While some in the live industry would be hesitant to produce a Latin music event amid the current political climate, a complicated visa process and ICE raids, Ramiro Bojorquez and Andrés Charvel see an opportunity to deliver a safe space, make a statement and strengthen a community that has been greatly affected in the past few years.
Two years after debuting their Mexican music-leaning Belicofest in Phoenix, the duo is taking their festival concept to Los Angeles for the first time, with artists Gaerardo Ortíz, Clave Especial, Chuyin, Régulo Caro and Linea Personal at BMO Stadium. Additional performers, including headliners, are forthcoming.
“L.A. is the second city with the most Mexicans after Mexico City,” says Charvel, an independent promoter who worked on Ye’s recent sold-out concerts in Mexico. “Mexican culture is so embedded here. It’s something special, and I think the artists feel the same way. They’re proud to be able to bring this movement here to L.A., to the community.”
It was a no-brainer for Bojorquez and Charvel to go farther west. Nearly 49% of people in L.A. County identify as Hispanic or Latino, according to the U.S. Census, and that community drives the local economy as well as live entertainment. Latin acts and their fans have helped make L.A.’s live scene one of the biggest markets in the world.
They’ve also helped the regional Mexican genre expand beyond its borders, inspiring artists such as Peso Pluma and San Bernardino’s own Fuerza Regida to lead a cultural movement that has gone global.
Bojorquez and Charvel felt that festivals needed to meet the moment and step up in delivering unique experiences as Latin artists did with their music.
“The idea came of necessity for a good cultural festival,” Bojorquez tells Pollstar. When artists like Peso Pluma began trending on the charts, I was just sitting there and was looking at other festivals—they were good, but not great. When I created this, I wanted to provide a quality product that Mexicans can live in and be proud of. It’s very fan-focused.”
The two indie promoters also aim to cultivate rising talent, giving them a platform to perform in front of thousands and being part of a bill that includes the artists who paved the way for them.
“We see new talent coming up and what these guys—and they’re extremely talented—really need is to be exposed to different crowds,” Charvel says. “And I think the markets we’re targeting with L.A. during World Cup weekend at BMO Stadium could be huge for their careers.”
Bojorquez and Charvel operate the festival under a venture called For The Culture, an apt name that also serves as a mantra. Latin music festivals face major obstacles these days with so much uncertainty, and it’s been no different for Bojorquez and Charvel. They’ve had a headliner drop days before an event because of visa problems, but they persisted and carried on as the Latino community has over the past 15 months.
“We have to be stronger than that,” Bojorquez says. “…We don’t give up on the people; we don’t give up on the culture. We keep moving forward, and we have to—as a brand and as a people. It might be bad, but it will get better. It’s the only avenue these kids and this generation have. They can say, ‘Everything might be bad, but at least música Mexicana is still there for us.’”
The single-day Mexican music festival will be there for L.A. on July 12, just a few days after Inglewood’s SoFi Stadium hosts a FIFA World Cup quarterfinal.
