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Ángela Aguilar

The youngest artist to be nominated for both a Grammy Award and a Latin Grammy Award.


UPDATED SEPTEMBER 15, 2021 3:36 PM EDT

Ángela Aguliar Álvarez was born and raised in Los Angeles, coming into the world as her mother was accompanying her father on tour. She was born into a musical family known as La Dinastía Aguilar--her father is Mexican singer Pepe Aguilar, while her paternal grandparents are Mexican singer-actors Antonio Aguilar and Flor Silvestre. From a very young age, Aguilar frequently accompanied her father on tour throughout Latin America.

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Angela Aguilar, Pepe Aguilar and Leonardo Aguilar

In 2012, when she was just nine years old, Ángela released Nueva Tradición, an album with four songs by her brother, Leonardo, and four by her. In 2016, she participated in the BBC 100 Woman festival in Mexico City becoming the festival‘s youngest performer. At the time, she told BBC News that the music industry was dominated by men and hoped that would change. In 2019, her family launched an equestrian-musical style tour dubbed “Jaripeo Sin Fronteras,” where she accompanied father, Pepe, her uncle Antonio, and her brother, Leonardo Aguilar.

© GettyImages

Aguilar released her first solo album, Primero Soy Mexicana, in 2018. The album featured eleven well known ranchera songs previously performed by other prominent music artists. The then-14-year-old performed the album‘s first single, “Tu Sangre en Mi Cuerpo” at the 2018 Premios Tu Mundo before being nominated for Best New Artist and Best Ranchero/Mariachi Album at the 19th Annual Latin Grammy Awards. At the ceremony, she performed “La Llorona,” receiving a standing ovation from the audience. Primero Soy Mexicana was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Regional Mexican Music Album, making Ángela one of the youngest artists ever to be nominated for a Grammy.

Since her breakthrough, Aguilar has only continued her success, being nominated for three awards at the 2019 Premios Juventud. That same year, she was named the Artistic and Cultural Ambassador of Zacatecas, Mexico by Mayor Ulises Mejía Haro, proving her influence extends far beyond music.