La Mera Candelaria

La Mera Candelaria 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, she utilizes 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. Her unique combination of traditional Caribbean musicality with unapologetically critical lyrics lend her an aura 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." Whether it's through her 2021 release, "Florecer," ("Flourish") a musical odyssey that celebrates survivors, uplifts trans visibility, and calls out cat-calling culture, or her upcoming release "Di su nombre" ("Say her name"), 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.