The beloved music festival ACL came in hot this year with standout performances by artists like Chappell Roan, Tyler The Creator, and Dua Lipa. Amongst the icons, ACL also had their fair share of legendary Latino Artists. From Carín León to The Marías, The Tiarras, and many more, ACL made sure we knew the festival was for La Gente tambien. This was a notable change from ACL’s lineup last year, and an amazing choice considering Texas is made up of over 40% Latinos. With Latinitas servicing many of them, we were excited to experience these artists live at ACL and they did not disappoint.
Latinitas ACL journey started Friday with Carín León, and his performance was phenomenal. From the jump The Mexican Singer’s stage presence was insane. He kept smiling as he held out top notes, charming the entire audience. The show started with his high-energy song “Frené mis pies” and between the rhythmic guitars and his killer vocals, the whole crowd couldn’t help but jam out to the music. León had a full live band with probably around 25 members playing the whole time, which really elevated the set. You could feel the music, and his stylings, both musically and wardrobe-wise, fit the festival perfectly. The show balanced between beautiful ballads, including duets with his backup singer Paloma Ledgard, and upbeat songs everyone could belt out. Towards the end, León even invited the audience to sing along to his rendition of “Don’t Stop Believin’” by Journey. The entire performance was magical, and ACL’s inclusion of León created such a moment for the Latino Community.
Next up was The Marías, an indie-pop group starring lead singer and Puerto Rican artist, María Zardoya. Though polar opposites in styling, sound, and even setup, The Marías shared a similar charm to León. Within the first few notes of their opening song “Hamptons”, María had already cast a spell over the ACL crowd. Entrapping them in the bands’ hypnotic sounds and haunting vocals. As the set continued, it seemed María’s powers only grew stronger, bringing the audience fully into this world of psychedelic pop. It was incredible to watch, and along with the band’s iconic songs like “No One Noticed” and The Marías own collaboration with Bad Bunny, “Otro atardecer” they also played a transformative version of The Cardigan’s “Lovefool”. The entire show The Marías were engaging and interacting with the crowd, whether it was by encouraging them to jump all their troubles away or by singing in the crowd. The entire thing was inspiring to watch, and as the show closed out it felt like everyone was popped out of their calming bubble back into the Texas heat.
The following day was The Tiarras performance. An Austin-based trio made up of the Baltierra Sisters, Tori, Tiffany, and Sophia. A couple of months ago, I had the privilege of interviewing The Tiarras on Latinitas’ very own podcast, Conversando, having already known how talented they were, I was eager to see them live. From the beginning, they came out with so much energy and sheer joy radiating between the three. They sang their hit songs like “Soy Chingona” and “They Don’t See Us”, beautifully infusing their cultural roots with funk and rock tunes. It was not only so much fun but also just such a great vibe.
Next up was Hermanos Gutiérrez. Now I had no experience with this group and wasn’t sure what to expect outside of potential brothers, but boy was my mind blown. Hermanos Gutiérrez has only two members, and yes, they are brothers. They are of Ecuadorian-Swiss descent and specialize in calming and rhythmic instrumentals that heavily feature guitars and drums. This was yet another act that fully transported the listener, and the ACL audience, from the Texas heat into a calming pool of music. Though lyricless, their music was intentional. Detailed and meticulous, it was masterful to watch. Towards the middle of their set, the brothers introduced their next song, “The next song is a dedication to the Mexican culture.” He said to a crowd of cheers, “I remember we went on one of those trips. We came back so inspired by the beauty of the landscape, and we wrote ‘Hijos Del Sol’”. The songs were breathtaking, and the set was nothing short of magical.
There were even more artists throughout the three-day festival, all infusing their rich cultural stylings with beautiful tunes. It was phenomenal to watch, and a level of representation that I personally really appreciated from ACL. I’m looking forward to next year’s festival and all the amazing artists that will be showcased!
