Fruko y Sus Tesos headline night of sizzling music for ¡Súbelo! festival in Chicago

While Millenium Park is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year with a big festival this weekend in the park, the Colombian salsa group Fruko y Sus Tesos is marking an even bigger milestone: 60 years.

The group, founded in Medellín in 1969 by Julio Ernesto Estrada, headlined ¡Súbelo!, a free event on Thursday at the Pritzker Pavilion highlighting the diversity of Latino music.

Emceed by Chicago artist Rey Lester Irizzary, the lineup featured musicmakers from Colombia, Mexico and Puerto Rico.

Here’s a recap of Thursday night’s music sets:

Chuwi

In their first-ever performance outside of Puerto Rico, Chuwi delivered an energizing and emotional set to kick off the night.

The tropical indie fusion quartet that blends salsa, folk, hip hop, psychedelic funk and jazz; like many up-and-coming Latin American artists, they refuse to define themselves within a singular genre. From Isabela, Puerto Rico, the band —  Wilfredo “Willy” Aldarondo, his brother Wester and sister Lorén, and their “unofficially adopted” brother Adrián López —  is named for their dog, Chewbacca.

“We usually sing in the heat,” said lead singer Lorén Aldarondo told the audience between “Rico y Pico” and “Increíble,” both from their 2022 EP “Pan.”

Lorén’s voice produces a beautiful range of melodious, calming and powerful sounds that are complemented by relatable and thought-provoking lyrics. And López, who played over 20 percussion instruments throughout the set, exquisitely tied everything together.

Though Chuwi was surprised by the notably chillier temps on Thursday evening, they embraced it by singing a Christmas song they wrote about their late grandmother. “Navidades en Cataño” details how the holidays aren’t quite the same without her. The performance was moving and brought several attendees to tears.

They picked up the pace with songs like “biPARTIDOS” and “Uwu,” encouraging fans to get on their feet. Even if most in attendance were listening to them for the first time, people sang along as Lorén led the crowd through “Que Bonita Bandera,” a well-known anthem by Plena Libre that praises the beauty of the Puerto Rican flag.

Chuwi also performed songs off their March EP “Tierra,” which features cover art of a bulldozer on a beach in Puerto Rico — a quiet acknowledgment of displaced Puerto Ricans amid the increasing number of luxury properties owned by non-islanders.

The album’s title track “Tierra,” a song about yearning for a home in the same place as their grandmother and great-grandmother’s land, led up to the upbeat closer “Tikiri” and an encore performance of “Speculum” — which Lorén admits they did not practice ahead of time, delivered so well that one would have ever known.

Los Dareyes de la Sierra

Los Dareyes’ lead singer and accordionist José Darey Castro is known for his raunchy lyrics and vibrant stage presence. Presented with the challenge of making it a family-friendly show, his group leaned into humor and hijinks.

“Today is really hard for me because I’m really vulgar,” Darey told the audience.

Founded in 1997 in Navojoa, Sonora, Mexico, the three-member norteño group is known for their (narco-) corridos, románticos and cumbias. Their Thursday show at Jay Pritzker Pavillion was an excellent example of how even the most explicit performers can create amusing memories for fans of all ages.

One lucky fan got a $400 cash gift after joining the group on stage. Another, María Teresa Giraldo, was singled out by Darey Castro to dance with him. From a city in Colombia called Armenia, cumbias are her favorite, she related to the singer and the crowd, and Darey led his group in cumbias just for her.

The love affair for Colombia didn’t stop there. Not only did he give a shout out to the country’s national soccer team (fresh from their Copa-América finals loss), but Darey Castro also hoisted a beverage onstage as a toast to the country and brought a fan’s Colombian flag onto the stage with him.

The trio kicked off their set with hits such as “Hace Frío Aquí en la Cima” and “Hasta El Día De Hoy.” For a three-piece ensemble, they filled the stage with sound and fury.

As the band began making their way off the stage after performing “Adiós Amor” the crowd started chanting “¡Otra!” (“Another!”)

“Estaba esperando eso,” Darey said. “I was waiting for that.”

He returned to the mic to perform part of “Tu Coqutte” and “VVS,” which he worked on with Peso Pluma, and a fun cover of Mexican legend Antonio Aguilar’s “Mi gusto es.”

Fruko y Sus Tesos

In honor of one of the world’s most famous salsa group’s 60th anniversary, Fruko y Sus Tesos were welcomed to the stage with a short performance by La Sonora Dinamita, a cumbia band from Colombia.

Sonora Dinamita got everyone on their feet with “La cortina,” “Capullo y sorullo” and “Mil Horas.” They were dressed to the nines in metallic suits and brought out a variety of instruments including trumpets, keys and maracas. Their job was to prime fans for the main event: Fruko y Sus Tesos.

Accompanied by Mexican violinist Alfredo de la Fé and 73-year-old founder Julio Ernesto Estrada (who is nicknamed “Fruko”), the band put on an electrifying performance with songs near and dear to the hearts of several generations of fans in the audience.

After opening with “Te Quiero Más,” Estrada asked the crowd to give a round of applause for Joe Arroyo, the band’s lead vocalist for eight years who died in 2011. Arroyo helped Fruko y Sus Tesos rise to fame and gain international recognition. Considered one of the greatest salseros of all time, Arroyo’s legendary voice can’t be replicated, but Thursday’s performance came uncannily close.

By the time “No Me Dejan Quererte” and “Cachondea” were played, everyone in attendance was dancing or, at the very least, swaying. With infectious melodies and unforgettable lyrics, Fruko y Sus Tesos is just one of those groups that will never become irrelevant. They’re slated to perform for even bigger crowds at El Gran Festival Colombiano at Northeastern Illinois University this weekend.

Edwin Gómez “El Fantasma” made a surprise appearance to perform “Rebelión,” one of Joe Arroyo’s most popular hits alongside Fruko’s three main vocalists. At this point, the crowd came alive to sing each word of the iconic song and formed huge sections of salsa dancing in the aisles of the pavilion and in the vast grass seating area.

Alfredo de la Fé, who’s worked with Fruko for decades, teased a second part to their 2006 album “La Llave De Oro” ahead of performing “Ritmo Sabroso.” Fruko y Sus Tesos ended the show with their 1975 song “Los Charcos” and “Colombia Tierra Querida” before Estrada took some time to shake hands and sign old records at the foot of the stage for eager fans.

NOTE: The rest of the weekend’s events include live performances and a birthday celebration hosted by Eli’s Cheesecake Saturday afternoon at “The Bean” followed by a concert featuring Chicago rapper Common alongside the Grant Park Orchestra on Saturday evening.