Latino artists, well-known and up-and-coming, owned the stage at Coachella 2023

History was made this Coachella 2023 season as “Tití Me Preguntó” singer, Bad Bunny, became the first Spanish language artist to headline the festival, which took place in Indio, CA during back-to-back weekends, April 14-16 and 21-23.

The Latino superstar wasn’t the only Spanish-speaking musician to grace the stage this spring. Becky G returned after being Karol G’s surprise guest at last year’s festival to sing their song “MAMIII,” and singer-songwriter, Rosalía, graced the stage amongst other well-known artists. Others include Kali Uchis, ¿Téo? and Latin groups such as Los Fabulosos Cadillacs and The Linda Lindas. 

Jessie Reyez, Anitta, Omar Apollo and Grupo Firme are only four of the 20 Latin acts who performed at the infamous festival last year. And although Coachella 2023 didn’t feature quite as many, 12 to be exact, a handful of new, up-and-coming artists, DannyLux, Bratty, Los Bitchos, Conexión Divina and Eladio Carrión were featured.

While this year’s Coachella season is officially over, the huge Latino representation is still at the forefront of our minds. CALÓ NEWS has highlighted some of the featured talents and their acts that lit up the stage.

Bad Bunny 

Bad Bunny started his set with “Me Porto Bonito,” his biggest hit from his latest album, Un Verano Sin Ti, satisfying everyone’s curiosity regarding how the artist would begin his mark on the festival. Already hitting an enormous milestone for the Latino community, the sensation solidified which group of people owned this year’s Coachella festival by asking the audience if they preferred him to continue in English or Spanish – a resounding gesture was made toward the latter.

The musician, who took the Coachella stage for the first time in 2019, figuratively and literally lit up the stage during “Safaera,” a song from his third album, YHLQMDLG. With what looked like hundreds of dancers fluidly moving about the stage, surrounding an SUV with its trunk a makeshift stereo, duo Jowell & Randy and Ñengo Flow, all featured on the song, hyped the crowd before the Puerto Rican rapper and singer came out from behind the vehicle. 

“¿Y dónde están las mujeres que perrean sola en Coachella?” the headliner asked the audience before singing “Yo Perreo Sola,” and the crowd loudly singing along to “Efecto” was goosebump-inducing. Bad Bunny’s Friday, April 16 and 21, sets also consisted of his tracks “Tití Me Preguntó,” “Si Veo a Tu Mamá” and “DÁKITI.” 

Becky G

As she danced across the stage in multiple sparkly blue outfit changes, Mexican-American singer, Becky G, effortlessly performed an energized and positive set for Coachella 2023’s Weekend One. With special guests, Marca MP for her hit “Yo Acabo,” the expected Peso Pluma for their collaboration, “Chanel,” and Natti Natasha for “Sin Pijama,” the Latin superstar provided a jam-packed set for the crowd. 

Similar to the blue, Becky G entered Weekend Two with pink sparkled outfits as she, in addition to her set, performed a tribute medley honoring Selena Quintanilla-Perez. Singing hits “Como La Flor,” “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom,” “La Carcacha” and “Baila Esta Cumbia,” the singer celebrated Selena’s legacy. Both weekends, she closed the show with one of her first singles and her only non-Spanish song of the set, “Shower,” evoking nostalgia amongst the audience at the festival and at home. 

Kali Uchis

Colombian-American sing-songwriter, Kali Uchis, clad in denim from head to toe, took to the Coachella stage on both Sundays of the festival. Her 2020 hit “telepatía” as well as her new songs “Moonlight” and “I Wish you Roses” from her recent fourth album, Red Moon In Venus, entranced the crowd, everyone subconsciously rocked side to side, as she floated around the stage. 

Additionally, the artist brought special guests, such as Tyler the Creator to sing their collaboration, “See You Again,” Omar Apollo for their song “Worth the Wait” and Don Toliver for “Fantasy.” 

Bratty

For the first time ever, Bratty, aka Jenny Juáurez, stepped foot in the United States as she performed at Coachella 2023 on Saturday of both weekends as the only Mexican-born artist. Entirely a Spanish-speaking set, the artist, who first debuted in 2018 with Todo Está Cambiando, performed her songs, “Honey, No Éstas,” “Continental,” “Quiero Estar” and her latest single, “Radio.” Despite being a relatively new Latin artist competing with other artists’ performances at the festival, Bratty captured her prospective audience with her ethereal voice and grungey-pop music. 

DannyLux 

Palm Springs-born artist, DannyLux, aka Daniel Balderrama, came full circle this Coachella 2023 season as he performed at the same festival his father, Oscar, used to clean up after. Bringing his father backstage with him this year, the Coachella-first timer’s set consisted of his songs “SI SUPIERAS,” “Tristeza Y Traicion” and “Mi Otra Mitad.” The Mexican-American singer also performed “Jugaste y Sufrí,” the song that sparked his career in 2020 during the Covid-29 pandemic, along with Eslabon Armado.

Conexión Divina

Following in the footsteps of the regional Mexican (banda, mariachi and corridos) act, Grupe Firme, who performed banda last year, Conexión Divina is bringing something new to regional Mexican music – women in sierreño. The Mexican-American trio, Liz Trujillo, Ashlee Valenzuela and Sandra Calixto, attended and performed at the Coachella 2023 festival for the very first time, performing “Paso A Pasito,” and “Odio” off of their latest album, Tres Mundos.