About the time 2 Latin Artists Headline Gov Ball

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Rauw Alejandro and Peso Pluma should go on stage at the Ballon of the Governor of 2024 in New York between June 7 and 9. While Becky G and J Balvin performed at the music festival in 2022 and 2021, this year respectively marks the first time that two acts of Latin music are leading the head of the separate turn. And it’s time.

Since the 1940s and 1950s, when Cha Cha and Mambo have stormed the United States, the attraction of Latin music is undeniable. With its mixture of West African and Spanish rhythms, music is intrinsically dancing, which has undoubtedly helped genres like salsa and reggaetón decompose the language barrier. You don’t need to know what Bad Bunny says to be able to go to rhythm. And yet, for a long time, Latin and African artists could only be found in music festivals which specifically addressed this demographic data. This is no longer the case, because the main music festivals have recently started to include more Latin acts in their alignments.

In 2023, Bad Bunny became the first Spanish language artist to make the headlines for Coachella, where Eladio Carrión and Anuel AA also appeared. The same year, Ile, Pj Sin Suela and Los Rivera Destino played the Sxsw Music Festival. In 2024, Coachella doubled the Latin acts, inviting both Peso Pluma and J. Balvin. And the trend does not seem to stop.

But why did it take so long for the main festivals to pass the message our music is so fire? In the 1970s, the Fania All-Stars proved that music sung entirely in Spanish can have a global appeal. The reggaetón boom in the early 2000s has become a cultural phenomenon that saw the genre playing both radio in English and Spanish. So what gives? Well, I have a simple hypothesis: money.

It is not a secret for anyone that Latin music has increased exponentially in the last decade, going beyond the overall growth of the music industry by a large margin. Although it is done for our communities, our music is no longer limited to it. I remember when I was a child, watching all the new reggaetón videos fall on Mun2. Now I’m going to YouTube, and all the latest clips have English subtitles. This shows how far we have arrived in terms of commercially viable music manufacturing. But more than that, having Latin and African headliners at the main festivals exploits the power of the communities behind them, introducing a well -necessary Sazón. Not only does this bring a more diverse audience on the festival stage, but given the current state of live music, it also increases the public of these artists while swelling late ticket sales.

Jennifer Lopez and Bad Bunny both tend due to lower than expected ticket sales. So, no, Latin artists are not immune to global industry trends. In April, Coachella also made the headlines to reduce ticket sales. But I wonder if bringing Latin artists to music festivals could simply solve the problem.

The tour is intrinsically expensive. For the successful artists, they must invest a lot of money in visual effects, travel logistics, crew, etc. This is part of the reason why the greatest artists are limited to playing in arenas and stadiums that pack more than 30,000 fans and charge exorbitant prices for tickets. The way in which festivals are set up, however, while the initial prices of tickets can be higher, music lovers obtain several nights and experience several acts for the cost. This immediately extends the target audience and compensates for the cost of the show. Latin and African artists can occur in front of a mixed crowd of unconditional fans and newcomers who are more open than ever upon receipt of their music, increasing the value of their brand without having to incur all the costs of the publication themselves. He’s a winner-winner for everyone.

But apart from monetary incentives, what Latin and African artists really bring to music festivals is an unequaled energy. Our cultures are based on parties of all night and dance. Look at what Bad Bunny and Burna Boy did in their respective Grammy performances. The combination of traditional cultural elements and instruments, catchy words and melodies are a winning formula that our musical genres have perfected over the decades. The result? A sound guaranteed to transform even the most stifling festival atmosphere into a complete atmosphere. I can only hope that the inclusion of these artists is not only a fashion, but a sign of greater diversity to come.

Miguel Machado is a journalist with expertise in the intersection of Latin identity and culture. He does everything, from exclusive interviews to Latin music artists to opinion plays on questions relevant to the community, personal tests linked to his Latinidad, and parts and characteristics of thought relating to the Puerto Rico and Porto Rican culture.