Primavera Sound is undoubtedly one of Barcelona’s most beloved world-renowned festivals since 2001. So it was no surprise that fans were ecstatic once the festival announced its U.S. edition in Los Angeles, CA. Despite postponing due to the pandemic, the massive event will finally be inaugurated at the L.A. State Historic State Park from Sept. 16 to 18 – and we’re more than ready to experience it!
This year’s Primavera Sound Los Angeles festival includes a total of 65 diverse musical performers. We’re talking about artists who play indie rock, R&B, hip-hop rap, pop, and more genres from all over the map. The weekend’s thrilling headliners include Lorde on Friday, Nine Inch Nails on Saturday, and Arctic Monkeys on Sunday. And while the Primavera boasts huge global names, there are also prominent artists from Latin America and Spain that are just as exciting. These artists are some of the biggest names shaping this generation’s Spanish-language soundscape.
“At Primavera Sound, we have always unofficially used the slogan ‘every artist counts,’ no matter how big their name appears on the lineup,” the Primavera Sound organizers said in a written press statement. “A festival is not only about programming crowd pleasers or artists that everyone knows: it is a space for discovery and for renewal. The small artists (although I repeat, there is no small print) of today can be the mainstream headliners of tomorrow.”
Though many of these Latine and Spanish artists aren’t small acts in their home countries, it’s thrilling to see their crossover in the U.S. The emblematic Spanish-language artists in the lineup include Spanish artists like the flamenco artist María José Llergo, the auto-tune sensation Bad Gyal, and the Catalan musician Marina Herlop. Some of our endearing favorites, like the Chilean-American artist Paloma Mami, our Venezuelan experimental queen Arca, and the reggaeton pioneer DJ Playero are also performing at this year’s event.
But wait, there’s more to the monumental event’s roster. From the Puerto Rican duo Buscabulla’s alluring synth-pop sounds to Spanish DJ Jasss’ techno-heavy sets, here are six of the highly-anticipated Spanish-language performing acts we’re looking forward to seeing at Primavera Sound in L.A.
Buscabulla
If you’ve heard Bad Bunny’s Un Verano Sin Ti, then you’ve probably heard Buscabulla’s own Raquel Berrios’ vocals on the soothing, experimental electronic track “Andrea.” Since its release, the duo has garnered more overdue exposure, making their performance at Primavera Sound more exciting. Before their epic collaboration, the Puerto Rican tropical synth-pop duo released their long-awaited debut album in 2020. Regresa features the duo’s impeccable tropical synth-pop vibes throughout 11-tracks. From their captivating drums in “Vámono” and the endearing indie-pop Nydia Caro-inspired track “Nydia,” to the hypnotizing synthesizers on “Ta Que Tiembla,” the Aguadilla-based couple knows how to deliver a solid electro-Caribbean piece of art.
Él Mató a un Policía Motorizado
What’s more hype than a guitar’s uncalled-for feedback noise before a live alternative rock set? This one’s for the OG rockeros — Él Mató’s upcoming Primavera Sound set is a total must. For starters, Él Mató is one of this generation’s most prominent Argentinian rock bands. Their emotional lyrics drenched in an abyss of indie rock are what fans look forward to with these Latine rock figureheads. Since its release in 2017, their song “El Tesoro” has become one of their most popular tunes. It became such a hit that the track’s album La Síntesis O’Konor landed them two Latin GRAMMY nominations in 2018 for Best Rock Album and Best Rock Song. Fast forward to now, the band’s newest album release is Unas Vacaciones Raras, a re-work of previously released singles that touch upon the quintet’s go-to creative, catchy lyrics, and hard-hitting guitar chords.
Divino Niño
Elevating psych-pop and indie pop with their own twist, the Chicago-based band Divino Niño will also perform at this year’s festival. This performance aligns with the anticipation of the Colombian outfit’s forthcoming album Last Spa on Earth, which is due on Sept. 23. They describe this upcoming project as “a nice space to cleanse and come out feeling fresh” after the world’s recent heaviness. To hype the album up, the group already released two tastes of their new project with “Tu Tonto” and “Nos Soltamos.” The first is an upbeat experimental track that infused pop reggaeton elements the band’s DIY punk attitude, while the second sticks to their more dreamy, psych, feel-good territory. For those unfamiliar with the emerging band, Divino Niño’s latest album Foam (2019) was described by Remezcla as embodying “shades of ‘60s AM pop and Prince all over the record– and contemporary indie rock and hip-hop influences.”
Little Jesus
Hailing from Mexico City, Remezcla has followed Little Jesus’ rise since their start almost a decade ago. And it’s been quite the remarkable growth since 2013 when they released “Azul.” Nowadays, they’re arguably one of the faces of this new generation’s Latine indie era, blending indie rock with experimental pop-rock elements. They’ve played with different sound elements such as tropi-pop, pop rock, and even love ballads. Their latest 11-track album Disco de Oro came out in 2019 and showed us a more emo and nostalgic side of the band with songs like “Los Años Maravillosos” and “Los Ángeles, California.” Their recent official release was a collaboration with Girl Ultra on “Punk” – a wink at Gwen Stefani’s “Bubble Pop Electric” – off Girl Ultra’s EL SUR. Currently, the “Gracias Por Nada” singing band is on tour with Divino Niño.
Shanti Celeste
Calling all house, disco, and techno music fans! If you’re more into the house side of the electronic genre spectrum, the Chilean-born DJ Shanti Celeste is an artist you have to check out. During the inaugural year of LA’s Primavera Sound, the UK-based DJ is programmed to throw down a back-to-back set with Isabella. For those who don’t know, Shanti Celeste lives and breathes electronic music. Besides being a DJ, she runs her own record label, Peach Discs. She’s also a genre-bending producer, vocalist, and illustrator and previously worked as a promoter. Shanti is known for her fresh house and techno mixes and frequently spins them on NTS Radio. Shanti’s currently promoting her latest house-infused remix of the Canadian DJ and music producer Mathew Jonson’s track “Marionette.” So if you’re ready to dance the night away, don’t sleep on her!
Jasss
Are you more into techno? For those looking forward to a more glitchy and experimental ambiance, catch Jasss’ set on the last day of the genre-varied musical festival. Silvia Jiménez Alvarez – better known as Jasss – is a Spanish-born DJ living in Berlin, where she has been making a name for herself in the DJ scene since 2010. The record producer is known to experiment with various electronic sounds such as techno, hyperpop, and trip-hop, to name a few. She cites her parent’s musical taste of jazz and African and South American rhythms as core influences. Her latest album, A World of Service, was described by Pitchfork as a “whirlwind of contrasting genres” that “promise new avenues of exploration.” With that in mind, we can imagine unpredictable techno and glitchy trip-hop mesh that’ll surely send the crowd into a state of glitchcore trance.