LOS ANGELES — In the music video for “Por La Familia,” a new track from Carín León and BorderKid, León is whisked away into a surrealist landscape inspired by Mexico. His taxi driver? Formula One’s Sergio “Checo” Pérez.
It might seem like an unusual pairing on paper, but bringing León and Pérez actually makes a lot of sense: they’re both global icons in their respective fields, bringing Mexican culture to the masses.
León is a celebrated voice in Mexican music, proving genres like banda, mariachi, norteño and sierreño are international, not “regional Mexican music,” as his work — and the work of his contemporaries like Peso Pluma and Eslabon Armado — is often described.
Red Bull Racing’s “Checo” Pérez is the sole Mexican Formula One driver on the 2023 grid and the most successful Mexican driver in the motorsport’s history.
“I’m a very big fan of Checo. I feel like (to) every Mexican right now, he’s our biggest star in sports. We are proud of him for what he is doing for Mexican culture,” León says. “We’re happy to bring the world of music and Formula One together.”
Bringing BorderKid — the musical moniker of A-list producer Édgar Barrera — into the video was a “merge of our ideas,” says León, brought together by the project’s sponsor, Cash App, to “make something different, make something fresh, and make something very, very Mexican.”
Appreciation is mutual. “Carín León is very famous and important in our country,” says Pérez. As a fan of his music, he jumped at the opportunity, connecting with the song’s message. “It talks about my story, how everything is done for la familia.”
He says he’s noticed a deeper intersection between the sport and music — particularly Latin Music, with Maluma performing at the Grand Prix in Miami this year, and J Balvin taking the stage at the first ever Las Vegas race next month. “Latin music is having a great time,” says Pérez. “People are enjoying it and it’s great to have our Latin music all around the world.”
“It’s great to have that in the F1 community and within the sport,” he adds.
“For the artist, to have this connection with the sport, it’s like another dream come true,” says León. “I’m very happy with what’s happening with Mexican music.”