Takamine

Regional Mexican music is a term that applies to many distinctly different genres, and includes extraordinary music being made beyond the borders of Mexico. Such is the case with Conexión Divina, an all-female, Gen Z band based in Los Angeles who have added their own modern twist to the sound of sierreño music. We’re happy to announce that all three of the young talents in this red-hot band — Liz Trujillo (lead vocals, guitar), Ashlee Valenzuela (12-string requinto guitar), and Sandra Calixto (bass) are now official members of the Takamine artist family.

Conexión Divina actually hails from across the USA. Liz was born and raised in South Los Angeles, while Ashlee and Sandra come respectively from Arizona and Texas. All three of them are between 18-22 years old, and met in an almost stereotypical way for their age ranges… noticing each other posting song covers on TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram, and then getting acquainted through DMs. It seemed such a random yet preordained way to start a band that this “divine connection” also became their band name.

After getting together both online and eventually in person for songwriting sessions, Conexión Divina recorded and released their debut single “Odio” in fall of 2022 via Sony Music Latin. It’s an astonishingly mature and sentimental ode to unrequited love, especially considering it was crafted by these young, self-taught musicians. It also has a very contemporary sound while remaining true to the traditional elements of the sierreño genre.

“Our music has the roots of old regional Mexican music, but it’s mixed with today’s sounds,” says Sandra. “We can connect older generations with the new generation through our songs,” Ashlee adds.

Their stunning debut album Tres Mundos was released in April to both critical and popular acclaim. A few days later, this relatively new band took one of the biggest stages in the pop music world, performing at Coachella 2023 and winning over tons of fans who’d never experienced regional Mexican music before but were caught up in the heartfelt melancholia of the well-crafted songs. Conexión Divina were one of only two regional Mexican artists performing at the massive event.

At Takamine, we were fortunate to have been introduced early on to Conexión Divina via Daniel Barragan from IHOMI (the International House of Music, Inc.), an excellent Takamine dealer based in downtown LA. While Takamine has had a big presence in their songwriting, recording, and music videos, a recent Pride event in los Angeles marked the first time all three ladies in the band were able to use their newest Takamine guitars onstage, with Liz playing a Pro Series P3DC, Ashlee using the 12-string John Jorgenson Signature Series JJ325SRC-12 strung requinto-style, and Sandra using her new GB72CE bass.

In a music genre where women are underrepresented, and with the creativity and drive for success shown by all three of these talented and fierce ladies, we’re certain that Conexión Divina is on the verge of superstardom, and Takamine is happy to be along for the ride to help them make the best music they can.