Antonio Lucero '23

Antonio Lucero (‘23) has been surrounded by music as long as he can remember. The Beacon Academy freshman is one of seven siblings in the Cielito Lindo family band which has been featured on Nickelodeon, WGN-TV’s morning news program, and WTTW-TV’s “Chicago Tonight.”

 

Cielito Lindo is a modern Latino family band founded by Antonio’s father, Juan. The children in the group range in age from 6 to 17. Antonio’s mother Susy is in the band as well and handles marketing for the group. Antonio plays the guitar.

 

“The band started out with my dad,” said Antonio. “I was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he had an adult band and we would go to a lot of his performances. My two oldest brothers would play with him for fun and would guest perform. My dad taught us how to sing and play instruments. I started playing when I was seven. My first instrument was the ukulele.”

 

The family relocated to Chicago’s Lincoln Square neighborhood in 2015, where Susy Lucero grew up, to take advantage of the different opportunities the city has to offer.

 

Cielito Lindo plays shows extensively throughout the midwest and it’s not unusual to see them at venues like the United Center playing before a Chicago Bulls game. The band’s unique blend of traditional Mexican folk music along with influences from groups such as Los Lobos, Trio Los Panchos, and even Weezer have developed quite a following. Cielito Lindo’s popularity has not only grown through their appearances, but also through postings on social media. The band even has their own YouTube channel.

 

“We are a new version of a Mariachi band,” Antonio said. “We incorporate newer songs including rock but we can play a lot of different styles. I think we are more of a new Latin band.”

 

Meanwhile, Antonio is settling in quite nicely at Beacon. “It’s been a great transition so far,” he says. “It’s my first time in a Montessori school and everything is going well. If I have trouble with a class, it’s been really easy to get help.”

 

Although music is a constant in his life, Antonio is not limiting himself in the subjects he wants to study at Beacon. “I definitely see myself doing something more creative or more expressive. I want to study graphic design, photography, or something similar.”

You can view the WGN-TV feature on Cielito Lindo by clicking here or the WTTW-TV piece here. For more information on the band, please visit www.cielitolindo.com.