Producer and singer-songwriter Roberto Carlos Lange creates experimental pop music as Helado Negro. The son of Ecuadorian immigrants, he grew up in Florida in the ‘80s.

Meanwhile, guitarist and songwriter Fabi Reyna was born in Mexico and makes indie-Latin-rock as Reyna Tropical. Reyna, who uses they/them pronouns, grew up in Texas in the ‘90s. 

Then in 2024, the two were introduced to each other by a mutual friend and decided to write a song together. Two years later, they became a band with a full album, both called “Helado Tropical.”

Most of Helado Tropical’s songs — the lyrics in Spanish — are about emotions. “Tocando,” or touching, is about someone longing for love.

But the song’s music video is fun and silly. The pair are in a grocery store wearing electric blue jumpsuits. Mangoes fly around and Reyna sings while taking bites of a large papaya.

The two shot the video at a Mexican supermarket in Portland, Oregon, where Reyna shops. They explained the song shows the heart of Helado Tropical. “Under the surface it’s really filled with running around, being at recess, jumping into the ocean,” Reyna said. “‘Tocando’ is definitely the clearer indicator of this part of this relationship.”

Even though Helado Negro is older — he’s 45 and Reyna is 34 — and has been in the music business longer, he said that that does not dictate what they create together.

“The wisdom that I brought was: [I] don’t know anything, what is something new that can be made that has nothing to do with anything that I’ve done?” he said. “That’s more interesting for me, that’s what I was looking forward to.”

Reyna had another long music partnership before, but Nectali Diaz, the other half of that former duo — Reyna Tropical — died in an e-scooter accident in Los Angeles four years ago.

It took a while after that loss for Reyna to be able to make music again, and they released the album “Malegría” solo in 2024. Reyna said they are happy to collaborate with Helado Negro because the two have similar sensibilities. “Our depth and our internal worlds are deep and ocean-like,” Reyna said. “Put us together and it’s going to be very deep, sexy and playful too.”

They both wrote music and lyrics for the new album. Helago Negro said “Dejate Caer”  is one of his favorites. “The song is a release for sure. The words Dejate Caer, to let yourself fall, to let yourself go, to let loose, it’s such a special message,” he said.

But these have been troubling times for the Latino community in the US, with the raids by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on migrant communities, that have led to killings, arrests and deportations.

Reyna believes that makes their music more important than ever. “What is the role of the artist?” they asked. “In these times, it’s radical joy, it’s radical play, it’s radical pleasure, for us to remind our communities that we deserve this, we belong in this.”

Sam Sumpter, an on-air host at WFUV, an eclectic music station in New York, interviewed Helado Tropical on her show, and said the two make a perfect match.

“It was kind of a blind date in the music sense. They got paired together and then just instantly hit it off, the chemistry was there,” she said.

Sumpter, who is also the founder of the music blog Bands do Brooklyn, said their collaboration was possible because of the way music is often created today.

“They’re both touring artists, they were out doing their thing and sending files back and forth and then meeting in random cities to fit in sessions where they can. It’s cool that art can be made in this way now.”

Helado Tropical’s music seems to resonate with fans of both musicians. Nicole Motta, a photo art director who has been a fan of Reyna Tropical for years, was at an Helado Tropical’s concert at 360 Record Shop in Red Hook, Brooklyn, in mid-July.

“I love them,” Motta said. “They are doing experimental avant-garde in a way that is showing the reemergence of music from Indigenous and Latino cultures that I really enjoy.”

As Helado Tropical gets ready to tour dozens of cities starting in August, Helado Negro said he’s wondering what they will learn from each other.

“Maybe too much, it’s going to be a lot of stories,” he said jokingly. Reyna confessed they always turn to Helado Negro for advice. “I’m always like, ‘Roberto, what should I do,’ so I’m worried more for him,” they said, laughing. 

Their first show is in San Diego on Aug. 12 and they wrap the tour in Mexico City in November.