J Balvin to Co-Headline New ‘Viva! L.A. Music Festival’ This Summer

Posted on March 30, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

J Balvin is ready to Viva Los Angeles…

The 36-year-old Colombian reggaetonero will co-headline Viva! L.A., a new, one-day festival set to take place at L.A.’s Dodger Stadium on June 25.

The new festival is being held to celebrate the 10^th anniversary of Viva! Pomona, an annual festival launched 10 years ago.

Produced by Goldenvoice, the Viva! L.A. Music Festival will also be headlined by Daddy Yankee, Becky G and Kali Uchis.

The multi-genre fest will also feature performances by Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, Lenin Ramirez, Carin Leon, Tainy, Carla Morrison, Ivy Queen, Cuco, Los Dos Carnales, The Marías, Los Tucanes de Tijuana, Chicano Batman, Ed Maverick, Cazzu, La Sonora Dinamita, Lido Piemienta, Eslabon Armado, among many others.

Additionally, the festival will donate $1 of every ticket sold to the Los Angeles-based nonprofit No Us Without You LA, which is committed to feeding L.A.’s undocumented immigrant communities.

Launched in the pandemic, the volunteer-run organization now provides support to “hundreds of food insecure hospitality, day laborers, street vendors and mariachi families.”

Viva! was originally created a decade ago by Rene Contreras who wanted to bring resources to his hometown in Southern California via backyard shows and gigs at local spots. “Viva! goes beyond just a music festival, it has a strong mission of building community and representation, which has led to its cult following that started in L.A. and has since gone global,” according to a press release. “The fest celebrates those often overshadowed immigrants, youth of color, the underserved, the working class in the suburbs, various marginalized communities and artists that have long been pushed out of the larger anglo music arena.”

The Viva! Pomona shows will still continue under the Viva! umbrella.

Ticket pre-sale starts Saturday at 10 a.m. PT. Tickets go on sale to the general public later that day at 2 p.m. For ticket and festival information, visit https://vivamusicfestival.com.

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Juanes Appears in Guitar Center’s First-Ever Spanish Language Commercial

Posted on November 12, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Juanes is making music and history…

Guitar Center has launched an artist-centered campaign for the holidays that includes its first-ever Spanish-language ad, featuring the 48-year-old Colombian musician and singer-songwriter.

The “Make Music” campaign, which launched in early November and runs through December 24, is meant to “inspire everyone globally” for more people to make music.

“We’re turning to many of these artists to share their unique perspective on what music means to them in hopes that their experiences will inspire others on their musical journey,” Jeannine D’Addario, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at the Guitar Center Company, tells Billboard.

Juanes, who became a household name in the early 2000s with hits like “A Dios Le Pido,” “Es Por Ti,” and “La Camisa Negra,” is at the helm of Guitar Center’s first Spanish-language ad spot for digital broadcast expected to run in the upcoming weeks. This also marks the first time a Latin artist is featured on a Guitar Center campaign since Chicano Batman in 2018.

“The overall goal of the campaign is to inspire people to play, to enjoy the process of making music and find personal gratification in that effort,” says D’Addario, adding that Juanes was the perfect Latin artist to join the campaign. “We wanted to highlight a combination of legendary artists, innovative producers, and rising musicians to share their personal stories as to why they make music.”

In the 30-second ad, first released in English and exclusively on Billboard, the award-winning artist talks about his musical journey and how it traces back to his father listening to Argentine and Colombian folk music. “Music for me is like a cure for my soul,” he says. “I make music to connect with people.” He’s also seen performing an acoustic version of his single “Más Futuro Que Pasado.”

Spreading holiday cheer and celebrating every genre, the campaign hopes to inspire people to turn to music and instruments during these trying times. “We’ve seen an uptick in guitar sales as they have more than doubled during the pandemic,” says D’Addario, despite The New York Times reporting in October that the music retailer chain could potentially file for bankruptcy. “We expect guitar sales to continue trending positively in 2021. We are also seeing growth in home recording, keyboards, and electric drums.”

The “Make Music” campaign features a series of 25 artist videos released on GuitarCenter.com and its YouTube channel. Music aficionados are encouraged to join the conversation using the hashtag #WhyWeMakeMusic.

DJ Valadez Launches KROQ’s First-Ever Latin Show “Alternalido”

Posted on May 18, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Anthony Valadez (a.k.a. DJ Valadez) is hitting the Southern California airwaves to celebrate Latin music.

The Latino deejay and radio host has launched KROQ‘s first-ever Latin show Alternalido from his makeshift studio at home in Venice Beach.

The two-hour show, the first of its kind for L.A.’s alternative KROQ-FM station (owned by Entercom), kicked off with the music of artists including Chicano Batman, Cuco, Ozomatli and Bomba Estéreo, to name a few.

“Last night I had a lot of anxiety,” Valadez, who serves as host and curator of Alternalido, tells Billboard. “Latin alternative means so many things to different people. You’ve got fans that love Maná and then you have new artists like Omar Apollo and Ambar Lucid who want to break rules and do their own things.”

In an effort to better serve the bilingual Latin community in California — which has the largest Latino population in the

U.S. — Alternalidoaims to spotlight an array of Latin alternative sounds from around the world.

“Think of it like it’s Anthony Bourdain behind the turntables taking you around the world through sound,” Valadez says.

While the idea of a Latin-centric show was floated around a few years ago, now was the “perfect time” to go live, according to Jeff Federman, Entercom’s regional president. “We are so much better than we were when we entered March because we were forced to catch up on technology and learn to be even more resourceful. It’s almost a renaissance for radio.”

Mike Kaplan, senior vp/programming at Entercom, echoes Federman. “It’s exciting to know that we’re evolving and taking it to the next step. It was needed in this station. There are no boundaries in music.”

It was precisely that that drew Valadez — who will keep his weekend show on KCRW— to be part of the show as a host and curator. “In a new space and a new era, there’s more room for experimentation. Latin alternative is not new — it’s been there and it’s been neglected. And for these guys to say, ‘Let’s showcase this,’ yeah let’s break rules, that’s super important to me.”

Valadez, who has hosted weekly radio programs for the past 20 years, says he’s not only excited to offer a new home for Latin alternative artists but to be able to create a sense of community in trying times.

“People need community more than ever,” Valadez says. “This is music that is hand-picked and that’s a beautiful thing. The show is very inviting, it’s created with love for everybody and no matter where you come from, you’ll hear something you like.”

Alternalido airs Sundays from 8:00 -10:00 pm PST on KROQ.

Caifanes to Perform at This Year’s Tropicália Music and Taco Festival

Posted on September 8, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

It’s time for Tropicália and tacos for Caifanes…

Goldenvoice has announced the return of Tropicália Music and Taco Festival, with the Mexican rock en español band joining the lineup.

Takin place on November 9 and 10 in Southern California, the two-day festival will feature performances from Caifanes, Los Tigres Del Norte, Kali Uchis and Chicano Batman at its new location at the Pico Rivero Sports Arena grounds in Los Angeles County.

Enanitos Verdes, Hombres G, Natalia Lafourcade, Zoe, Cuco, Boy Pablo, Omar Apollo, Maldita Vencidad, Paquita La Del Barrio, Yellow Days, Wallows, The Drums, Fidlar, Bomba Estereo and more will also perform at this year’s fest.

The packed lineup also includes Beach Fossils, Oh Sees, Chulita Vinyl Club, Men I Trust, Peach Pit, SALES, Los Angeles Negros, Los Cadetes De Linares, Los Freddy’sand Los Hurricanes.

After two years in Long Beach, the Latin indie music festival will relocate and partner with L.A. Taco. The Los Angeles-based taco-focused website will curate the vendors for the first time, including Teddy’s Red Tacos, Balam Mexican Kitchen and Triple Threat, with more to be announced.

https://twitter.com/Tropicalia_Fest/status/1168963130136944640?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1168963130136944640&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.billboard.com%2Farticles%2Fnews%2Ffestivals%2F8528976%2Fcaifanes-los-tigres-del-norte-tropicalia-festival

Mon Laferte to Perform at LAMC’s Central Park SummerStage

Posted on April 14, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

Mon Laferte is headed to the Big Apple…

Organizers of the annual Latin Alternative Music Conference have unveiled its Central Park SummerStage lineup, with the 33-year-old Chilean singer-songwriter and actress among the performers.

In addition to Mon Laferte, the list of performers includes psychedelic Los Angeles-based band Chicano Batman, Puerto Rican artist IFÉ, Venezuelan group La Vida Boheme, multifaceted NYC musician Princess Nokia and Argentine reggae group Los Pericos.

Mon Laferte, IFÉ and Princess Nokia will perform at SummerStage on July 12, while the other three artists will take the stage on closing night July 15.

The fest will take place on July 12-15 in New York.

Now in its 18th edition, LAMC, known as the “Sundance of Latin Music,” will take place at the Stewart Hotel, featuring keynote speakers, industry panels, showcases and other events that will be announced leading up to the conference.

Last year’s fest included performances by Grammy-winning artist iLe, Las Robertas and Sexy Zebras.

For registration info, click here.

Los Rakas to Perform at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival

Posted on January 7, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Los Rakas have racked up a high-profile gig…

The bilingual hip-hop group, consisting of Panamanian cousins Raka Rich and Raka Dun, have been added to the just-revealed lineup for this year’s Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.

The music festival, which takes place in the California desert, will take place on the weekends of April 10 and 17. It habitually spotlights several Latin artists among its performers, with an emphasis on Mexican acts.

Los Rakas created major buzz in urban latino circles last year with the duo’s album El Negrito Dun Dun and Ricardo. The Bay Area-based artists will go on tour in February for a series of dates in Western states with Zion I, Locksmith and Vokab Kompany just before landing in Indio, California for Coachella.

In addition to Los Rakas, other Latin acts include Chicano Batman and Nortec Collective’s Bostich+Fussible.

Bostich+Fussible, who will also to perform at this year’s Vive Latino in Mexico City, have announced that their latest album, Motel Baja, will be their last under the Nortec name.

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