Mexico City Mixtape
Like a playlist but with people, places, and things instead.
I just got back from Mexico City, and I asked everyone I met for a music rec. Here’s that playlist of recs.
Track 1: Songs and Strangers
Macario Martínez is a 23-year-old street sweeper who became famous overnight for his song Sueña Lindo, Corazón. He made a TikTok while on the back of a work truck sharing his music and it blew up. Within days, he was on the radio, performing free concerts in the city, and getting invited to festivals across Mexico.
His story is tender. He’s so deserving of this success and so very talented.
Giving Andrea and Dave all the credit for the Macario music rec. I couldn’t believe it when they told me he blew up that week. Also, if you’re looking for glass skin, check out Andrea’s IG. She’s got you.
Huaraches have a chokehold on me. I bought my first pair ten years ago and life hasn’t been the same since. I found some blue leather ones at a market this trip.
Weirdly, I only met one other person in the city rocking huaraches while I was there. Mokshini also happened to be one of the most stylish people I encountered—so I feel very validated. I caught her doing some sketches in her notebook. She just illustrated and released a children’s book called Faith Takes the Train.
She and her partner Moses run Mokle Studio, a design studio in Williamsburg creating beautiful forms that are functional, fun, and full of personality. I’ll do a bigger feature on them when I’m on the ground reporting from Brooklyn.
Track 2: Sacred Spaces
This city has the most breathtaking libraries. Biblioteca Vasconcelos has been on my list forever. The space is divine. Like a cathedral for books. It’s a massive glass and steel behemoth, blending together an eco brutalism and midcentury vibe. As someone who loves books, architecture, and photography, it scratched an itch I can’t explain.
The second library I want to shout out is Biblioteca de México José Vasconcelos (not to be confused with the first one) in Centro. This is a hidden gem more people should know about.
It was originally a tobacco factory, later a military barrack and weapons depot. Today, it’s home to a stunning library, the Centro de la Imagen photography museum, and host to exhibitions and shows. A true city staple that keeps reinventing itself.
Track 3: Lines & Luchadores
Mexico City has an underground first class pink line. To combat sexual violence, the Metrobus reserves the front boarding area for women, children, and disabled folks. What a concept. A girl I met called it "riding first class". That’s clever.
What impressed me was how strictly it was enforced. The station attendants and passengers would redirect men queueing the first class line. Not gonna lie, I didn’t read the signs and got asked to move.
We caught a lucha libre match at Arena México and it was electric. As a self-identifying chismoso, the drama and plot lines were too much even for me. I left convinced I need to create my own wrestling persona. Mask and costume concept in the works.
The undeniable star of the night was Místico. The man lives for the stage almost as much as he does for his fans. After the match, he stayed an extra 20 minutes, taking photos and signing autographs.
Everyone left a Místico fan. Myself included.
Track 4: Café para aquí
I’m a coffee snob. I hate to admit it, but it’s true. A few weeks ago in Brooklyn, I paid $18 for a hand poured filter brew of just black coffee. I enjoyed every damn drop of it. In Mexico City though, I drank some of the best coffee of my life and it was grown right there!
Most fancy coffees in the U.S. are from Ethiopia, Colombia, or Kenya. Occasionally you see a Guatemala or Costa Rica, but these cover our bases. Mexico is a producing country, but a lot of its best beans never leave the country. The nice thing is you get to try new coffee you can’t get in the states when visiting.
Erika from Café Santos gave us the full rundown on Oaxacan and Chiapas beans and how experimental fermentation methods are reshaping the local and global industry. If you ever see Mexican beans at your local shop, try them!
Track 5: Creatives and Color
I met so many inspiring creatives this trip, it’s tough to fit into a single mixtape. One of my favorite parts about the city is the beautiful colors. I’m convinced it’s a source of inspiration for the people living there.
Estefanía worked at the cutest coffee bookshop in Roma. We talked about art and music over coffee for nearly an hour before she finally mentioned she was a poet. I purchased a copy of her book Hipocampo. It’s beautiful!
To close out our playlist, I want to put everyone on Naomi Veronica! We met at a coffee shop and talked about our experiences living in the Midwest. These days, she’s more Chilanga since she’s been here for over a decade.
But she still gets the occasional Midwest meatloaf craving here and there. Extra ketchup.
I came home with playlists, poems, new friends, and a craving to eat more tamales. Mexico City, you have my heart.