Alejandro Fernández has his eyes set on U.S. stages. The Mexican ranchera singer has announced a 21-date trek dubbed the “Amor y Patria” tour, marking his first musical trip around the states since 2021 — the same year his 81-year-old father and Mexican music icon Vicente Fernández died.

Naturally, the tour is soaked in nostalgia — for more reasons than one. Alejandro, who began performing alongside his famous father as a toddler, will be joined by his 29-year-old son Alex Fernández on several tour stops.

“I’m really proud that he’s carrying the torch: like father, like son, ” Alejandro tells Variety. “It’s great to see him be proud, not only of his culture, but of his last name and the responsibility that comes with it. He understands what level of impact we have and that our unity is really all that matters at the end of the day.”

The “Amor y Patria” tour is slated to launch Sept. 8 in Sacramento, California, at the Golden 1 Center and will blaze through shows in cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, and New York, with a closing set in Miami on Oct. 22. 

“The U.S. is almost like a second home to me and so it’s crucial to come here and promote to my paisanos [folks from Mexico] who are in the [U.S.] for whatever reason,” he explains. “Some are here on their own accord, while others are here for work but it’s an emotive feeling always…returning to the U.S. and bringing our culture to another country so that the people living here have something from home that they can enjoy.”

Priding himself as detail-oriented, Alejandro’s North American plots were also conscious business decisions on his part as an effort to reconnect with the ever-growing Latin audience in the U.S.

“The U.S. has always been an important market for any artist but it really is an impressive playing field so being vigilant of that market is essential,” he says. That same methodology is what led the 51-year-old artist to successfully pull off his major pop crossover that began with his 1997 album “Me Estoy Enamorando,” and continued with hit singles like 2004’s “Me Dedique a Perderte.”

In the months leading up to the fall tour, Alejandro will be on a tight release schedule for a new slate of singles that will all lead up to his new album, due later this year. In January, he released the ballad, “Inexperto En Olividarte,” a song that boasts traditional mariachi arrangements and falls in line with his classic emotive rancheras.

His last album was 2020’s “Hecho En México,” a quentenssial collection of rancheras that featured the voices of Mexican music stars like Christian Nodal and Calibre 50, along with Vicente on the song “Mentí.” The record saw him returning to his roots with full force, following mostly pop-inspired releases like his 2017 record “Rompiendo Fronteras.”

“[Rancheras] are the type of songs where, when you’re recording them, they have to be songs that make your heart swell, or sweat or cry for you to accurately portray what you’re singing about,” he says. “At the same time, I think it’s a genre that’s very well-protected by traditionalists — they prefer that it remains untouched.”

He continues, “But at the end of the day, nobody can put a lock on music and you can do what you want with it. I was one of the first to enter that scene with [pop] music because, coming in with my father’s background, I was intentionally searching for challenges.”

Reminiscing about Vicente, Alejandro says performing with his son has taught him to maintain an even line between friend, father and mentor.

“My dad was very strict with me, but I think that served me well — his reprimands, his demands, los jalónes de orejas [in other words, his “slaps on the wrist”] or his constructive criticism. I listened to him and valued his suggestions because, for me, he wasn’t just my dad — he was like a professor. And his character was strong, and now I have that same demeanor.”

Tickets for the “Amor y Patria” tour go on sale Feb. 18 at 10 a.m. local time on Ticketmaster.com. See here for more details.

Amor Y Patria Dates: 

*with Alex Fernández

Fri Sep 08 – Sacramento, CA – Golden 1 Center*

Sat Sep 09 – San Jose, CA – SAP Center*

Sun Sep 10 – Anaheim, CA – Honda Center*

Fri Sep 15 – Las Vegas, NV – MGM Grand Garden Arena*

Sat Sep 16 – Las Vegas, NV – MGM Grand Garden Arena*

Sun Sep 17 – Phoenix, AZ – Arizona Financial Theatre*

Fri Sep 22 – Los Angeles, CA – The Kia Forum*

Sat Sep 23 – San Diego, CA – Viejas Arena*

Sun Sep 24 – Highland, CA – Yaamava Casino+

Fri Sep 29 – El Paso, TX – UTEP Don Haskins Center*

Sat Sep 30 – San Antonio, TX – AT&T Center*

Sun Oct 01 – Edinburg, TX – Bert Ogden Arena*

Thu Oct 05 – Dallas, TX – The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory*

Fri Oct 06 – Houston, TX – Toyota Center*

Sun Oct 08 – Chicago, IL – Allstate Arena*

Wed Oct 11 – Toronto, ON – Massey Hall

Fri Oct 13 – Washington, DC – The Theater at MGM National Harbor

Sat Oct 14 – New York, NY – Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden

Thu Oct 19 – Atlanta, GA – Coca Cola Roxy

Sat Oct 21 – Estero, FL – Hertz Arena*

Sun Oct 22 – Miami, FL – Miami-Dade Arena*

+Not a Live Nation Date

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