The electronic music and digital arts celebration known as Sónar Festival has had an international approach since its beginnings, not only through the acts they book for their main Barcelona edition, but also through smaller-scale replicas of the festival that have been taking place around the world since 2002. The Sónar tentacles first reached Latin America in 2004 with a São Paulo edition, but this week we’re preparing for a full four-city takeover, which includes dates in Argentina (December 3), Chile (December 5), and Colombia (December 7), along with a Brazilian date that successfully took place November 28.
Big international acts like The Chemical Brothers, Hot Chip, and Brodinski will be present at all of the dates, but the lineups vary from city to city, including a selection of stellar local acts. They will surely take advantage of the Sónar platform, giving it their best with the hopes of reaching new, broader audiences. The regional artists are really the ones who spice up the festival’s offering, and that’s why we decided to highlight some of the most notable ones right here.
1
Leandro Fresco – Sónar Buenos Aires, December 3
Argentine legend Leandro Fresco will be filling the Sonar Hall stage with his thick and rich brand of experimental ambient music. The Gustavo Cerati collaborator released his latest album, El Reino Invisible, through Kompakt’s offshoot imprint Pop Ambient earlier this year. Check him out on December 3 to see how it will work in a live setting.
2
Diosque – Sónar Buenos Aires, December 3
It’s already been two years since the release of Diosque’s Constante, but its music still sounds as fresh as it did the second it came out. Juan Román Diosque will present his quirky, sun-kissed take on electro-pop in a show that will hopefully be as fun and full of charisma as his performance at this year’s Festival Nrmal.
3
Valesuchi - SónarSound Santiago, December 5
Red Bull Music Academy alum Valesuchi is bringing her unique blend of techno, house, and experimental club music to the festival’s Santiago edition. Her set will be the perfect moment for a heartfelt dance session with your eyes closed. She also performed at Sónar São Paulo.
4
Sobrenadar - SónarSound Santiago, December 5
From Argentina, Sobrenadar (aka Paula García) is sure to haunt the hearts of the SonarVillage stage audience with selections from her self-titled debut album, both her EPs, and her latest, the exquisitely stunning 1859. Her whispered vocals, reverbed guitars, and gentle keystrokes will show a different side of the party-centered lineup anticipated at the festival.
5
Las Hermanas - Sónar Bogotá, December 7
When Las Hermanas’ EP and EP 2 came out a year ago, they were a revelation. Diego Cuellar’s experiments with electronic music and old school “plancha” music samples caught us by storm. Catching his trippy live show, which walks the line between hip-hop, dub, and música de señora, is a must.
6
Dany F - Sónar Bogotá, December 7
The Medellín-born producer is finally getting his big international break, and on his recent Cómeme-released EP Wouhau, he filters his Latin and Caribbean influences in such a seductive way that it’s hard for us to resist dancing. Thanks to Dany F, we’ll have guaranteed perreo at Sónar Bogotá.