This story is a part of Como Celebramos, wherein we’re sharing how we’re honoring our favourite summertime Sunday rituals.
Rauw Alejandro and Peso Pluma are set to take the stage on the 2024 Governor’s Ball in NYC between June 7 and 9. Whereas Becky G and J Balvin carried out on the music pageant in 2022 and 2021, respectively, this yr marks the primary time that two Latin music acts are headlining on separate days. And it is about time.
Because the Forties and ’50s, when cha cha and mambo took the US by storm, the mass enchantment of Latin music has been simple. With its mixture of West African and Spanish rhythms, the music is inherently danceable, which little doubt has helped genres like salsa and reggaetón break down the language barrier. You need not know what Unhealthy Bunny’s saying to have the ability to transfer to the beat. And but, for a very long time, Latin and African artists may solely be discovered at music festivals that catered to these demographics particularly. That is not the case, as main music festivals have lately began together with extra Latin acts of their lineups.
In 2023, Unhealthy Bunny grew to become the primary Spanish-language artist to headline Coachella, the place Eladio Carrión and Anuel AA additionally appeared. That very same yr, iLe, PJ Sin Suela, and Los Rivera Destino carried out on the SXSW Music Pageant. In 2024, Coachella doubled down on the Latin acts, inviting each Peso Pluma and J. Balvin. And the development would not appear to be stopping.
However why has it taken so lengthy for main festivals to get the message that our music is so hearth? Again within the Nineteen Seventies, the Fania All-Stars proved that music sung solely in Spanish can have international enchantment. The reggaetón growth of the early 2000s grew to become a cultural phenomenon that noticed the style play on each English and Spanish-language radio. So what provides? Effectively, I’ve a easy speculation: cash.
It is no secret that Latin music has grown exponentially over the previous decade, outpacing the general development of the music trade by a large margin. Whereas made for our communities, our music is not restricted to them. I keep in mind once I was a child, watching all the brand new reggaetón movies would drop on mun2. Now, I’m going on YouTube, and all the newest music movies have English subtitles. It goes to point out how far we have come on the subject of making commercially viable music. However greater than that, having Latin and African headliners at main festivals faucets into the facility of the communities behind them, introducing some much-needed sazón. Not solely does it usher in a extra various viewers to the pageant scene, however given the present state of reside music, it additionally grows these artists’ audiences whereas pumping up lagging ticket gross sales.
Each Jennifer Lopez and Unhealthy Bunny have been trending lately as a consequence of lower-than-expected ticket gross sales. So, no, Latin artists aren’t proof against general trade developments. Again in April, Coachella additionally made headlines for reducing ticket gross sales. However I’m wondering if bringing Latin artists to music festivals would possibly simply resolve the difficulty.
Touring is inherently costly. For profitable artists to tour, they have to make investments some huge cash in visible results, journey logistics, crew, and extra. It is a part of the rationale greater artists are restricted to carry out at arenas and stadiums that pack 30,000-plus followers and cost exorbitant costs for tickets. The way in which festivals are arrange, nonetheless, whereas the preliminary ticket costs is likely to be larger, music lovers get a number of nights and expertise a number of acts for the fee. This instantly expands the target market and offsets the price of the present. Latin and African artists get to carry out in entrance of a blended crowd of each die-hard followers and newcomers who’re extra open than ever to receiving their music, growing the worth of their model with out having to incur all the prices of placing on the present themselves. It is a win-win for everyone.
However aside from the financial incentives, what Latin and African artists actually convey to music festivals is unmatched power. Our cultures are predicated on all-night events and dancing. Have a look at what Unhealthy Bunny and Burna Boy did of their respective Grammy performances. Combining conventional cultural components and instrumentation, catchy lyrics and melodies is a profitable components that our musical genres have perfected over many years. The consequence? A sound assured to show even the stuffiest pageant ambiance right into a full-on vibe. I can solely hope that the inclusion of those artists is not solely a fad, however an indication of larger range to return.
Miguel Machado is a journalist with experience within the intersection of Latine id and tradition. He does the whole lot from unique interviews with Latin music artists to opinion items on points which might be related to the neighborhood, private essays tied to his Latinidad, and thought items and options regarding Puerto Rico and Puerto Rican tradition.
