of good comments, the overwhelming support from the people who actually get it, and what it means when millions of people connect with the bicultural hustle. The people who needed to hear it, heard it.Grab a drink and pull up a chair.Listen to the full mini-episode on all audio platforms:Watch On YouTube @SalucitaPodFollow the Salucita Table:Instagram: @SalucitaPodcastTikTok: @SalucitaPodcastFilmed at La Tequileria

Stepping onto the stage before 15,000 people at Millennium Park to channel the essence of Selena is a profound undertaking. But for a talent who has been acting, singing, and dancing since the age of four, it is exactly the moment she was built for.

Angelina Victoria sings all types of music, seamlessly fusing American pop, Mexican regional, and tumbado pop. She already boasts collaborations with some of the biggest artists in the game. Her immense talent and her ability to master absolutely anything she touches is incredibly impressive, especially at just 24 years old. While she possesses a deeply studied mastery of the broader music space, her true focus is now fiercely centered on regional music and fully embracing her Mexican roots.

From her foundational years at one of the most prestigious performing arts high schools to completing her college degree, Angelina has simultaneously cultivated a massive digital community of over two million followers on TikTok.

This week, she pulls up a chair at the Salucita table with David, Manny, and Eric for an unfiltered conversation about her trajectory. Angelina opens up about the immense emotional weight of her iconic Selena tribute and the experience of making history during her halftime performance at Soldier Field.

The conversation shifts into the mechanics of stardom as Manny breaks down the strategic curation of her stage wardrobe to match her elevating brand. Eric unpacks the digital realities of sustaining a massive social media presence, and beyond the spotlight, we also explore her lifelong equestrian passion and love of horses.

Ultimately, this is more than a dialogue about the performing arts. It is a celebration of third generation Mexican American pride. We reflect on the profound sacrifices of our grandparents and offer candid advice to traditional Hispanic parents on the value of betting on a creative career.

Grab a drink and join us at La Tequileria.

Listen to the full episode on all audio platforms

Follow the Salucita Podcast:

Instagram: @SalucitaPodcast

TikTok: @SalucitaPodcast

Filmed at La Tequileria

Follow Angelina Victoria:

Instagram: @angelinavictoriaofficial

TikTok: @angelinavictoriaofficial

Most bands belong to one generation. Los Huracanes del Norte belong to all of them.
Their music raised our parents. Then it raised us.
While we have been fortunate to call the García family friends since 2018, welcoming Jesús "Chuy" García to the Salucita table is a moment we’ll never take for granted. Few artists have left a mark on Mexican music—and on Mexican-American families—like Los Huracanes.
In this episode, David Suarez and Manny Cabrera skip the standard media tour to sit down for a multi-generational summit. Chuy takes us back to the very beginning: a $7 accordion, a father earning $1.25 an hour, and boys bringing home just 75 cents. Long before the Hollywood star, the sold-out arenas, and the legendary ”¡Échele mi Chuy!” grito, there was simply a family chasing a dream in the fields of San Jose.
Today, navigating a massive global enterprise and passing the torch to the next generation, Chuy still lives by one philosophy: renovarse o morir.
This is more than a conversation about music. It’s about family, sacrifice, protecting the business, and the legacy that connects generations.
 Listen to the full episode on Apple Podcasts & Spotify.

A Wednesday night at V Live in 2011 was the turning point. Régulo was barely four months into his career, playing his very first show right here in Chicago. Somehow, he packed 2,000 people into that room. That night was not just a concert—it was the birth of the Corridos.

Progresivos movement in our city. Eric, our friend Eddie, and I were standing right there as it happened. That show is exactly where we met him. Being some of his first friends in Chicago gave us a front-row seat to the moment that catapulted his career.

Sixteen years later, we are kicking back at the Salucita table to talk about the full journey. We get into the real story behind the massive risk he took leaving the safety of his father's companies in Sonora to come to the United States for a two-week run of gigs and never returning. Régulo speaks openly about the tragic loss of his brother, Ramiro, and how the media spotlight after that tragedy changed his life and ultimately propelled his career forward.

We also catch up on where he is today. We talk about his kids finding success in acting, leaning into viral social media moments like the Amazon delivery rumors, and watching his tracks from ten years ago explode all over again on TikTok. He even breaks down the recent buzz around the Corridos Progresivos return and why putting together a massive reunion show with all the original artists ended up falling apart.

Grab a drink and join the table. Salucita! 🥃🔔 Subscribe to the channel for more episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@SalucitaPod

🎧 Listen to Salucita on the go: Spotify: [https://open.spotify.com/show/2UTzG6SnlLhakyEnSEOHld] Apple Podcasts: [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/salucita/id1875973883]📱

Follow Us: Podcast IG: @salucitapod

David IG: @davidasuarez

Eric IG: @ericpapisuarez

Régulo IG: @regulocaro

Manny IG: @midwest.manny

Welcome back to another episode of the Salucita Podcast! This time, we're doing something a little different. It's a raw, hosts-only episode with the three of us—David, Eric, and Manny—taking a step back to recap the journey so far.
We built this platform to be grounded and for the people, and we want to keep it real with you all. In this episode, we talk about the wild milestone of reaching 3.8 million people in 90 days, but we also get into the heavy, everyday stuff that happens behind the scenes. We dive into:
• The true purpose of Salucita and why we are much more than just a music podcast.
• The backstory of why David finally decided to step in front of the camera, plus the story of him getting kicked out of college three times.
• Eric opening up about his weight loss, starting therapy, and learning who he is now.
• Our debate on the Sueños lineup, who really deserves the main stage, and breaking down the Deorro collab.
• Behind-the-scenes stories, from Manny spotting his clothes in a Jose Esparza video to the dynamics of negotiating in Spanish while Jose Luis Ayala from Los Humildes responds in perfect English.
Pull up a chair and join the conversation. Make sure to hit subscribe, drop a comment with your favorite moment, and share this with someone who needs to hear it!

Welcome to Episode 008 of the Salucita Podcast. This week, we sit down with Ruben Ramirez. He is Chicagoland's next great comedian and one of the sharpest voices documenting the Midwest hustle, deconstructing the reality of building a nationwide career in stand up. Overall, this is just a really enjoyable couple of hours spent laughing with the boys.

We were also incredibly happy to have Jose Alfredo from Madera 11 drop in as a special guest. He brings his own unique perspective to the table, which makes for some absolutely hilarious moments throughout the episode.

We even share the hilarious full circle story of how Ruben unintentionally stole our original podcast name. The very first name we bounced around was going to be Con Todo, but when I searched for it online to see if it was available, I just saw Ruben's big face staring back at me. It was already his.

We go far beyond the punchlines in this one to talk about the actual craft. We break down the artistry of a comedy set and exactly what it takes to navigate a tough crowd. Ruben dives deep into how being funny starts as a pure defense mechanism, opening up about having to develop a quick wit just to survive getting bullied by his own siblings. It is a survival story anyone from a loud, tough family knows perfectly.

Whether he is performing for four people in Ohio or a packed room across the country, Ruben brings the exact same energy. He is also incredibly gracious with his platform, always bringing along other guests from his hometown and comics he has met along the way. We also have a very real conversation about ICE targeting our communities, navigating the industry, and a hilarious breakdown of Gente Fina sizing for the big boys.

MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT

In this episode, we officially announce our first ever live comedy special at La Tequileria! Ruben Ramirez will be headlining the room on June 20. You do not want to miss this.