Coachella 2019: 8 Must See Latinx Acts
Festival season is about to kick off with Coachella and this year’s lineup includes several Latinx artists highlighting a variety of genres including cumbia, flamenco pop, and reggaeton that’ll get even those who claim they don’t dance to bust a move
Photo: Instagram/badbunnypr
Festival season is about to kick off with Coachella and this year’s lineup includes several Latinx artists highlighting a variety of genres including cumbia, flamenco pop, and reggaeton that’ll get even those who claim they don’t dance to bust a move. The two-weekend festival, which kicks off today and runs through April 21 in Indio, California, has a lineup that includes Bad Bunny, J Balvin, and Tomasa Del Real among more than 10 Latinx artists. From regional Mexican to the contemporary sounds of flamenco from Spain, the eclectic talent includes established and well-known musicians, as well as up and comers who have garnered attention for their unique and catchy tunes. Even if you didn’t buy tickets you can check out the live stream on the Coachella Youtube channel, available for both weekends for the first time. The following list is of some of the Latinx artists who will be taking the stage at Coachella 2019.
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J Balvin
José Álvaro Osorio Balvin, known to millions as reggaeton star J Balvin, is headed back to the festival after performing last year with Beyoncé for a remix of “Mi Gente.” The song catapulted him onto the Billboard Top 20 and introduced him to the mainstream but die-hard fans know he’s been killing it for years before the 2018 smash hit. The 33-year-old Colombian artist was nominated for a Grammy for his successful 2014 album “La Familia” and replaced Drake as the most streamed artist worldwide with 3 billion streams and 131 million fans in 2018. This year, taking the stage on his own, his set will likely include “Mi Cama,” “Reggaeton,” “Familiar,” and “Ne Es Justo.”
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Bad Bunny
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Since the release of his 2017 breakthrough single “Soy Peor,” Bad Bunny has been firing up the charts and amplifying trap and reggaeton music in the US. The Puerto Rican rapper-singer is without a doubt the biggest Latin trap artist out now, who was one of the top 10 most streamed artists worldwide in 2018. He’s collaborated with big names including Drake, Travis Scott, Future, 21 Savage, and Drake and last year he took the stage at Coachella during Cardi B’s performance. This time he’s making his solo debut on the Coachella stage and will perform tracks from his debut album X 100PRE released on Christmas Eve last year.
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Mon Laferte
The 35-year-old singer-songwriter has become Chile’s biggest star, thanks in part to her collaboration with Juanes on the cumbia-inspired hit “Amárrame.” They were awarded a Latin Grammy for best alternative song in 2017, the same year she became the Chilean artist with the most nominations in a single year at the Latin Grammys with five total. Born Norma Monserrat Bustamante Laferte in Viña del Mar in Chile, she’s been living in Mexico City for more than a decade. She first performed at a music festival when she was nine years old and now she’s taking the stage at one of the biggest music festivals to perform some of her biggest hits, including tracks from her 2018 album “Norma.”
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Ocho Ojos
Coachella natives Danny Torres on synthesizer and guitarist and vocalist Cesar ‘El Charro’ Flores make up the original duo behind Ocho Ojos, that expanded in 2018 with bass player James Gastelum and Rafael Rodriguez on drums. Their group name was originally inspired by the fact that the original duo wore glasses hence “four eyes”. The psychedelic cumbia band also blend hip-hop and electronica into their sound, which they got to perform on the Coachella stage in 2017. They released their digital album “12 Ojos” in the summer of 2018 and will rock the fest this year with a set that’ll likely include “Wao Wao,” “Maria Tomasa,” and “Culebra.”
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Rosalía
Spanish singer Rosalía’s sound has been described as a modern interpretation of flamenco that blends urban and pop sounds. Her second album “El Mal Querer” garnered five nominations at the 2018 Latin Grammys and it included hits “Malamente” and “Pienso en Tu mirá.” The 25-year-old musician has collaborated with artists including Pharrell Williams and James Blake and on not one but two tracks with J Balvin including “Con Altura” and “Brillo,” so there is the possibility of a collab on the Coachella stage. Other songs fans might get a chance to see live include “Bagdad” and “De Aqui no Sales.”
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Tomasa Del Real
Chilean reggaeton queen Tomasa Del Real is also known as “La Reina del Neoperreo” — an underground digital offshoot of reggaeton. The 32-year-old star released her first album “Bien y Mal” to critical acclaim for its stellar sounds exhibiting the genre at its best. Born Valeria Cisternas, she took on the name “Tomasa” reportedly because of its androgynous appeal. Her new album “Bellaca Del Año”, is set to be released on May 18th and this is the first time she’ll be on the Coachella stage. Some of the songs fans can expect to hear include her hit “Barre con el Pelo,” “La Vampira,” “Perra del Futuro,” and “Si o No.”
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Tucanes De Tijuana
Tucanes De Tijuana, together since 1987, is one of the most well-known and successful Mexican norteño bands. Their show at this year’s Coachella marks the first norteño music band to perform on that stage. Fans can expect classics like “El Centenario”, “El Tucanazo,” “La Chona,” and “365 Dias.” Most of the members were born in Sinaloa and began performing in nightclubs in Tijuana and through the years have amassed a devoted following and sold more than 15 million albums. In addition to making history on the Coachella stage, they’ll also be presented with a key to the city itself because of their family ties and their history having played in Coachella in the now-closed club La Copacabana.
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Javiera Mena
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The 35-year-old indie electro-pop artist Javiera Mena hails from Chile and has been around for more than a decade and is now getting a chance to reach millions on the Coachella stage. She’s released four albums since her 2006 debut including her latest, “Espejo” released last year. Her hits include “Hasta la Verdad”, which was listed as one of the “Singles of the Week” on iTunes and was off her second album “Mena” which iTunes Mexico named the breakthrough album of the year. Her latest album has been considered her most introspective yet and fans can likely expect her to perform her newest tracks including “Dentro de Tí” and “Intuición.”
