Genai Nakama is Holding Space for Brown Latines

Angel Ortiz y su Mariachi are always ready to do covers you wouldn’t normally hear at a Latine celebration. Case in point: Japanese anime. In one of the most recent videos that he posted on TikTok, Ortiz (@aoysutictoc) recorded himself in his home studio playing the theme song to the classic 1990s anime TV series Sailor Moon.

During the performance, Ortiz is wearing a snazzy black mariachi suit, a black top hat, a red rose on his lapel, and the same white mask that the Sailor Moon character Tuxedo Mask wears on the show.

If you are not familiar with Tuxedo Mask, he is also known as Mamoru Chiba or Darien Shields (in the English-language version). He is an ally of the Sailor Guardians and wears a mask to conceal his identity and fight alongside the magical, young girls. He also has psychic powers and is the primary love interest for the title character.

The hybrid between Japanese pop culture and Mexican music feels seamless as Ortiz switches between instruments for his virtual concert, including the trumpet, guitar, guitarrón, and violin. Ortiz also sings some of the song lyrics in Spanish.

Late last year, Remezcla shared a video of Ortiz performing Adele’s song “Easy on Me” from her fourth studio album 30. Since then, Ortiz has mixed mariachi music to artists like Selena, Christina Aguilera, Amy Winehouse, and Dua Lipa, among many others.

But you’re someone who loves anime, he’s done covers for Pokémon, Digimon, and Ranma 1/2.