The newest festival, La Onda, in Napa Valley, promises to embrace the diversity of Spanish-language music and the history of these very specific festivals as well as the untapped audience they cater to.
Not long ago , to enjoy a keen Latin medicine fete in the past meant take a misstep to Latin America . Latinx people traveled far and wide — to Mexico City for Tecate Pa’l Norte , to Spain for Primavera Sound , or to Chile or Argentina to get an loop ofLollapalooza — to see their favored reggaetonero or música Mexicana stars survive . But that ’s all changing , finalmente .
Spanish euphony is now among the most consumed and stream globally ( 2024 is the year of Bad Bunny ) , and that winner has understand into more Spanish - nomenclature festivals popping up in the States supply specifically to Latinx people living in the US . The newest festival , La Onda , in Napa Valley , promises to comprehend the variety of Spanish - language medicine and the history of these very specific fete as well as the untapped interview they supply to .
In the last few years , Latinx creative person have started to be taken more seriously on the festival electric circuit with fests like Coachella , Lollapalooza , Outside Lands , and Governors Ball hold Bad Bunny , J Balvin , Rosalía , and Karol G as headliner alongside name like Billie Eilish , Lana Del Rey , and Kendrick Lamar . But seeing El Conejo at Coachella is different than seeing him in a setting that caters to Latinx people , and with an audience that is more likely to be able to knap along in Spanish .
Fans at Besame Mucho Festival 2023.|Scott Dudelson/Getty Images
“ For me , my relationship with music is directly tie with my relationship to Latine refinement , ” say Brenda Barrientos , who attended Tropicalia in 2019 and plans to advert Sueños this year . “ So whenever I get the opportunity to attend a Latine euphony fete I jump at the chance . grow up [ in the US ] there were n’t many of these types of festivals to opt - in to , and look these types of fete allows me to embrace the essence and the people of different culture that are present . ”
One of the first major music fete in the US to feature a bill of all Spanish - language turn leap up in Miami , the epicenter of Latin music , in 2020 . Right before the world shut due to the pandemic , the first looping of Vibra Urbana , which highlight only reggaeton music , take place . Among the creative person that execute were Rauw Alejandro , Jhayco , and Myke Towers , who have since become Puerto Rican superstars . The bill also featured dembow music ( a subgenre of reggaeton from the Dominican Republic ) good manners of El Alfa . Over on the west coast , one of the first festivals to break ground for Latin music was Tropicalia . The first loop of that fete took property in 2017 in Long Beach , California with an eclectic bill that admit música Mexicana from Los Tigres Del Norte , the alternative R&B of Kali Uchis , reggaeton groundbreaker Ivy Queen , and alternate group Café Tacvba . Tropicalia finally expanded into the greater Los Angeles orbit for its last hooray in 2019 with acts like Omar Apollo and The Marías , who largely invoke to bicultural Latinx in the States , joining the crease - up .
This preceding February , Vibra Urbana returned to Miami with Alejandro , Anuel AA , and Argentinian manufacturer Bizarrap direct the bill and iterations of Vibra Urbana popped up in Orlando in 2021 and Las Vegas in 2022 . Though Tropicalia is no more , the people behind that upshot complain off the first Besame Mucho Festival in Los Angeles in 2022 with a pile course up of rock en español , música Mexicana , and Romance pop icon . The fete has since branched out with a 2d iteration in Austin , Texas this class .
The young festival in the course : La Onda . Spanish - speech acts will take over Napa Valley on June 1 and 2 with a divers lineup that spotlight the smorgasbord of Latin medicine . Saturday night will be led by two unlike generations of música Mexicana stars , Alejandro Fernández , who represent traditional ranchera music , and Junior H , a young trailblazer of the corridos tumbados motion . Along with artists like Natanael Cano and Peso Pluma , Junior H has revamp the age - old corrido with a bunker - instill bend . On Saturday , another move up lead in corridos tumbados will take the stage : Gabito Ballesteros , who has collaborated with all the aforementioned name .
" I ’m very happy and proud to represent the Mexican masthead with the corridos tumbados movement , " Ballesteros told Thrillist . " Each day we ’re update and doing raw thing with música Mexicana . People are always asking for our music and I ’m working with my team and my Centennial State - writer every Clarence Shepard Day Jr. to give them the best that I can . "
Sunday will be headline by another top corridos tumbados group , Fuerza Regida , and Mexican rockers Maná . The latter group ’s edgy songs represent the younger música Mexicana listeners while the former ’s bang are rootle in nostalgia for our parents , aunts , uncle , and now us . For a skilful throwback , Maldita Vecindad and Allison will also be quick to sway for their lover . But the one act you should n’t overleap is the Mexican - American band that has revamped sierreño with sad boy soul , Eslabon Armado . Along with Peso Pluma , Eslabon Armado helped globalize música Mexicana last year with their strike collaboration " Ella Baila Sola . " With their blend forces , they scored the first top 10 for the genre on the Billboard Hot 100 chart . With roots on both sides of the US - Mexico delimitation , Eslabon Armado ’s music captures the bicultural spirit and experience of Mexicans growing up in the states .
Singer Big Javy of Inspector.|Scott Dudelson/Getty Images
" We can be at a concert and we ’ll be singing one vocal and we see one fan on our right side call out their eye out and later we ’ll see them screaming excitedly , " Pedro Tovar , Eslabon Armado ’s steer singer , retrieve . " Maybe that ’s why people like us , because of our song , they cry because of our sad songs when they break up with someone and they ’re happy because they ’re dedicating our dearest songs to a special someone . "
" I ’m felicitous and excited to represent reggaeton mexa , " Yng Lvcas state . " Aside from me , there ’s a luck of colleagues of mine who are putting out great music and get our Mexican reggaeton flow out there . Today , we have the bravery and strength to say , ' We were n’t here before , but we ’re here now!'¡Viva México ! "
Latinx are n’t a monolith , and neither is Latin music , and the fresh moving ridge of Latin music festivals are rise that by booking a diverse raiment of genres and talent . In addition to La Onda in Napa , Sueños Music FestivalandMiche Festwill both bring Spanish - verbalise crowd to Chicago , Illinois this summertime . And for Latinx subsist in the US , like Barrientos , “ it ’s still heartwarming to be in a space with others who prize the power in community . ”
Besame Mucho Festival at Dodger Stadium.|Scott Dudelson/Getty Images
Pedro Tovar of Eslabón Armado performs with Peso Pluma at Coachella.|Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
