Maria Carolina Martins
Latinos are taking over the world, one step at a time. This statement might seem biased coming from me, a born and raised Latina (constantly making sure everybody knows it), but I could not be happier to be reporting the multiple accomplishments of Latino artists. For some time now, we seem to be the talk of the town, getting more attention from people all over the world; from pure talent demonstrations in what we do best – football, to getting top categories in music awards and charts everywhere (Billboard top artist 2022). For this year’s Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, it wasn’t any different.
Coachella is an annual music and arts festival held in Indio, California, in the Coachella Valley that gathers artists from all over the world. Even though a more significant number of Latino artists took the stages of the festival last year (20 in total), this year they still managed to steal the show at what seems to be one of the most flopped editions of the event (literally saving it from becoming one of the less memorable editions of the festival so far). Special praise is deserved to Bad Bunny, who once again made history and outstandingly represented Latinos, becoming the first Latin artist to perform as a headline for the festival. He headlined this Friday, April 14th and with a formidable performance, delivering an incredible stage set full of eclectic lights, charisma, surprise guests (POST MALONE), fashionable outfits, and a lot of dance and fun. In his set, Benito included some of his most iconic songs such as 2018’s Te Boté, a classic, Tití Me Preguntó – a personal favorite of mine –, Moscow Mule from his most recent album, reggaeton, and trap-leaning tracks from 2020’s YHLQMDLG such as ‘La Difícil’, ‘Yo Perreo Sola’, and ‘Safaera’ couldn’t be left out of the mix.
“I want to know something before I keep going with my show,” said the singer, in English, three songs into his concert. “What do you prefer: me talking in English or hablando español?” a unanimous response came from the crowd: “ESPAÑOL”. The Guardian journalist, Adrian Hortonis described his “refusal to cater to English-only audiences in the mainstream crossover [as] a longstanding political point.” When performers like Bad Bunny, Karol G, and Rosalia who are now internationally known stars, decide to primarily use the Spanish language when creating their music and mainly directing their work to Spanish-speaking audiences without conforming to the standard around the world, they show a strong act of resistance against the little representation of different cultures in international fields, such as the music industry. These artists’ multiple accomplishments demonstrate that there is a possibility of creating space for people from all over the world that come from underrepresented and forgotten backgrounds and that we belong wherever we want to be.
Mexican-American singer Becky G, six-time Latin Grammy award nominee also shined during both weekends of the event. In a show full of color, dance, funky stage pieces, and attention-grabbing projections, she got people going crazy on the dance floor with some of her famous hits such as Mayores, Cuando te Besé, and Shower – a classic if you ask me.
The Latin-American singer brought part of her heritage and her roots to her performance during the second weekend of Coachella, on Friday night she decided to include a tribute to one of her biggest influences, Selena Quintanilla-Perez, singing some of her most iconic hits such as “Como La Flor,” “La Carcacha,” “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom,” and “Baila Esta Cumbia.” “She’s somebody that I look to for guidance and look to for reference of whatever decision it is that I make in my career,” said the artist. Some other Latino or Spanish-speaking artists that participated in the festival include the iconic Argentine rock band Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, DannyLux, Conexión Divina, Kali Uchis (you might know her song Telepatía), and Eladio Carrión.
The Latino takeover of Coachella has been an exciting development in the festival’s history, becoming a celebration of Latinx culture and identity. Latino artists have brought a unique and diverse range of music to Coachella, reflecting the rich cultural heritage of Latin America. As Coachella continues to evolve, we can only hope that it will continue to embrace and showcase the incredible talent of Latino artists and serve as a platform for their music to reach new audiences.
Bibliography
Flores, Griselda. “Bad Bunny Brings out Post Malone, Rides a Jet Ski & More during Historic Two-Hour Set at Coachella 2023.” Billboard, 15 Apr. 2023, www.billboard.com/music/latin/bad-bunny-historic-headliner-coachella-2023-recap-1235303337/.
—. “Becky G, Eladio Carrión, DannyLux & More: Here’s Every Spanish-Language Artist Playing Coachella 2023.” Billboard, 10 Jan. 2023, www.billboard.com/music/latin/coachella-2023-lineup-every-latin-artist-1235196681/. Accessed 26 Apr. 2023.
Horton, Adrian. “Bad Bunny at Coachella Review – Charismatic Superstar Hosts High-Energy Party.” The Guardian, 15 Apr. 2023, www.theguardian.com/music/2023/apr/15/bad-bunny-coachella-review. Accessed 26 Apr. 2023.
Kayhart, Kevin. “Becky G Delivers High-Energy Set at Coachella Weekend Two.” Mail Online, 22 Apr. 2023, www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-12001807/Becky-G-delivers-high-energy-performance-pin. Accessed 26 Apr. 2023.
Medina, John Henry. “Becky G Performs Selena Tribute Medley at Coachella 2023.” Tejano Nation, 22 Apr. 2023, tejanonation.net/2023/04/22/becky-g-performs-selena-tribute-medley-at-coachella-2023/. Accessed 26 Apr. 2023.
Image credit: Andy Abeyta/The Desert Sun (https://www.desertsun.com/story/life/entertainment/music/coachella/2023/04/15/coachella-2023-bad-bunny-makes-history-as-first-latin-solo-headliner/70102262007/)
Maria Carolina Martins