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Epicentro is a gathering of musicians, labelheads, producers, promoters, and people interested in the independent music scene in Costa Rica and the rest of the Spanish-speaking world. The festival will not only host live sets from many artists but will also feature conferences and roundtables concerning the on-going troubles and happenings of the industry.
Under the slogan “Emerging waves of Latin America,” Epicentro plans to get people in CR as well as other countries to share their collective wisdom. “A developing scene like ours not only has a lot to contribute to the Latin American landscape, it can also learn from the experiences of bigger markets,” says the festival’s director, Roberto Montero Batalla. The goal is to build more and better music projects and plan initiatives to make a stronger local scene. “It helps us all stay in touch,” adds Montero Batalla.
Some of the topics to be discussed will be digital distribution for Latino artists and festivals around the circuit. Among the people invited to speak at these talks will be Andrés Sánchez from Vive Latino, former EMI Music Mexico head Camilo Lara (currently behind the Casete label), and José Manuel de la Barra from Lollapalooza Chile. REMEZCLA’s very own Joel Moya will be moderating a table where the discussion will focus on elements of music scenes and the media’s role within them.
Of course, there’s music. Some of the acts that will perform at Epicentro are Siete Catorce, CLUBZ (both Mexico), and Andrés Gualdrón y los Animales Blancos (Colombia), among others.
Epicentro will be held in conjunction with Festival Internacional de las Artes and the VI Congreso Iberoamericano de Cultura, which will host shows by Vicentico, Instituto Mexicano del Sonido, Astro, Bomba Estéreo, 424, and many more. For the closing, all three festivals will join forces to present a joint concert featuring some of the aforementioned artists.
Montero Batalla says about the motivation to start the festival: “…every day there are more venues for Latino music, but not so much for emerging scenes. Our interests go beyond Costa Rica, where you can find many noteworthy artists, but to function as a gathering place.”
DAY 1 (April 9th)
Opening and photo exhibition @ Equilátero
DAY 2 (April 10th)
Talks @ Equilátero: Music communities / Morning session: 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Afternoon session: 3:30 – 5:00 p.m. Study case: Nrmal in Monterrey
Showcases @ Steinvorth: Andrés Gualdrón y Los Animales Blanco and CLUBZ
DAY 3 (April 11th)
Talks @ Contenido: Latin America Reality. ¿What is happening in Latin America? Festivals and promoters / morning session: 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Afternoon session: 3:30 – 5:00 p.m. ¿What’s happening in Latinoamérica? Digital models of distribution
Showcases @ Steinvorth: Monte & Siete Catorce
DÍA 4 (April 12th)
Closing event FIA and VI Congreso Iberoamericano de Cultura Parque Metropolitano la Sabana Homage to Latin American talent ft. 424, Astro, Bomba Estereo, M.I.S. & Vicentico.
Epicentro’s closing event: After party @ Steinvorth
(Photo by Geanina Sáenz)