Either you’re home in the Dominican Republic for the holidays or you’re lucky enough to call yourself a local — but both instances mean you have a chance to party it up at this weekend’s The Paradise festival at Cap Cana. The question is, while you’re waiting for big acts like Bad Bunny and Maluma to hit the stage, who else are you trying to catch? Where are you going to eat? And what should you wear? Rest easy, amigxs. We have answers.
Remezcla’s very own Joel Moya recommends grabbing some quipes at Shish Kebab if you’re driving in from the capital. And if you’re already staying at Cap Cana, where Paradise Fest is taking place, our friends at GOA recommend the following: Relax with some desayuno at Il Cappuccino, sit for lunch and drinks at Api or stop by Barbudo for dinner. In Punta Cana, in general, you can check out Vale Valentina for breakfast, Bachata Rosa for any meal of the day and La Cava for bougie dinner and drinks. Sound good? Now that you’re not going to be hangry, we can focus on what you’ll need to do once you get onto the festival grounds.
In an effort to make some sense of the festival lineup frenzy, here are some of the indie Latinx and Dominican artists you should arrive early enough to see. Read on below to also hear some of their own recommendations for the weekend.
1
Letón Pé
Leticia Pelliccione, who makes music as Letón Pé, is one to keep your eyes on. Her music is pop primed to get stuck in your head — and if you’re not drawn in by the bouncy neo-urbano beat of “¿Klk Tú Bebe?,” then you’ll be won over by Pelliccione’s brassy vocals, bossy delivery and stunning jumpsuit.
Clearly a fashionista and already a The Paradise festival audience veteran, she recommends “that you NOT wear flip flops. I know it’s tempting since you’ll be at the beach, but you’ll walk a lot, so take comfy sneakers or shoes.”
“I’m all about being stylish but most importantly, practical, especially if I’ll be dancing and walking for hours,” she tells Remezcla. “Oversized T-shirts are a big trend now so that’d be a yes for me — these are cool and will keep you comfortable throughout [the] partying. I’d match that with some shorts or loose hot pants and voila! Oh, and accessories would be the cherry on the top. Play with it! Hint: thick medium hoops.”
2
Solo Fernández
Solo Fernández is the dreamy Santo Domingo-based quartet with tunes perfect for soundtracking your walks around the beachy The Paradise Fest grounds. With their groovy, guitar-flecked arrangements and synth-soaked stylings, Solo Fernández will chill you out before the rush of more boisterous performances. The group is already stoked to be performing Paradise Fest, telling Remezcla, “We feel grateful and utterly thrilled to be a part of this awesome line-up.”
“As a local indie rock band in the DR, it is not that easy to get to share the stage with these awesome artists, [so] we are definitely ready!” they added. You hear that? Now go support ’em, so other local indie acts can get their chance, too.
3
MULA
Comprised of Anabel Acevedo, Cristabel Acevedo and producer Rachel Rojas, these three Dominicanas are bringing some serious electronica-meets-dembow to the fore. On MULA’s latest release, “Y Ahora,” we see the ladies continuing their rhythmic experimentations — only this time, it’s even more cinematic than ever before. Catch their impressive fusions this Friday.
4
Vicente García
García isn’t a newcomer here, but he’s certainly one of our featured locals. The Dominican singer-songwriter has already won three Latin Grammy’s for 2017’s gorgeous A La Mar, which seemed to effortlessly combine influences of bachata and merengue into his distinctly dulcet folk arrangements. His star-power is all the more reason you want to make sure to catch him at the festival.
5
Javiera Mena
This Chilean indie artist and activist is consistently redefining the sound of Spanish-language electro-pop. And as one of the artists featured on Remezcla’s best albums of the decade, you can say we’re excited about Javiera Mena’s set at Paradise Fest.
6
Los Walters
We love these Boricua synth-pop darlings so much, we partnered for a concert with them here in Brooklyn. Now, we can’t wait to see this pair take to the stage, bringing the DR some of their own flirty Caribbean productions.
7
Caleb Calloway
Caleb Calloway has a sound influenced as much by his moves across the States as it is by his Puerto Rican roots. Born on La Isla del Encanto but exposed to cities like Chicago and New York, Calloway mixes his DJ sets with an ear for house, techno and hip hop elements that are sure to get you amped.
8
Rawayana
If any group on this list is bringing the paradise to Paradise Fest, it’s Rawayana. The Venezuelan trio deliver all kinds of beach-party fun with their bubbly reggae, ska and funk fusions, much like on last year’s glittery and aptly titled “Palmiera del Desierto.”
If any group on this list is bringing the paradise to Paradise Fest, it’s Rawayana. The Venezuelan trio deliver all kinds of beach-party fun with their bubbly reggae, ska and funk fusions, much like on last year’s glittery and aptly titled “Palmiera del Desierto.”
9
Monsieur Perine
Ease yourself into the festival with Monsieur Perine’s delicate, whimsical performance. The Colombian ensemble has a penchant for only the sweetest arrangements of their own country’s Afro-Colombian beats, coupled with lead singer Catalina García’s easy vocals that swing from Spanish and English to French and Portuguese without a beat.
10
Trending Tropics
Trending Tropics is actually the project of another artist already listed above — only he’s collaborating with a former Calle 13 member. Vicente García and Eduardo Cabra team up for experimental electronic music that results in tongue-in-cheek commentary on technology today. Get off your phone and just listen, ok?