Reyna Tropical is led by guitarist, singer, songwriter and producer Fabiola Reyna (founder of She Shreds Media). Investigating landscapes of the tropical diaspora, Reyna Tropical is a musical exploration of intuition, transition, connection and continuation—a celebration of spiritual survival pulsing with the beat of all things tropical. In July of 2022, faced with the passing of co-founder and bandmate, Sumohair (Nectali Diaz), Reyna made the decision to continue in solidarity with the band’s founding vision to be a voice and a platform for the joy and injustices living within the spectrum of Queer Love & Afro-Mexico.
The long-anticipated debut full-length album, Malegría, is at once a vibrant arrival and an electrifying bridge. The portmanteau, born from a 1998 Manu Chao song by the same name, is akin to bittersweet and blends the Spanish “mal” which means “bad” and “alegría” which means “happiness.” It marks Reyna Tropical’s movement from a duo to a solo project. The album is a contemporary celebration and continuation of wide-reaching cultural traditions—from Congolese, Peruvian, and Colombian rhythms to revolutionary artists like lesbian guitarist-singer Chavela Vargas—these influences meld and are remixed through Fabi Reyna’s distinctive lens. Traversing themes including queer love, feminine sensuality, and the transformative power of intentional relations to the earth, Malegría spotlights narratives often pushed to the margins and offers them a sonic homeland.