A wave of celebrities gathered tonight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas for the 26th edition of the Latin GRAMMYs. Among them was Pepe Aguilar, who arrived at the gala accompanied by his kids, Ángela and Leonardo Aguilar. As he walked past the cameras, the Mexican-American singer revealed whether there is any rivalry with his son-in-law Christian Nodal, whom he is competing against at the awards show.
With his album "Mi Suerte Es Ser Mexicano," Pepe is competing against Nodal's "¿Quién + Como Yo?" in the category of Best Ranchera/Mariachi Album. Pepe ensures that the only thing between himself and his son-in-law is respect and affection.
“I care for my son-in-law very much—honestly, he’s a great guy,” he said in an interview with Univision, completely denying any feelings of rivalry with the husband of his youngest daughter. “To be honest, he has beaten me—and he’s beaten our whole family," he concluded.
Pepe went on to shower Nodal with praise. “He’s a very loving, very kind, very respectful person, and hopefully, hopefully he wins it. I already have plenty… It would make me very happy, I swear on my parents who are in heaven. And it stays in the family,” he added, noting Nodal and Angela's marriage, which took place last year.
Pepe also said that he'd be happy if “the mariachi girls” won, referring to Mariachi Reyna De Los Ángeles, who are also competing for Best Ranchera/Mariachi Album. “Because we are people who represent Mexican music in different places, different generations, but in the end, the same idea, the same passion, which is Mexico’s music,” he said.
Pepe Aguilar reflects on his legacy
In the interview, Pepe also reflected on the importance of leaving a legacy in music and the sacrifices involved in being a leading figure in regional Mexican music. “I think the sacrifice is like in any career. If you truly want to stay relevant, you have to reinvent yourself, you have to keep working, you have to compete against time, against everything, against yourself before anything else,” he shared.
“And now, with a new addition—having family members who work in the same field. I hadn’t lived through that before; I lived it with my parents, so I lived it upward, but not downward. And so, it’s something interesting, especially now. But in reality, what we have here is a family that loves Mexican music, a father who loves his children, who loves his traditions, and honestly, I’m happy to be here. I have nothing in my heart but gratitude,” he said.