✦ Rising from the streets of Los Angeles, El Caplan is an artist who masterfully blends the roots of Mexico with the modern flair of American culture in his music. Recorded during the 2020 lockdown in his small studio in Indio, California, Escándalo breathes cinematic and hypnotic new life into the legendary track by La Sonora Dinamita. This is more than a cover. It is a mystical journey reminiscent of a Tarantino film, where borders, cultures, and genres collide.
The Melody of Cultural Synthesis
Born to a mother from Sinaloa, Mexico, and an American session musician father, El Caplan grew up between two cultures. His artistic journey began with traditional ballet folklórico and evolved into a dynamic career as a producer and musician, collaborating with artists such as Dr. Dre, J. Cole, and Anderson .Paak.
His debut EP Our Lady, the Queen of Angels, released in March 2025, was co-produced with Grammy-winning producer Eddie Spear (Zach Bryan, Sierra Ferrell) and draws listeners in with emotional depth and raw, unfiltered storytelling.
Escándalo was conceived during this same creative period. El Caplan reinterprets a beloved Latin classic through his own lens, stripping it down and reshaping it with atmosphere, haunting vocals, and deliberate pacing. The track channels the spirit of borderlands and backroads, where memory, myth, and melody converge.
Special Interview: A Journey Along the Borders of Escándalo with El Caplan
- IndieBird Studio (Eren): Escándalo feels like such a bold and personal reinterpretation. What first grabbed your attention when approaching this song? Where did you find the courage to make it your own in such a unique way?
- El Caplan: It was a song I heard at parties growing up, a very familiar one. But in 2019, I was driving through the streets of LA, listening to 97.9 La Raza, and La Sonora Dinamita’s version came on. It completely pulled me in. Even though the original production is very much of its era, the melody, chords, and lyrics felt timeless. Around that time, I had already done my own takes on Selena’s Como La Flor and Y Volveré by Los Ángeles Negros. These kinds of blends started flowing naturally. Completely pura inspiración, pure inspiration.
- IndieBird Studio (Eren): How did recording in your home studio during the pandemic affect your creativity? Did your connection to the song change?
- El Caplan: Isolation was actually the best thing that could’ve happened to me. Before the pandemic, I was extremely busy as a producer and musician, and it was hard to fully dedicate time to my own work. The pandemic gave me the chance to say no to other projects and really dive deep into myself. To discover who I wanted to be as an artist.
- IndieBird Studio (Eren): Escándalo has such a cinematic feel — almost like a Tarantino film set in a border town. How did you create that in the music? Do visuals or cinema inspire your sound?
- El Caplan: That feeling developed slowly. When I reworked Y Volveré to sound like it belonged on the Kill Bill soundtrack, I decided to create an entire album with that vibe. El Vaquero Güero, a concept that merges the American West with mystical Mexico. Como La Flor came next, followed by Escándalo. The production was tough and time-consuming, but the creative process was very organic and even surprised me.
- IndieBird Studio (Eren): The fusion of Mexican and American cultures in your music — how does that reflect your identity? How has this journey shaped you?
- El Caplan: I used to do ballet folklórico as a kid. My mom’s from Sinaloa, my dad’s American and a musician. My Mexican roots have always inspired me. Blending American and Mexican influences in my art, being a bridge between those two worlds, has felt like the most natural and real path for me.
- IndieBird Studio (Eren): After the success of your EP Our Lady, the Queen of Angels and your sold-out concert, do you have any upcoming live plans with the new release?
- El Caplan: Absolutely. On July 26, I’ll be celebrating Escándalo live with The Tone Slingers at Eastside Luv in Boyle Heights. Then on July 30, I’ll be performing alongside Sharon Silva at Arroz & Fun in Lincoln Heights as part of a showcase from The SoCal Sound and Bilingual Beats. Two amazing LA-based radio collectives. If you’re in Los Angeles, come through and let’s connect.
Final Words
What El Caplan creates with Escándalo is more than a song. It is a time-and-space journey where past and future, two cultures, and two worlds intersect. His music transcends borders, becoming a modern expression of a universal emotion.
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| 📸 Photos by Christoph Night (@studyofnight) |
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| 🎤 Live photo by Alex Meshinto (@meshinto) |
