Carin Leon and Formula One’s Sergio Perez collab
LOS ANGELES –
In the music video for “Por La Familia,” a new track from Carin Leon and BorderKid, Leon is whisked away into a surrealist landscape inspired by Mexico. His taxi driver? Formula One’s Sergio “Checo” Perez.
It might seem like an unusual pairing on paper, but bringing Leon and Perez actually makes a lot of sense: they’re both global icons in their respective fields, bringing Mexican culture to the masses.
Leon is a celebrated voice in Mexican music, proving genres like banda, mariachi, norteno and sierreno 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” Perez 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,” Leon says. “We’re happy to bring the world of music and Formula One together.”
Bringing BorderKid — the musical moniker of A-list producer Edgar Barrera — into the video was a “merge of our ideas,” says Leon, 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. “Carin Leon is very famous and important in our country,” says Perez. 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 Perez. “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 Leon. “I’m very happy with what’s happening with Mexican music.”
