Lati■: As one of the festival's top dogs, Bad Bunny speaks to the shift of mainstream American taste
Spanish-language artists had a big presence on all of the stages of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio last weekend.
The biggest performance came with April 14 headliner Bad Bunny, the first Latin act to top the bill during the three-day festival. He'll perform again tonight. The Puerto Rican star delivered a set that nodded to the many styles of Latin American music he draws inspiration from.
Other Latin acts on the lineup this year included Becky G, DannyLux, ¿Téo?, Bratty, Rosalía, Eladio Carrión, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, Kali Uchis, Los Bitchos and Conexión Divina.
For many out at Weekend 1 of Coachella, staying through Bad Bunny's set was a priority.
“We decided to fly and come just to see Bad Bunny,” Mari Perez, a fan from Mexico City, said as she waited for Benito to hit the main Coachella Stage on April 14. “It's honestly been a long time coming for us, and we couldn't miss it. It's just so cool (that) someone from our Latin world is headlining. We honestly would have never come if it wasn't for Bad Bunny. He's one of my favorite artists, too, so it's special for me.”
For Thomas Sinordo of Peru, catching Bad Bunny and Uchis at Coachella was an easier, more accessible option than trying to buy tickets in his home country.
“You wouldn't believe how many people from Latin America actually bought tickets for Coachella just to see Bad Bunny and other Latino artists because of the price,” Sinordo said while walking out of the campgrounds. “In my country and others in Mexico and Colombia, it legit costs up to $1,000 just to get a ticket for a Bad Bunny show, so the minute he was announced on the lineup, so many people were grabbing the chance to come and just fly out.”
Latin fandom, especially for Benito, has become so massive that there are even college-level courses that explore and discuss it. Nathian Rodriguez, an associate professor and associate director of the School of Journalism and Media Studies at San Diego State University, teaches courses titled Bad Bunny & Cultural Media, Selena & Latinx Media Representation and Cardi B & Pop Culture Politics. All these involve teaching through these Latin icons, who serve as the cultural anchors.
Rodriguez said Latin fans who show up in droves to see Latin music artists, buy their merch and sell out their shows, have solidified that demographic as a significant driving market force, especially for Coachella this year.
“People are starting to see that in this kind of big cultural landscape of music, that we do have a lot of individuals that in the United States want to hear Spanish music, and they want to see the artists that they are engaging with daily,” Rodriguez said.
“What we're starting to see here with music festivals is that in the `mainstream English language-centric spaces,' they're opening up. They're starting to reflect the cultural makeup of the United States and saying, no longer are we relegating people to these other spaces, and go over there and perform your Spanish songs or Korean songs in only these specific cultural spaces. Now, you can be here in these spaces, not just on a Spanish stage, but also on the main stage. I think you're going to see that happening in a lot more spaces across the U.S.”
Becky G, the MexicanAmerican pop artist who performed on the first day of the event, gave a heartwarming set filled with nods to her Mexican roots. Becky flipped through tracks such as “Fulanito,” “Cuando Te Besé,” “Bailé Con Mi Ex” and her reggaeton hit “Mayores.”
“México en la casa! I've been working on my regional project, and it's been so beautiful, truly an honor,” she said to fans. “I'm proud to be Mexican American. And we share so much in our culture, our music, our food, our families, our homes. I couldn't come to Coachella and not share this stage.”
For mother and daughter Suzy and Theresa Flores of Jalisco, Mexico, representation does matter. Suzy Flores said she brought 11-year-old Theresa for the first time to Coachella to catch Bad Bunny and a few others, such as Becky G.
“It's my daughter's first time at Coachella, and probably my 10th since I used to come with my husband way before she was born,” Suzy Flores said. “But this year feels special since we never got to see acts like Bad Bunny that we love so much back home. Other years have been fun, but bringing my daughter to catch her favorite person ever, among others that I also wanted to see, is a memory me and her will never forget. We made a whole trip out of it and are staying for another week to explore Los Angeles.”
Though the festival lineup was even heavier with Latin acts in 2022, this year's event included a lot of firsts. Even Rosalía, who performed on the main Coachella Stage on Saturday, proved she is ready to be a headliner by delivering a powerful, innovative and almost cinematic performance that went viral postshow. The Latin artists also ensured that the sets were inclusive for non-Spanish speaking fans, too. It's a party that everyone is invited to as these acts celebrate their Latin heritage and share their culture.