Rauw alejandro and Peso Pluma are set to take the stage at the 2024 Governor’s Ball in NYC between June 7 and 9.While Becky G and J Balvin performed at the music festival in 2022 and 2021, respectively, this year marks the first time that two Latin music acts are headlining on separate days. And it’s about time.
Since the 1940s and ’50s, when cha cha and mambo took the US by storm, the mass appeal of Latin music has been undeniable. With its mix of West African and spanish rhythms, the music is inherently danceable, which no doubt has helped genres like salsa and reggaetón break down the language barrier. You don’t need to know what bad Bunny’s saying to be able to move to the beat. And yet,for a long time,Latin and African artists could only be found at music festivals that catered to those demographics specifically.This is no longer the case, as major music festivals have recently started including more Latin acts in their lineups.
In 2023, Bad Bunny became the first Spanish-language artist to headline coachella, where Eladio Carrión and Anuel AA also appeared. That same year, iLe, PJ Sin Suela, and Los Rivera Destino performed at the SXSW Music Festival.In 2024, Coachella doubled down on the Latin acts, inviting both Peso Pluma and J. Balvin. And the trend doesn’t seem to be stopping.
But why has it taken so long for major festivals to get the message that our music is so fire? Back in the 1970s, the Fania All-Stars proved that music sung entirely in Spanish can have global appeal. The reggaetón boom of the early 2000s became a cultural phenomenon that saw the genre play on both English and Spanish-language radio. So what gives? Well, I have a simple hypothesis: money.
It’s no secret that Latin music has grown exponentially over the past decade, outpacing the overall growth of the music industry by a wide margin. While made for our communities, our music is no longer limited to them. I remember when I was a kid, watching all the new reggaetón videos woudl drop on mun2. now, I go on YouTube, and all the latest music videos have English subtitles.It
