Three acts in Latin music that keep songs of the past alive — Mar Solís; Emir Pabón of Grupo Cañaveral; and Alejandro Iñigo, Alex Torres, Fito Echeverría and Luis Araque of Grupo Niche — came together last week at Billboard Latin Music Week to discuss how music from previous eras continues to resonate with new generations. And, as undeniable proof, they got everyone dancing in their seats by performing parts of “Mi Mundo al Revés” and “Cali Pachanguero” in a joyful moment of spontaneity.
“These are the kind of lyrics that inspire you to keep moving forward,” said Pabón after singing the first song, a collaboration between Grupo Cañaveral and Grupo Niche released in 2025. “Not only do they inspire you, but they obviously inspire you to keep going, with that positivity of spreading love to society, which is what we should all do as human beings.”
During the panel “Generaciones: Why Nostalgia Is Hipper Than Ever,” presented by Andrea Ramírez PR and moderated by Pamela Bustios, Billboard Latin/Español senior charts and data analyst, Solís — daughter of Mexican icon Marco Antonio Solís who has covered hits by her father like “Más Que Tu Amigo” — emphasized that emotional connection is what allows a song to transcend time, regardless of when it was created. “Feelings connect us,” the pop artist expressed. “What never changes is the connection to our hearts; nostalgia shows us that emotions never change.”
Meanwhile, Pabón — who founded Grupo Cañaveral in the mid-’90s alongside his father, Humberto Pabón — reflected on how the popular Colombian-Mexican cumbia group has managed to keep its music relevant while adapting to changes in the industry. “Understanding the roots of the genre, believing in what I’m doing… and when you step out of your comfort zone, wonderful things start to happen,” he said. “You can create a song today and it won’t sound the same as in 1995, but it can’t be the same because everything is digital now, and it won’t sound the same.”
Speaking about songs capable of remaining in the public’s memory, Torres — part of the new generation of Grupo Niche, the iconic Colombian salsa group founded in the late ’70s by the maestro Jairo Varela and Alexis Lozano — highlighted “Cali Pachanguero,” one of their greatest classics, released in 1984.
“There’s a song that’s Niche’s anthem, ‘Cali Pachanguero.’ It talks about the need and nostalgia a person feels when they’re away from their country, longing for what they have at home and in their homeland but can’t have at that moment,” Torres said. “It’s a nostalgic song in its lyrics, but joyful in its rhythm.”
The group performed the song a cappella during the conversation and sang it again at the panel’s close: “Que todo el mundo te cante/ Que todo el mundo te mime/ Celoso estoy pa’ que mires/ No me voy más ni por miles… Long live Jairo Varela!”
Watch the full conversation in the video above and read more about Billboard Latin Music Week here.
