INDIO, United States – Colombian singer Shakira dropped in on the night of April 12 for a surprise Coachella cameo with Argentina’s superstar producer Bizarrap, a highlight on the first day of the festival that saw a diverse slate of Latino artistes command the conversation.
Meanwhile, American singer Lana Del Rey rolled into the festival with a motorcycle escort to headline the opening night of the California desert’s mammoth arts event, which traditionally kicks off the summer concert circuit.
But there were no stage appearances from Taylor Swift, the American megastar currently on a break from her blockbuster, billion-dollar Eras tour, despite speculation from Swifties that she might appear onstage with friend Del Rey or American singer Sabrina Carpenter.
Del Rey returned to perform at Coachella a decade after first doing a show there, offering her cult style of ethereal pop.
The 38-year-old wore sparkling knee-high boots and a minidress to lead fans through a dreamy, sensual sequence of her hits and deeper cuts, flanked by a coven of dancers who pole-danced and performed acrobatics along to the Born To Die (2012) singer’s languid vocals.
And while Del Rey did not bring Swift onstage, she did invite American singers Billie Eilish and Jon Batiste out for several songs, to the crowd’s delight.
Latin revolution
It was an atmospheric finish to a day whose afternoon built a lot of heat, not least thanks to Shakira and Bizarrap’s collaboration that saw Shakira announce a global tour.
The 47-year-old appeared onstage for a powerful, dance-heavy performance, including of the duo’s shared hit that saw her seek revenge on her ex, Spanish former footballer Gerard Pique. “Arriba Coachella,” shouted Bizarrap to explosive cheers from the crowd.
It was one of many Latin acts on April 12, one year after Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny played a historic set as the first Spanish-language headliner.
Latin representation has grown significantly in recent years at Coachella, and yet another strong showing in 2024 indicated that such bookings are becoming less an anomaly and more so the standard as Latin music continues to dominate global charts.
Mexican singer Peso Pluma drew an enormous crowd to the main stage with his unique brand that fuses traditional regional Mexican music with heavier Latin rap and reggaeton.
Among fans, Mexican flags flapped in the breeze as the 24-year-old performed, as projections of news articles referencing the criticism he has received for delving into the “narcocorrido” subgenre, which some critics say glorifies drug culture.
And Puerto Rico’s Young Miko helmed the main stage with a rager of a set, showcasing her playful Spanglish bars and Latin trap that also alludes to 1990s West Coast rap.
Cimafunk, meanwhile, became the first Cuba-born artiste to perform at Coachella, in an electrifying performance that brought Afro-Cubano funk fused with New Orleans-style horns and high-octane dancing to the grounds dramatically flanked by the San Jacinto mountains.
“I’m really happy to be here, it’s really crazy,” the beaming artiste told AFP backstage.
A virtual star
A throng of screaming fans turned out for Japan’s famed virtual singer Hatsune Miku – a Vocaloid software voicebank whose personification is a teen with turquoise pigtails – who debuted at Coachella after originally being booked for 2020.
The “artiste” – who is not real – began as a virtual instrument in 2007 and has grown into a cultural icon, touring since 2014.
The stage production featured trippy visuals and a live band, an evolution from the act’s online beginnings.
“There was no, like physical space or real-life gatherings that prompted this fandom,” Mr Riki Tsuji – who is on the business team of Crypton Future Media, the company behind Miku – told AFP prior to the festival.
A festival like Coachella offers the fans a “way to enjoy each other’s company”, he said.
Coachella 2024 takes place over the weekend with a near-repeat of the line-up scheduled for April 19 to 21. AFP
