Korean-born, Mexico-based multi-instrumentalist, Abigail Pak, better known as La Coreañera, has transformed cumbia into her own creative language, blending classical training, Korean heritage, and Mexican urban rhythms into a sound that feels both deeply rooted and entirely new.
Her musical vision comes to life in the US on March 18 at SXSW in Austin, Texas, where FONO and Universal Music México present a special showcase at Mala Fama, spotlighting the artists shaping the future of Mexican and Latin music. Alongside powerful voices like Vivir Quintana, Moreno X4, and Danny Felix, La Coreañera stands at the forefront of a new cumbia wave.
La Coreañera’s journey spans from classical stages like Carnegie Hall to viral moments online and massive crowds in Mexico City, culminating in a rapidly rising career that will soon lead to her highly anticipated debut album in 2026. Under the concept MÚSICA: NO BORDERS, her artistry embodies a generation that refuses to be confined by geography or genre, instead embracing a multicultural persona, and a borderless identity that resonates in today’s world.
MAKING NEW WAVE CUMBIAS THE CONNECTION BETWEEN CULTURES AND COMMUNITIES
SXSW’s Showcase “Música: No Borders” is a way to celebrate and redefine what Regional Mexican music is today. How would you define this evolution of Mexican music?
My music reflects the person I am today, shaped by my experiences growing up in a migrant family from a border state, where there is a strong Hispanic community. So for me, performing for a migrant audience or for people who understand that context, is something very special. I feel like it’s understood in a very particular way that maybe isn’t as present when I perform here in Mexico City, for example.
I’m very excited because, for me, it’s incredibly symbolic to perform not only for the first time in the United States, but also in a place so close to where I was born. I’m originally from San Antonio, Texas. I haven’t been back in over 10 years, in fact, I don’t even have family there anymore; my parents moved back to Korea. It feels nostalgic, but also symbolic, because my project represents multiculturalism and the mix of languages I experienced while living in the U.S.
What can we expect from La Coreañera on stage during this SXSW showcase?
For this South by Southwest show, I’ll be premiering my new song “Mariposas.” It will be the first time I perform it live, so I’m really excited to share one of my own songs, truly mine, for the first time.
Why do you think it’s important to celebrate culture and Latin rhythms, especially at an Anglo event in a U.S. border state?
For many people, it’s about preserving a culture. As a migrant and as someone who has lived in another country, and who understands my parents’ experience of moving from Korea to the United States, I understand what it feels like to be far from home, to miss your music, your people, your language, your food, everything.
I understand that feeling deeply, both through my family’s background and through the culture I grew up in, Korean culture, but also as a Korean-American living here in Mexico. So understanding that context is exactly why this South by Southwest event is so special, it brings people a piece of what they miss from Mexico, or the music they love, while also introducing new sounds. We support each other, we are a community.
What does it feel like to share the stage at this event with major Regional Mexican artists like Vivir Quintana, and emerging acts like Moreno X4 and Dani Félix?
For me, it’s very exciting because I’ve never shared a stage with Vivir, but I’ve seen her perform from the audience, and she’s someone I admire deeply. She’s a very strong woman who inspires so many people, and the first time I saw her live, I was truly moved by the stories she tells through her music.
I know this world, and the music industry in general, is a very difficult space for women. So for me, it’s incredibly special to share the stage with another woman who has built all of this on her own as an artist.
What is something most people wouldn’t expect about Abigail, the voice behind La Coreañera?
Honestly, everything I’m doing with my project, La Coreañera, was never something I dreamed of. I’ve always preferred being behind the scenes and working on the process of how things come together. I love dancing, and I’ll admit that sometimes I enjoy dancing even more than performing, singing or being on stage. I love creating choreography for my dancers when I have shows here in Mexico, and I feel like that’s something that has prepared me for this moment.
Before dedicating myself to music, I studied linguistics, and before that, I worked in restaurants. All of those life experiences, where I’ve been and what I’ve done, have contributed so much to my project, especially in understanding how music is shaped by the people you’re around and the cultural context you live in.
2026 MUSICAL VISION
With a steady stream of upcoming releases and a full-length album in progress, her creative direction signals both expansion and intention. Each new track becomes a reflection of her range: rooted in cumbia, stretched across rhythms, textures, and emotional registers that mirror her identity as an artist navigating multicultural worlds.
That duality comes to life in one of her most ambitious performances to date: a special presentation on April 19 in Monterrey at the Teatro de la Ciudad de Monterrey. Invited as a soloist rather than with her full band, La Coreañera will perform alongside a symphony orchestra in a reimagined, 15-minute cumbia suite, an intricate blend of Colombian classics, live percussion, and orchestral arrangement. It’s a moment that bridges her background in classical music with her deep connection to tropical sound, offering audiences an immersive and celebratory experience of Latin sounds.
Offstage, her growth is just as intentional. What began as a three-person setup relying on sequences has steadily evolved into a nearly complete live band, with only a couple of musicians left to round out the ensemble. This organic expansion mirrors the music itself: dynamic, collaborative, and constantly in motion. Her upcoming April release further underscores that versatility, introducing a new cumbia style distinct from her debut “Mariposas”. You can keep track of this multicultural, multitalented voice by following her YouTube channel for upcoming releases and the SXSW page for her upcoming presentation during the showcase by Música: No Borders.
