about.

La Mera Candelaria is a woman-fronted, Caribbean salsa/cumbia project based in Los Angeles, CA, founded by stephani candelaria (she/they). stephani is a queer Xicana musician, educator and activist from San Juan Bautista, California (Amah Mutsun tribal land), now based in the occupied Tongva territory of Los Angeles. As a proud Latina and fierce feminist, abolitionist, and anti-racist, her vision from the start has been utilize the

irresistibly sensual cumbia, salsa, and son rhythms of Latinoamérica-- themselves rooted in centuries of ancestral indigenous, African, and Spanish creativity-- to turn a world of misogyny and power structures on its own head... all while making you dance.

​The group’s combination of coastal Colombian-inspired cumbia with Son Caribeño is what makes it so unique and unforgettable-- while at times the rhythms and bass lines suggest classic cumbia, the group utilizes a Cuban tres as the lead instrument, and dip in and out of classic salsa rhythms, lending to the group's unmistakable earthy, Caribbean sabór. Featuring only live instrumentation and a small line-up, the group's style lends a unique sense of “throwback” to older traditions of Latine music. This, combined with stephani’s unapologetically critical lyrics lend her

an aura that was perfectly described in LA Weekly as, "Candelaria is a badass. A passionate and “sassy” (her word) performer with biting wit and no-nonsense feminism in the lyrics. She mashes the traditional and contemporary together, resulting in music that crosses the generational gap."

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La Mera Candelaria’s music, performance style, and community activism sets LMC apart in the Latine music scene. We intentionally leverage the irresistible rhythms of our ancestors in the Caribbean, primarily featuring son and cumbia, to offer unique opportunities for our audience to engage in thoughtful, critical dialogue around the issues of sexuality, BIPOC celebration, LGBTQ stories, and gender-based violence that impact our community-- all while dancing. We have found that the neurobiological impact of dance music, and dance itself, lends itself positively to introducing a breath of fresh air around these challenging topics, many of which are deeply rooted in our social norms and customs.

LMC’s live performances are both a call to celebration and a call to action, as we acknowledge that there can be no change without joy, as well. To paraphrase the words of Emma Goldman, Alan Moore, and other visionaries, a revolution without dancing is failed from the start, and La Mera Candelaria takes this to heart. Our front-woman, lyricist, and band leader, stephani candelaria (they/she) has been described in LA Weekly as, "Candelaria is a badass. A passionate and “sassy” (her word) performer with biting wit and no-nonsense feminism in the lyrics. She mashes the traditional and contemporary together, resulting in music that crosses the generational gap." Throughout each and every

performance, La Mera keeps her audience engaged, challenging them to stay woke without being performative, to educate themselves and commit to cultural change, and most of all, to dance.

Beyond the stage, La Mera is also fully committed to walking the walk. In 2021, we partnered with LA's Violence Intervention Program to raise funds and awareness for their work with survivors of domestic and sexual violence. Our collaboration included a music video featuring their facilities and services, a live virtual performance fundraiser, and donations of proceeds from our "Florecer" ("thrive"-- dedicated to survivors of sexual and domestic violence) EP sales to their organization. More recently, La Mera is currently in the production stage of a new full-length album, "Mujerona,” and we are in the early stages of contracting yet another community partner for this release as well, and plan to continue leveraging our musical platform to

raise awareness for the crucial work that grassroots organizations are doing in these fields.

Thanks to their feature on the STARZ hit show “Vida,” and support from the group's largely queer, Latine, and woman-identifying fanbase, La Mera has been invited to prestigious stages such as Dodgers Stadium, Universal CityWalk, LA City Hall, the LA International Latino Film Festival, and LA County Fair. They’ve also been honored with opportunities to share the stage with musical giants including Los Tigres del Norte, Celso Piña, and more.

booking.

To book La Mera Candelaria, request an interview,

or inquire about rates, please email

stephani at lacandelariaofficial@gmail.com