Los Angeles–based group Boleros With Attitude (BWA) has become a viral sensation by redefining Latin music for a new generation, transforming hip hop songs through the lens of traditional bolero using folk instrumentation, rhythm, and harmonies. Led by musician and producer Zeus Martinez, the band recently performed an intimate live session in LA’s historic Union Station, captured entirely with a custom array of AEA ribbon microphones.
Los Angeles roots and bolero tradition
Raised in Los Angeles, Zeus Martinez learned to play the requinto under the guidance of his father, a bolero musician who introduced him to the romantic, melodic style that defined the genre’s golden era. Growing up, he was also a huge fan of hip hop, drawing inspiration from artists like Dr. Dre, DJ Premier, and DJ Quik. Both styles became central to his musical identity, and blending them felt like a natural form of expression.
“In Los Angeles, you grow up hearing Mexican music everywhere you go, and then you also hear hip hop legends that shaped the sound of the city,” Martinez said. “Boleros With Attitude is like standing on a corner in Los Angeles. On one side, you hear Mexican music, and on the other, an 808 kick coming from a subwoofer. That mix is what we represent.”
Union Station session
In collaboration with LA Metro, Boleros With Attitude and AEA Microphones staged a live performance inside the ticket concourse of Union Station, the city’s 1939 Art Deco transit hub and a defining piece of Los Angeles history. For Martinez, performing there carried a natural sense of symmetry. The setting, the music, and the tools all shared roots in the same era.
“The music we play comes from the 1940s, and these ribbon microphones are modern versions of the ones artists used in that era,” Martinez said. “It only made sense to pair that sound with a space that carries so much history.”
The performance was captured entirely with AEA microphones, including a KU4 on lead vocals, KU5A on background vocals, N22 on guitar and requinto, N28 on percussion, and an R88A positioned to capture the ambience of the room. The bass was recorded through an AEA TDI direct box. Martinez, who also mixed and mastered the session, said the microphones gave him exactly what he was hoping for: a sound that felt natural, open, and true to the performance.
“Once I heard the microphones in my in-ear monitors, I kept saying how good it sounded,” he recalled. “When I brought the tracks into the studio, the first word that came to mind was transparency. Everything felt right in front of me. It sounded honest, and that helps so much when you’re mixing because you don’t have to do much. The sound is already there.”
Boleros With Attitude continues to build momentum with live performances across California and is currently recording original music that explores the immigrant experience through their unique fusion of bolero and hip hop.
