The band Reyna Tropical began as a duo. Fabi Reyna and Nectali “Sumo” Diaz started making music together in 2016, quickly developing their own improvisational writing style.
Over the years, they released a couple of EPs, toured and played SXSW. Then, in 2022, when they had already begun working on music for their debut full-length album, Sumo died in an accident.
After Sumo’s death, Fabi questioned whether she should keep making music as Reyna Tropical, but she began to channel her grief into what she now calls “the most beautiful thing” she’s created.
The album is called Malegría, a Spanish portmanteau that combines mal, or hurt, and alegría, or happiness. While Fabi is now the sole member, what you hear on Malegría is still a duo, as she has incorporated recordings featuring Sumo throughout the record.
