You might hear the words “Latino music fest” and expect Tejano music, or something vaguely Caribbean. But in the case of the Pachanga Latino Music Festival—one of the most sonically diverse festivals in the country—you’d be wrong.
The lineup for the fifth annual Pachanga was announced today and it features everything from South American hip hop to Latin funk to Texas roots rock to rough-edged indie rock.
Your headliners are the Puerto Rican reggaeton/alternative hip hop giants Calle 13. With 19 Latin Grammys and 800,000-plus Facebook fans, this is the biggest headliner in the festival’s history. Also atop the bill, Chilean femcee Anita Tijoux brings her intelligent raps, while fellow countrymen in the cumbia orchestra Chico Trujillo will keep the crowd dancing.
Venerable Texas acts are on the bill, with music for all ages and tastes: Los Lonely Boys bring their blend of brown-eyed soul, Texas blues and Latin rock. Ruben Ramos & the Mexican Revolution will cater to a more traditional Tejano crowd. Meanwhile, indie rock chick trio Girl in a Coma, Latin funk orchestra Brownout and New Wave-influenced indie cumbia band Maneja Beto will appeal to younger festival-goers.
Los Angeles and New York are well-represented. Latin folk fusion group La Santa Cecilia and Latin pop singer Gustavo Galindo represent the West Coast, while Brazilian expats Forro in the Dark and activist indie rockers Outernational represent NYC.
Pachanga Fest 2012 takes place at Fiesta Gardens in Austin on May 11-12. Tickets go on sale Tuesday at 10 a.m. Central time. Visit pachangafest.com for more info. More bands will be announced in the coming weeks, but you can check out the initial lineup below.
- Calle 13 (Puerto Rico)
- Los Lonely Boys (San Angelo)
- Chico Trujillo (Chile)
- Ana Tijoux (Chile)
- Forro in the Dark (Brazil/NYC)
- Alejandro Escovedo (Austin)
- Ruben Ramos and the Mexican Revolution (Austin)
- Davíd Garza (Austin)
- Brownout (Austin)
- Girl in a Coma (San Antonio)
- La Santa Cecilia (Los Angeles)
- Gustavo Galindo (Los Angeles)
- Maneja Beto (Austin)
- Outernational (New York)
- Umano Ache (Laredo, TX)
- Anthropos Musicians Collective (Austin)
Check out this intense, not-safe-for-work music video for Calle 13’s “Calma Pueblo.”
