How to tap into the US Latin Market through Music?
Strategies and insights on how to reach the biggest multicultural market through music events.
This publication will immerse readers into the Latin American Music atmosphere in the United States. The main purpose is to identify if there’s a market for a music festival targeting the Hispanic/Latino population living in New York City and what elements should a producer take into account in order to be successful in this journey. After reading this colloquy, production companies willing to pursue this idea should have insights and cultural strategies to successfully produce a music festival celebrating the Latin culture. Readers should consider that producing a music festival involves risk just like any other business in the music and entertainment industry does. Passionate, self-motivated and risk averse individuals will be able to achieve this goal.
Latino population is one of the most underserved markets in the United States according to Google. Offering a Music Festival for this population is a huge opportunity to celebrate their culture, create business opportunities, and proof the potential this segment has in a multicultural city like New York.
An important part of my hypothesis is to prove why the Latin American population has a gigantic potential to tap and what elements of this culture can be used to create a music festival that appeals to new and old generations of music consumers. I will explain why Latin American culture is misconceived by a high percentage of people, I will reframe the concept of Latin American culture and explain why people should approach it from a different perspective. At the end, this colloquy can be used as a reference model for researchers and scholars to understand from a different perspective the Latin culture that lives in the United States.
3. Design Methods
- Theoretical framework:
The colloquy touches different concepts covered in courses such as Environment of the Music Industry and Emerging Models and Markets in the Music Industry. Emerging Models and Markets in Music, one of the courses offered by the Music Business program in Rio de Janeiro gave me insights about the music industry in a country that is auto-sufficient and protects its music legacy thanks to a high population that consumes its own music. I will also make reference to Glocalization and how a Latin American Festival should be highly aware of this concept in order to be successful. This concept is probably one of the most important factors to take into account. A Latin Music Festival in New York should be aware of the type of population that lives in this city and what local aspects should be considered when executing this idea. A successful festival will need producers willing to adapt its operations to local demographics, and understand how the mixing of traditional local rhythms with international sounds have created a new music genre and community. Glocalization will play an important role in music curation. A deep consumer research on the Latino population should be done in order to understand what and how they consume. Artists selected to perform at this event should be those that offer a mix of Latin rhythms and contemporary sounds in their music.
- Survey
The purpose of this survey is to examine people’s knowledge on music festivals and perception on Latin music:
Survey goals:
- Identify which elements are more important for people when attending a music festival.
- Identify interest of participants on attending a Latin focused Music Festival.
- Identify Latin music genres appealing to the Latin and non-Latin population.
- Case Studies
This study will include case studies of some of the most innovative record labels, media companies and innovative music festivals around the world. Each case study will help the reader extract the best and adapt its vision by learning best practices from some of the most interesting companies in the Latin American music industry and a selection of the best Music Festivals around the world.
4. Delimitations
This study will only focus on the live sector of the music industry and music festivals for an audience of 10,000–25,000 people. Live music is one of the most profitable sectors for the music industry and has a high growth potential. New York City, one of the most diverse cities in the United States, ranking fourth in the country, will be the target city for this study. It has over 1,000 cultural organizations with ties to communities and to the culture diversity that defines New York.
5. Target of Recommendations
Recommendations and conclusions of this study are primarily done for music festival production companies that want to expand their business into new markets. With a crowded space full of music festivals that offer similar lineups and experiences, companies need to partner and explore multicultural markets in order to attract new audiences and stay relevant. This study will not only give insights about Latin American audiences but will help non-Latin American companies such as Live Nation, AEG, Superfly, Goldenvoice and C3 understand the Latin culture, their interests and how to capture their attention.
Chapter II: Latin American and Hispanic Population in the U.S
- Overview
How big is the Latin Market in the United States? Is there an underserved audience that festival producers could tap into? How can we appeal to cultural and political issues in order to serve this audience? Lets first understand how big is the Latin Market in the U.S., how big is this audience in New York City, and analyze why there’s a chance to produce a music festival promoting Latin American culture.
55 million or 17% of the total U.S population has Hispanic origin (U.S. Census Bureau). People of Hispanic or Latino origin are the nation’s largest ethnic or racial minority (See Table 1). According to the US Census Bureau, the projected Hispanic population in the US for 2060 will be 119 million, or 28.6 percent of the total U.S population.
Table 1. Hispanics are a Rising Share of the U.S. Population
Hispanic vs. Latino
Let’s get into terminology. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Hispanic or Latino refers to a person of “Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin regardless of race”. The meaning states that Hispanics or Latinos can be of any ethnicity, ancestry or race. According to the Merriam Webster dictionary, Latino means “a person who was born or lives in South America, Central America, or Mexico or a person in the U.S. whose family is originally from South America, Central America, or Mexico”.
Buying Power
Buying power for this segment climbed from 1 trillion to 1.5 trillion for 2015 (50% increase) and is expected to keep climbing on the next years. This consumer segment is on the radar of Fortune 500 companies and is a tremendous opportunity to increase profitability. These are great numbers and statistics, but is there space for a Latin Music Festival in New York City? To answer this, we must understand the festival and live music scene offered to the Latin and Hispanic population in the U.S. Some of the questions we must ask are: Are Hispanics satisfied with the current musical festival scene? Which Latin Festivals or music conferences in the U.S. are being innovating and creative? What unique quality brings a Latin Music Festival to New York? What would make people go there? Latin Americans as any other culture living in a different country want to find their roots and culture, they want to understand their ethnicity and share their culture with others, but would they pay to experience this in New York?
Digital Consumption
Besides being one of the biggest multicultural populations in the US, Hispanics are ahead of the curve when it comes to digital. They are heavy mobile users and video consumption is one of their main interests. Despite the facts, these consumers are not considered by millions of brands and events in the US. Opportunities to reach them remain untapped. What exactly should music festival production companies be doing to reach them?
Top Latin Cities in the US: Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, Houston
According to studies done by the Pew Research Center, California, Texas and Florida are the states where more than half (55%) of the U.S. Hispanic population live.
About 14.4 million Hispanics live in California, accounting for the nation’s largest Hispanic population and more than one-fourth of U.S Hispanics
Top 10 States by Hispanic Population, 2011 (In Millions)
Pew Research Center
Largest Hispanic Origin Group among Top 10 Hispanic Metropolitan Areas, 2011 %
New York City
Overview
New York City is the most populous city in the United States with 8´500,000 people living in the city according the the U.S Census Data from 2014. That number is about 40% of New York State’s population. New York has two key demographic features: Population density and cultural diversity. An impressive population density of 26,403 people per square mile makes it the densest American place with a population of more than 100,000 people. Manhattan’s population density is 66,940 per square mile, the highest of any U.S country. Almost 36% of New York City´s population is foreign born and some of the Latin nations that constitute the largest source of immigration are Mexico, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Ecuador and Colombia.
New York is an important center for film, music, theater, dance and visual arts. Artists are eager to come to the city because the government funds the arts with an annual budget bigger than the National Endowment for the Arts.
Ethnic Diversity
New York City is also famous for its ethnic and cultural diversity with communities representing almost every nation and preserving its identity. Harlem received a large number of African Americans after 1910 and during 1940, a big number of Puerto Ricans and Hispanic-Americans began to move to what people know as Spanish Harlem. New York´s population has substantially grown since the 1980´s, due to immigration mainly from Latin America, Asia, Jamaica, Haiti, Russia, and Africa.
- Why New York
Los Angeles, New York, Miami, Houston, San Bernardino, Chicago, Dallas and Phoenix are among the top 12 metropolitan areas by Hispanic population according to the pew research center. Los Angeles ranks number 1, New York ranks number 2 and Miami number 3. The table shows the cities with probably the highest Latino demand in terms of population, but which city has the most interesting mix of Latin nationalities?
Mexicans account for the biggest Latin population in Los Angeles while Cubans are the biggest Latin population in Miami. New York has a mix of different nationalities with Puerto Ricans being the largest Latin Population in New York and New Jersey.
Largest Hispanic Origin Group Shares in Select Metropolitan Areas, 2011
% of the Hispanic population in the metro area that is…
New York has the most important mix of cultures and has already established a Latin music scene to supply demand for the US Latin Market which will be described in the following chapter.
Chapter III: Music Scene in New York
We already learned that New York City has the second largest Latino population in the Unites States´ metropolitan areas and is also the city with the highest diversity in terms of nationalities. Let’s dive into New York’s Latin Music and Festival Scenes to understand what the city offers.
New York’s Top Latin Music Venues
Subrosa
Subrosa is an eclectic room located in New York’s Meatpacking District offering live music during the nights. The venue specialises in providing a unique space for some of the best artists in Latin and World Music. Pedrito Martinez, a well known Cuban percussionist hosts a monthly residency performing several nights per months. Subrosa is a destination for people to explore new Latin globally-influenced music.
Bembe
Located in Brooklyn, more exactly in Williamsburg, Bembe is a place to discover Latin roots and world music. Its interior is made up of recycled items and some of NYC´s trendiest DJ´s spin everything from Latin hip-hop to world music. Bembe also has live drummers that resemble drummers from samba schools in Brazil.
SOB´s
Sounds of Brazil or S.O.B is one of New York’s trendiest venues and nightclubs in South Village. Probably one of the most important venues for up and coming Latin international artists and featuring a wide variety of music like hip hop, r&b, brazilian, latin, african haitian and south asian beats. S.O.B is one of New York City´ most diverse clubs.
- New York City case studies: Music Festivals/Conferences
a. Case Study I: Latin Alternative Music Conference (LAMC) & Nacional Records.
Where: Steward Hotel, SOB´s, Highline Ballroom, Central Park, Prospect Park
When: July 11–15
Running for 16 consecutive years, LAMC or Latin Alternative Music Conference is an annual conference held in NYC targeting the Spanish language alternative music market and recently restructured under the umbrella of parent company Industria. They showcase what consider the best in Latin music and fresh sounds that come out of rock, hip-hop and electronic music scenes.
The event is a place to network for artists, label executives, managers, journalists and programmers. The event has a mix of industry panels, exhibitions, press conferences and networking events. Since its beginnings, over 30,000 industry insiders professionals have attended LAMC concerts, parties and art exhibitions at different venues in New York City. Some of the venues are Central Park SummerStage, Celebrate Brooklyn at Prospect Park, The Bowery Ballroom and Mercury Lounge.
Case Study II: Afropunk Music Festival
Where: Commodore Barry Park, Brooklyn, NY
When: August 26–27
The Afropunk Festival held annually is a celebration of the AFROPUNK culture through music, film, skate and art. The festival was first done at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in Brooklyn during 2005 and has expanded to other countries. The festival was inspired by James Spooner documentary “Afro-punk”, which showed the stories of black punks in America.
The festival’s original idea was to provide an opportunity for black people to build community within the predominant white punk subculture.
In order to attract more people, the festival began to include soul music, with headliners such as Lauryn Hill, Lenny Kravitz and Gary Clark Jr.
Performers of the festival now include a variety of genres, mainly reflecting the African American culture. Afropunk´s evolution has helped the festival build its masses to 60,000 attendees and is also done in Atlanta, Paris, London, and Johannesburg, South Africa.
c. Case Study III: Panorama
Where: Randall’s Island Park, New York, NY
Dates: July 28–30
California based, Goldenvoice is a music festival production company recently acquired by AEG (Anschutz Entertainment Group), and American sporting and music entertainment promoter.
Goldenvoice´s main differentiator with traditional music festival production companies is its financial muscle that allows the company to grow easily different businesses. Desert Trip, their newest festival is a good example of how a big financial muscle can help a company scale. Desert Trip is a festival targeting mainly adults (51 average) with high income. The 3-day Festival featured on its first version: The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, Neil Young, Roger Waters and The Who. The event was set to make $160 million in revenue over two weekends and sold its 70,000 three day tickets for both weekends in 3 hours. This type of event would not be possible without the financial support of AEG. Goldenvoice has done a great creative job with festivals such as Coachella (Indio, CA), FYF (Los Angeles, CA) and the recently added Panorama in New York City.
Case IV: Global Citizen Festival
Where: Central Park, New York, NY
Date: September 24
The Global Citizen Festival is an annual music festival established in 2012. Chris Martin, lead vocalist of Coldplay, is the current creative director of the event, and he will fulfill this role for the next 15 years.
Global Citizen Festival is organized by Global Poverty Project and their final goal is to end extreme poverty by 2020. People can get free tickets to attend the festival by contributing to charity acts on Global Citizen´s website like watching videos or signing petitions. The festival’s goal has been following the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Survey Results
The information below summarizes statistics compiled from a sample of 34 respondents born in countries like Mexico, China, United States, Colombia, Japan that currently live in New York City Metropolitan area, Brooklyn, Queens and New Jersey.
Gender
53% Male / 47% Female
How old are you?
50% of respondents were between 18–24 years old and 50% between 24–34.
What is your ethnicity?
25% of respondents were African American, 28% Asian and 22% Hispanic or Latin.
From the list below, what type of music would you be more interested to discover? Select up to 3 options.
42% of respondents were interested in discovering Classical music, 42% Latin-electronic, 34% electronic and 39% Reggaeton.
Have you attended music Festivals before?
83% of respondents had attended music festivals before while 14% had not attended one but said they would like to attend.
How many music festivals have you attended in the past 2 years?
28% of respondents mentioned they had never attended a music festival before, 25% had attended at least 2 festivals and 20% had attended more than 3 festivals in the past 2 years.
How important is food selection for you when attending a music festival?
48% of respondents mentioned food selection is moderately important when attending a music festival, 22% mentioned they don’t care about food selection.
What genres would you we more interested to discover in a Music Festival that brings a selection of Latin music artists? Select up to 4 options.
53% of respondents mentioned they would be interested in discovering Reggaeton, 31% Bachata, 45% Latin Rock, 45% Latin Electronic and 28% Salsa.
Chapter IV: World Best Practices
1. Nrmal Festival
Mexico City, Mexico
Dates: March 11–12
Attendees: 5,000–7,000
Nrmal is a 2 day festival that takes place March every year since 2008 in Mexico city. Over the years, Nrmal has built a platform in which bands, audiences, and promoters find a common ground. Food for the festival is provided at #CocinaCentral, the stage for what they call “gastronomic creativity.” Through lectures and panels, Nrmal’s NODO program is a space to network and discuss the future of the Latin indie scene in the days leading up to the festival.
Mexico city´s Nrmal Festival is a one of a kind festival. It has its own unique identity. The Festival’s music goes from Indie Rock to a global and wide curation sensibility for electronic music.
Nrmal Festival started in Monterrey in 2008 and eventually relocated to Mexico City in 2013. They have spent the last seven years experimenting with the art of vibe-making, bringing some of the most eclectic and challenging festival lineups anywhere in North America. Their success is also thanks to their community building approach through music. Nrmal changes the whole festival experience by doing shifts in the typical festival setup. They put together performers and audience within the same space. Performers are forced to mingle with the audience and get their drinks from the main bars like every other person. They operate out of the urban heart of Mexico City and have created a new concept for cross-cultural international exchange for guest curation.
According to Thump Magazine, Nrmal´s eclectic programming is what brings the attention of people. It is a global event, one that puts geographies and genres in a way that you would not find in other typical festivals. That is exactly the festival’s soul. They want to get audiences out of their comfort zones and start conversations.
Nrmal´s staff dedicates 5 months every year to research and travel in hopes of building a narrative during the festival’s weekend.
Regarding the future of Nrmal as a brand, Alfonso Murieda Nrmal’s creative director says “It’s a story we are telling, we invent it. We cannot explain it. We just follow a flow and try to connect with the audience. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn’t.”The expansion plan for Nrmal seems to be horizontal. Showcases in Chile and Colombia are in the works. They want Nrmal to be “big” in terms of a network of people, not as a big destination festival. They want to have connections across the world. Nrmal´s blueprint, based on maximal impact on forward-thinking scenes, means keeping it small while expanding to the world. This is the secret approach for the Festival´s success. They want to keep the roots in place, stay community oriented focused. No matter what city Nrmal goes to, if they keep those constants they can still be ground-breaking. Muriel says: “ We don´l like to stay still and follow the rules.
2. Mutek
Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Dates: August 22–27
Attendance: 42,000 average
MUTEK is an international festival promoting electronic music and digital arts. Its main platform is an annual five-day event in Montreal taking place at the end of May and early June. Every year more than 100 artists, speakers and industry professionals attend the festival. The festival’s main priority is to showcase Canadian talent with other international artists. MUTEK has also brought the festival to other countries.
Mexico City has hosted an edition of MUTEK since 2003, other countries including Argentina, Chile, Brazil and Colombia have hosted single, multi-day events and showcases. Mutek also owns and operates the record label, Musique Risquee. Although being highly independent and with no big names in their lineup, more than 200,000 people have attended MUTEK events in the last decade and more than 400 artists have performed.
3. Dekmantel Festival
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Dates: August 2–6
Attendance: 5,000 average
Dekmantel has overall great sound, great music curation and is done in a beautiful location. There was always something to do, either watching a performance, getting something to eat or finding a place to relax and recuperate. Those things make a positive experience overall. The first thing you notice about Dekmantel is the type of crowd. Agreat crowd full of nice people having an amazing time. According to Thump magazine and XLR8TR here are some of the best and worst things of this festival:
Food: Was great. Food trucks had different styles of food for everyone, from crepes to curries and vegan sandwiches, smoothies and Dutch fries.
Audience: People seemed to be chilled and relax at the event, probably the small size of the event helped on this atmosphere.
Location and Venue: The festival’s entrance was not clear. People could spend an hour or more walking through the park trying to find the correct entrance. The main entrance should be very clear on official maps and listed addresses. The place had grass in abundance and lots of trees one of the stages, the Red Bull Music Academy stage was nice because it was situated within a small tree-lined groove. The festival layout was simple, each day featured 4 different stages with a 2 to 3 minute walk away. Overall, the festival layout was actually rather simple; each day featured four different stages, all of which were no more than a two- or three-minute walk away from one another. The festival ends at 11pm and then there are several parties that take place in different venues. These venues were probably not the best ones to hold after parties.
Diversity: The festival organizers need to book more women and take more risks. It seems some of the bookings were safe and unadventurous. A festival with the reputation that Dekmantel has can afford to make more risks when booking, like bringing more women and breaking the mold with similar lineups that have been brought on previous years. It feels like bookers are bringing the same artists year after year, artists catered mainly to hardcore electronic music fans.
Size of the event: Dekmantel’s organizers limited the capacity of the event originally to 5000 tickets which seemed to be a brilliant decision. Although the festival was busy all the time, the stages never felt overstuffed
4. Form Festival.
Arcosanti, Arizona, USA.
Dates: May 12–14
Size: 1500 attendees
FORM is an intimate festival that recently celebrated its third year. Held in the small city of Arcosanti, Arizona, FORM aims to be something different: A carefully curated event that brings artists and fans in one unique place. FORM takes place on a remote stunning mesa about an hour from Phoenix. The place was originally designed to be sustainable, using resources such as sunlight and not interfering with the natural landscape of the area.
FORM is hosted in Arcosanti’s impressive environment and attempts to “celebrate creativity” and “foster collaboration”, both ideas fit well with the nature of the site. The city is small and there is a single main stage, which means that most of the time people hang out in the same space, making casual encounters happen more often and fosters the formation of friendships with strangers. The amphitheater allows artists and the audience to watch performers from side to side.
The festival is free. Paid for by a combination of people who receive preferential on-site camping and corporate sponsors that minimally invade the event. People are more likely to cross over an art installation than into a logo of one of the sponsors. The result is a feel of community.
Hundred Waters a Florida based band is the organizer and curator of the festival. They not only focus on great music curation, but also on curating the audience. People that want to attend the festival have to fill out an application for admission answering essay style questions.
Applicants have to write about who they are and their creative or professional interests. The organizers say they only want people that will respect the integrity of the place. They have always been looking for proof of “thoughtfulness, intention and respectfulness.”
According to Thump, FORM still needs more diversity. Sometimes it felt like a private party for well connected creative people. The festival has also many opportunities for relaxation. Some people assemble a mini-community and serve tea. Others set up massage tables in the middle of the festival. Another interesting happening is that attendees can keep pets, but they belong to everyone for the weekend. Cats can be found everywhere around the amphitheater taking sun or being petted by festival goers.
Chapter V: Music Curation
Music curation is probably one of the main differentiators and fan drivers to music festivals. Attendees feel a sense of exclusivity when they talk about an artist that has performed only at specific places or venues. If the purpose of this festival is to differentiate from other because of the great music selection, music curation is a must have. Interviews done to previous festival attendees showed how important is music curation in a festival. Music curation for a Latin Festival should have a mix of Latin Alternative music and tropical music within its different variations. Latin alternative, refers to the music produced by combining genres such as alternative rock, electronica, new wave, pop rock,, reggae, and ska with traditional Hispanic or Latin sounds.
Artists not necessarily born in Latin America but with Latin American roots in its music are the main element for this festival. The following is a list of music genres and popular bands that represent each music styles and should be considered when curating the Festival’s Line-up:
Genres
1. Latin Soul
Latin soul and Boogaloo were genres developed during the 1960’s in New York City. It sound is a mix of Cuban mambo with soul music and Latin Jazz elements. Although it didn’t live for a long time, this genre had a huge influence on Salsa music which was predominant in New York’s music scene during the 70’s.
Popular artists: Ray Barreto, Ismael Rivera, The Lebron brothers.
2. Latin Reggae
Latin reggae is a mix of reggae and dancehall originally recorded in Spanish by Latin American artists. Its roots come from Panama in the 1970’s where it was called La Plena. Latin Reggae or Reggae en Espanol has three sub-genres: Reggae 110, reggae bultron and romantic flow. Reggae soca and dancehall are also music fusions within this genre.
Popular Artists: Cultura Profética, Gondwana, Los Cafres, Manu Chao.
3. Latin Jazz
Latin jazz derives from a mix of jazz music with Latin American rhythms. Some styles of Latin Jazz styels usually have a direct connection with African music. Although Latin Jazz can be a broad genre, it is usually divided into two main categories:
Afro-Cuban Jazz: Jazz rhythmically supported by Cuban popular dance music.
Afro-Brazilian Jazz: Oftenly referred to as bossa nova and jazz samba.
Popular artists: Buenavista Social Club, Chick Corea, Gilberto Gil.
4. Afro-Cuban jazz
Afro Cuban Jazz is the earliest stage of Latin Jazz. It sound puts together clave-based rhytms with jazz harmonies and improvisation techniques. Cuban born, New York City based musicians Mario Bauza and Frank Grillo started It originally during the 1940s with the band Machito and his Afro-Cubans. Bebop innovator Dizzy Gillespie and Cuban percussionist Chano Pozo collaborated during 1947 and brought new rhythms and instruments like the tumbadora and the bongo to the east coast Jazz scene. At the beginning, Afro-Cuban jazz was stronger in the United States than in Cuba, but Orquesta Cubana de Musica Moderna brought this genre into the Cuban music scene during 1970.
Popular Artists: Dizzy Gillespie, Tito Puente, Paquito D’ Rivera.
5. Salsa
Salsa originally began in New York City during the 1960s and is a combination of different musical genres including the Cuban son montuno, guaracha, cha cha cha, mambo, bolero and the Puerto Rican bomba and plena. There is an important influence from Latin Jazz on some salsa arrangements. Cuban son is the predominant sound in salsa, but it is also a fusion of Spanish canción, Afro-Cuban percussion and guitar combined with North American music like jazz. Salsa also uses elements of R&B, funk and rock.
Cubans and Puerto Ricans that moved to New York during 1930 gave birth to the first salsa bands. Their music quickly spread to Colombia and America becoming a global music sound.
Popular Artists: Celia Cruz, Ruben Blades, Willie Colon, Eddie Palmieri, Hector Lavoe.
6. Reggaeton
Reggaeton is a musical genre born in Puerto Rico during the 1990s. Its influence comes from hip hop, Latin American and Caribbean music and has rapping and singing in its vocals. Reggaeton was originally born in the clubs of San Juan, Puerto Rico during 1991 and it was considered as underground music as it was circulating on unofficial places and distribution networks. The first reggaeton tracks known were called “riddims” and were created by DJ Playero and DJ Nelson, inspired by hip hop and Latin American music. Reggaeton is now on of the most recognized genres of Latin music around the world and its artists are world super stars that collaborate with some of the biggest american hip hop music artists
Popular Artists: Daddy Yankee, J Balvin, Wisin y Yandel, Ozuna.
Music Curation Partners
The following three companies are successful independent brands that have built a great reputation and are doing an incredible job discovering and promoting Latin influenced music around the world:
Nacional Records
Along with LAMC, Industria also holds under its umbrella Los Angeles based independent record label Nacional Records. Under their roster of artists they have global star Manu Chao, Grammy-nominated Mexican electronic group Nortec Collective, Colombian music icons Aterciopelados and worldwide argentine rock band Los Fabulosos Cadillacs.
Nacional Records was founded by Tomas Cookman in 2005 and is now part of alternative platform for artist development Industria Works which specializes in artist management, publishing, marketing and events. Nacional Records music has been featured in top movies, videogames, TV shows and commercials like Breaking Bad, No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain, and FIFA Games Series.
ZZK Records
ZZK Records is an electronic music record label located in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Founders Grant C. dull, Guillermo Canale and Diego Bulacio were looking for a way to promote new artists and producers combining Latin American music like cumbia, reggaeton, dancehall and dubstep with other electronic sounds. They started doing underground parties and eventually established an independent label giving international visibility to artists behind this new sounds.
Remezcla
Remezcla is a media platform that originally started as a meeting where people discussed issues on Latin music, culture, film and arts. These meetings eventually turned into a formal publication with a website where different aspects of the Latin American culture are covered in an independent way. With millions of readers every month, Remezcla is a consolidated brand among the US Latin culture.
Chapter VI: Cultural Identity
Gastronomy
Latin America is a diverse country full of flavorful and robust gastronomy. Starting from the world renowned ceviche to Dominican Pollo Guisado, going through the Colombian ajiaco or Mexican chilaquiles or tacos, Latin American food is always creative.
The richness of Latin American cuisine comes from a cultural history full of color. Mayans, Aztecs, Muiscas, Taironas gave shape to gastronomic traditions and a range of ingredients from corn and potatoes to avocado yuca and other native crops.
Ways of cooking and recipes change from region to region but there are at list 2 or three popular dishes on every Latin American table. Seafood is also a big part of Latin America´s dishes with the popular ceviche and different ways for preparing various types of fish.
Latin American cuisine includes salsas and condiments such as guacamole, pico de gallo, mole, chimichurri and chili. These spices give Latin American cuisine a particular flavor.
Here is a list of recommended food plates that a Latin American festival should include in its offering:
a. Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru
There are three regions in this part of South America: The coast which is full of seafood and fruits; the Sierra where potatoes, yuca, rice and meats are abundant; and the Amazon, rich in fruits and vegetables like mango, pineapple, coconut, avocado and guava.
Bogotá´s typical Chicken Soup called Ajiaco, includes 4 different types of potato, roots vegetables. All over Colombia, people use a classic salsa called aji. Venezuela, which is part of the Amazon, you can find Pabellon Criollo, a traditional combination of shredded beef in stew, black beans and rice. Many people consider it the national dish. For people from Ecuador, Chupe de Corvina and Camarones is a typical seafood platter that will bring great memories to people from this country. Arepas are probably one of the most famous dishes in South America, specially in Colombia and Venezuela, they are a thick round corn cakes usually combined with cheese, avocado and different types of meats.
Other typical South American plates and desserts that should be included are: Arroz con Coco: Coconut Rice, Arroz con Leche, Bunuelos, Coconut Flan, Colombian Chorizo, Maracuya (Passion Fruit) Mousse, Plantain Soup, Roasted Peruvian Potatoes, Yellow Quinoa and Yuca Fritters with Pickled Red Onions.
b. Brazilian cuisine
Brazil is South America’s biggest and most populated country. Although Brazilians are not the biggest population living in New York City, its food is rich in flavors and colors that come from a mix of its original population that includes Portuguese, Africans, Germans and Japanese.
Brazil´s most famous dish is Feijoada, a soup made out beans, pork and corn, although
c. Argentina
Argentina has strong connections with European cuisine, mainly Italian, Spanish and French. Choripan is one of its most popular dishes which is made out of bread, sausage and chimichurri, a a vinaigrette-like hot sauce that combines herbs, garlic and chili. Dulce de Leche, a milky and sweet caramel is their most popular dessert.
d. Caribbean: Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and Cuba
Africa and Spain had a huge influence in the cuisine of this region. The passion for celebration makes this region to have several food centric festivities. Depending on the country, the same dish varies like Mofongo which is a fried plantain dish made with garlic and pork. Then we have the classical Ropa Vieja, stewed beef and vegetables served on a plate that resemble a heap of colorful rags.
A tip for cooking great Caribbean food is sofrito, a mix of sauteed garlic, onions, peppers and tomatoes which is used in soups, stews and rice dishes.
Other popular food is the Cuban Sandwich, rice and beans, Tostones (fried plantains) and Mojitos, a cocktail made out of rum, sugar and mint leaves.
e. Mexico
Mexican food because of its strong geographical ties with the US is the most popular Latin food in most of the United States. We might have heard mainly of tortilla, tacos and burritos but Mexican food is vast and full of surprises.
Typical Mexican dishes include Pozole, a soup made out of hominy and pork. Carnitas which are small pieces of meat served on corn tortillas with different salsas and toppings and finally churros a relative of the donut, and is usually served with champurrado, a hot chocolate.
Food curation is key to enhance the experience of festival goers. Although it will not be a main driver for people to attend the event, it will play a major role by generating cultural appropriation on Latin festival goers.
2. Political Issues
The recent political situation in the United States with the election of Donald Trump has raised concerns on equality and safety for Latin Americans and immigrants. From all Latin American countries, Mexico received more attention during Trump’s campaign in immigration and trade policy and they are having a hard time thinking on the impact that Trump’s administration can have on their relations. After the election, the Mexican peso fell close to 10% compared to the dollar and economists predict a fall in their economy growth for 2017 from 2.5% to close to 2%.
Part of Trump’s Campaign to raise votes was the promise of building a wall between the US and Mexico to stop illegal immigrants that are taking jobs away from the American people. He had also made a proposal where imports from Mexico would be taxed 20% and use that money to help pay for the wall.
While Mexico is one of the most affected countries with Trump’s proposals, South and Central America are also having problems with his decisions. Every year thousands of migrants take buses, trains and boats in hopes of finding a better future in the United States. After Trump’s election, the number of migrants coming from Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala is said to be higher because people want to try moving away from their countries before tougher controls are imposed by Trump’s administration.
Festival producers can take a stand in the political atmosphere surrounding the country and use it as a marketing strategy not only to build a connection with the Latin American community, but to show support to Latin Immigrants. One strategy could be to have only Latin American staff for the event to show support and involvement with this community. Festival producers could also find Latin celebrities or influencers willing to advocate for the rights of Latin American immigrants living in the US. This strategy needs to be supported by real people involved in the cause and Festival producers should find a Latin leader willing to advocate for the Latin American population.
Chapter VI: Conclusions and Recommendations
Producing a music festival involves many elements just as every big event does. The following is a collection of main elements festival producers should take into account when producing a music festival.
Sponsorship
As in every festival. Sponsorship plays an important role to keep up with the festival costs. US Latin based brands should be the main target to sponsor this festival. Sponsorship should not be invasive and people should not feel that brands are getting in their faces on every space. A festival is an experience and brands are there to enhance people’s experience.
Location timing and operations
Location and timing are two key elements when putting up a festival. When selecting the site for the festival, people should have easy access by public transportation. The selected location shouldn’t be far away from the city and must have enough parking spaces for people arriving in cars. The selected time of the year for this festival should take the weather into consideration. Music Festivals are typically done on outdoor venues or parks, so a warm weather either at the end of Spring, Summer or the beginning of fall would be appropriate times during the year to make this event happen. It is also important to take into account when would ticket sales be released and school vacations in order to make sure students which are a huge target of festivals can be reached strategically.
Logistics are also highly important for a good festival experience. People don’t like to wait in line to get into the festival, when going to the bathroom or when getting some food. Good logistics and a friendly staff are in charge of making your experience way better.
Branding
Branding is an important element for a festival. People not only want to identify themselves with the brand but like to buy merchandising objects from the festival itself which is also a great make of making the business profitable. In the means of connecting more effectively with the audience, festival producers targeting the Latin population should consider including elements, colors or design styles that appeal to the Latin American culture. An example can be pre-columbian culture designs or elements or having a well known Latin American graphic designer create the concept of the festival.
Create an experience that makes them travel back in time
Latinos miss their country of origin. They were either born in a latin country and then moved to the U.S or born in a U.S country and raised in a Latin-born family that taught them about their cultural background and how important is that cultural background for them. Every time a Latin person hears or listens about something from its country it goes straight to their heart. People from Latin America miss people from their country, miss music, miss food, miss their families, their streets, their friends, they miss speaking in spanish and every single element that can connect them back to their country. A successful promoter should be able to bring all those elements to live in a music festival. Is like creating a small version of their countries in one same space. Think of putting together all Latin American countries in one same venue for a whole weekend.
Visual and graphic design for this festival should be able to communicate what the Latin American culture represents with colors and graphic elements. It should appeal to audiences of people between 18–36 years old mainly and Latin artists should be involved in this creation process.
Location is a key element for a successful event. While finding options away from the city might seem a better option considering the Metropolitan Area is very crowded, is important that the space selected is not more than 90 minutes away from the city and should have easy access from public transportation.
Although food is not one of the biggest reasons for people to attend festivals, it is indeed a cultural tie for Latin Americans. A thorough food curation must be done in order to bring cuisines from different countries together and combine it with traditional american music that appeals to non Latin cultures.
Mix Alternative with Mainstream
- Production companies must understand that a Latin Festival doesn’t mean bringing only mainstream latin american music or music that only latin americans listen to. The purpose of this festival is to bring fresh new rhythms that mix varieties of music from all over the world with latin sounds.
- Artists performing at this event do not necessarily have to be latin american born but they must have a latin influence in their music.
- The audience expected for this festival is mainly Latin American but the purpose of the festival is to showcase the Latin culture to other cultures in the United States. This event should be targeting a multicultural market. A clear strategy to tap this audience should be defined when promoting the event in media platforms.
- Music curation should involve old Latin music with new music rhythms. Interviews showed that Reggaeton is a genre people are looking to discover. This event should find the correct mix between Latin Alternative music and Latin Mainstream music.
Glocalization as a Marketing tool for engagement
As mentioned at the beginning of this colloquy, glocalization is an important element that can play an important role in order to adapt insights from Latin American cultures to a music event produced in the United States. Festival producers should look out for the perfect mix between Latin American elements and the contemporary elements that other New York festivals have created in order to be successful. If festival planners use insights and strategies mentioned in this colloquy, they can expect success when trying to reach a multicultural market, and consequently they can expect growth in their business.
