Amid performances at both festivals, Carín León receives key to the City of Coachella

With chants of “Ca-rin, Ca-rin” from the waiting crowd, as well as a huge inflatable lion towering nearby over the plaza, it wasn't hard to figure out why a few hundred people were gathered under the midday sun in downtown Coachella on Saturday.

Everyone was on hand to get a glimpse — and later, hear the vocals — of Carín León, the Latin Grammy-winning artist who received the key to the City of Coachella during the ceremony held in the park off 7^th Street behind Coachella’s main library.

The ceremony has become something of a recent tradition in the city during the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. Last year, Mexican American artist Becky G received the key to the city, following past honorees Grupo Firme in 2022 and Los Tucanes de Tijuana in 2019 (the festival was canceled in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19).

Like those artists in the past, León was on this year’s festival lineup — and in a sign of his talents in banda, mariachi and norte?o music, he’s also one of the rare artists in general (and reportedly the first Latino) to perform at both Coachella and the Stagecoach country festival in the same year.

The annual key ceremony is a way for the city to honor a renowned Latino artist with shared values while also reminding folks of the “real” Coachella, as Mayor Steven Hernandez called it, that neighbors the world-famous festival at the Empire Polo Club.

Hernandez joined other members of the city council on stage Saturday in introducing León, saying in Spanish that the artist from Hermosillo, Mexico, “reflects the sense of the moment, and he reflects Mexican culture and Mexican music.” The mayor also noted the city’s population is roughly 98% Latino.

León told the crowd that he was honored to be granted the key to the city, adding he hopes to serve as an example for anyone pursuing a career in music or otherwise. Echoing the mayor, he noted that Coachella “is more than a festival.” León also shouted out his hometown of Hermosillo, to cheers from the crowd.

“At home, I never imagined that I would be playing at Coachella,” León told the crowd, adding that he’s excited to show off his skills at both festivals and proud to be part of the “movement” of regional Mexican music that’s drawn a growing audience internationally.

In an apparent first for the annual ceremony — and to the sheer delight of the crowd — León then performed a trio of songs for the gathered residents, including “No Es Por Acá” and “Primera Cita,” with several guitarists backing him up. (He even switched up a lyric in “Primera Cita,” from “a concert for Tijuana” to “a concert for Coachella.”)

His performance also followed an appearance by Banda Reyna Del Valle, which played festive music as residents gathered ahead of the noon ceremony.

Local residents still have a chance to see León, who was joined the next day at the Coachella festival by country artist Kane Brown to sing their collaboration, “The One (Pero No Como Yo),” with the towering inflatable lion on stage.

León will play Friday at the Stagecoach country festival, and if the ceremony Saturday was any indication — a few attendees even arrived before 6 a.m. to be front and center for his appearance — he should have plenty of adoring fans in attendance.

“Muchísimas gracias, Coachella,” León said as he exited the stage, with some fans still calling for an encore.

Tom Coulter covers the mid-valley. Reach him at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Mexican star Carín León receives key to the City of Coachella