TIJUANA SETS THE STAGE FOR LA GUSANA CIEGA’S CLAROSCURO ERA AS FANS FROM BOTH SIDES OF THE BORDER GATHER FOR A SETLIST SPANNING 30 YEARS OF ROCK

For more than three decades, La Gusana Ciega has remained one of the most respected and enduring voices in Mexican rock. Formed in Mexico City in the late 1980s by vocalist and guitarist Daniel Gutiérrez and bassist Luis “Lu” Martínez, the band steadily built a loyal following through poetic songwriting, melodic sophistication, and a willingness to evolve without losing its identity. Alongside drummer Germán Arroyo, who joined the group in 1997, La Gusana Ciega has navigated multiple eras of Latin rock, from their breakthrough albums Merlina and Correspondencia Interna to Grammy-nominated releases and acclaimed tours across Mexico and the United States.

Now, with the release of Claroscuro, the band’s twelfth studio album, La Gusana Ciega enters a new chapter marked by honesty, vulnerability, and creative freedom. The album explores themes of love, loss, resilience, and self-reflection, drawing from the experiences the band has lived through over the past several years. Songs such as “Manzanas Doradas,” “Guantes Puestos,” and “Cielo de Limón” showcase a group unafraid to confront life’s contrasts, balancing moments of light and darkness while continuing to push their sound forward.

Ahead of their June 6 performance at Foro Ah Mun in Tijuana, La Gusana Ciega reflects on the making of Claroscuro, the evolution of their sound over 36 years, and the special connection they continue to share with fans on both sides of the border. Fans can still purchase tickets at Ticketmania.mx 

AHEAD OF THEIR RETURN TO TIJUANA, LA GUSANA CIEGA REFLECTS ON CLAROSCURO, CREATIVE FREEDOM, AND THE EVOLUTION OF THEIR SOUND

I wanted to talk about your upcoming performance in the border city of Tijuana this Saturday, June 6 at Foro Ah Mun, where many people from San Diego will also be crossing the border to see you perform. Is there anything you can share about the setlist?

DANIEL: The show is going to be heavily centered around songs from our new album, Claroscuro, and it’s going to be a long set. Since we’re performing in a theater setting, it’s open to all ages, which is amazing because our audience keeps getting younger. We’re talking about a show of around 32 songs, so it’s going to be really special.

This is the same show we’ve been bringing throughout the Claroscuro tour, and of course it includes the band’s biggest hits and classic songs. We’re also planning to go back to some of the earliest albums and revisit material from those records.

As for surprises, one of my favorite things about this show is that Lou is playing saxophone on a couple of songs.

LUIS: It adds a different texture because Claroscuro has those kinds of nuances.

GERMAN: And now the surprise has officially been spoiled.

For our Latino community, it will be a special opportunity to cross the border and find harmony through your music.

GERMAN: Yesterday I heard a scientist say that there are now more than 2,000 festivals around the world every year, featuring over 70,000 bands and artists. What he was saying is that people who attend live music events tend to experience less depression and even have a longer life expectancy. Apparently there’s research behind it, and honestly, I believe it.

I think people who go to concerts get the chance to scream, cry, and let things out. It’s cathartic. And yes, I truly believe it’s healthier than staying home suffering by yourself.

What has it been like seeing fans who have been with you since albums like Merlina and Correspondencia Interna continue alongside you into this new chapter with Claroscuro? What does it feel like to share that evolution with them?

GERMAN: In the specific case of Claroscuro, I think what drove the album was necessity. Bands need something that motivates them to make a record. Many bands do it because of commitments, maybe because they have a contract and the contract says, “You owe us another album,” so they work under that pressure.

With Claroscuro, we weren’t under any pressure to deliver an album to a record label. It was a record born from the need to say something. No one forces us or pressures us to make music except ourselves. It came from the need to speak, to shout, to cry, and to express what we were feeling.

We’ve talked about this before. We were wrapping up the promotional cycle for Jaibol Vol. II when Daniel said, “I’ve got some new songs, we should make another album.” We all looked at each other and thought, “Okay, sounds good.” Honestly, I was still enjoying the previous record because we were really proud of it. But then it became, “Let’s do it. Let’s move forward.”

LUIS: Put another way, it’s something that comes from within. You’re compelled by something inside of you.

On the new album we hear “Manzanas Doradas,” a beautiful and deeply romantic song with lyrics like “I only live for you, I die for your skin.” At the same time, there are songs like “Guantes Puestos,” about surviving when life doesn’t always treat you kindly, and “Cielo de Limón,” which captures that moment when you know a story is about to end. Do you think fans have connected so strongly with this album because it embraces emotions that many of us are experiencing right now in our own lives?

GERMAN: Definitely. There is a real connection, and I think La Gusana Ciega has always tried to create music that connects with people and says something meaningful. Obviously, what Daniel writes isn’t always interpreted literally. People often connect those songs to whatever stage of life they’re experiencing.

This album is full of those emotions. That’s also why it’s called Claroscuro. There are very joyful songs, songs you’d happily dedicate to someone you love, and there are other songs you’d dedicate to someone under very different circumstances.

DANIEL: This album really reflects the last two years of the band’s life and everything we had been experiencing. It’s an incredibly honest record about what we were going through and what we felt compelled to write about.

When an artist is able to open their heart and expose themselves in that way through their art, people can recognize it. They can feel the honesty and purity of the emotion being communicated, and that helps create a powerful connection.

Take “Cielo de Limón,” for example. It’s about the end of a relationship, or realizing that a relationship is coming to an end. So many people come up to us and say, “I’m going through exactly that right now,” or “I’m in that process.”

And “Guantes Puestos” is a song about searching for hope and finding the strength to start over. I think it’s very representative of who La Gusana Ciega is at this particular moment.

LUIS: I’d add that we needed these songs ourselves, as artists, creators, and performers. You need that song that connects directly with your heart, one that’s brutally honest with you.

We all know heartbreak. We all know loss. Humanity just lived through a pandemic that made us much more aware of how fragile and finite life really is. It reminded us of our vulnerability and the importance of living fully and intensely.

The artist’s role is to express what’s happening inside. I think Claroscuro serves that purpose. It may sound a little dramatic, but you say these things in order to survive, to make sense of life and carry on.

RAPID FIRE WITH LA GUSANA CIEGA: DREAM STAGES, LIVE FAVORITES, AND REINVENTING THEIR SOUND

What venue would you still like to conquer?

GERMAN: I’d love to play at Palacio de los Deportes. It’s such an iconic venue and one where I’ve seen so many concerts myself. Of course, there’s also Foro GNP, formerly Foro Sol, which is another massive and legendary space. We’ve played Vive Latino on both the main stage and the smaller stages, and every experience has been special.

I also miss performing in the United States, although there are circumstances beyond our control right now. I always enjoyed going because there are so many Mexicans there who support us. There’s a Latino audience, especially a Mexican audience, that misses this kind of music, and we’d love to bring them that moment of joy. Especially now, when things aren’t easy. But our time will come, and we’ll see each other there again soon.

LUIS: The last time we were there, we played in New York at the memorable Sony Hall.

What is your favorite song from Claroscuro to perform live?

LUIS: For me, it’s definitely “Guantes Puestos,” which you mentioned earlier. I absolutely love what’s happening with that song in a live setting.

GERMAN: One of my favorites right now is “La Lluvia No Se Fue.” Playing the saxophone during that song takes us a little outside of our usual territory. There’s a very free moment in the performance where none of us knows exactly what’s going to happen. We don’t know if it’s going to be a short solo or a long one. It depends entirely on what Luis is feeling in that moment, and we rely on eye contact and reading each other onstage.

Do you expect to experiment with new sounds or instruments on future La Gusana Ciega releases?

GERMAN: We still have the famous La Gusana Ciega acoustic project pending, but honestly, I don’t imagine it as a typical acoustic album. I picture something much crazier.

We have so many tools available to us. We’re multi-instrumentalists. Maybe Luis wouldn’t play bass on every song, but on an acoustic project he could play piano, saxophone again, or even recorder.

At one point, we composed and performed a live soundtrack for The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and Luis played the same recorder you probably learned in school. Well, at least that’s what we learned in school in Mexico. Luis brought it to life and gave it a real voice and melody.

Personally, I love experimenting with electronic elements. So instead of saying, “Let’s make an acoustic album,” why not do the opposite? Why not take the music in a more electronic direction? I’d love to experiment with all kinds of sounds, especially now. These days, you could even use an iPad to completely reinvent one of our songs and have fun with it.

I think we have the ability to reinvent La Gusana Ciega’s music. String arrangements would probably sound incredible, especially if done by a great arranger. I have no doubt about that. But I’d love to take it even further and experiment with unusual instruments. It would force us out of our comfort zone. For me, whenever I pick up a new instrument, I’m stepping outside of what feels familiar because I have to learn how to play it. It’s a completely different experience.

LUIS: That’s a fascinating idea. I’d absolutely love to make that project happen, German.

TIJUANA SETS THE STAGE FOR LA GUSANA CIEGA’S CLAROSCURO ERA

Throughout their career, La Gusana Ciega has embraced evolution. From alternative rock beginnings and Britpop influences to more contemporary pop and electronic textures, the band has consistently expanded its sonic palette while preserving the poetic essence that has connected generations of listeners. Today, after 12 studio albums, two Grammy nominations, and 36 years of making music together, Daniel Gutiérrez, Luis Martínez, and Germán Arroyo approach songwriting with fewer limitations and greater artistic freedom than ever before.

This Saturday, June 6, La Gusana Ciega will bring Claroscuro to the border city of Tijuana with a special performance at Foro Ah Mun. The concert is expected to attract fans from both sides of the border, including many music lovers crossing from San Diego to experience the band’s latest chapter live. Audiences can expect an expansive set featuring songs from Claroscuro alongside beloved classics spanning the group’s extensive catalog, making for a celebration of both where La Gusana Ciega has been and where it continues to go. Find tickets at ticketmania.com

Photo credit: Courtesy of La Gusana Ciega