The 18th annual Latin Alternative Music Conference kicked off with a Venezuelan showcase at SOB’S in New a York City on July 11th. The opening event supported by Broadcast Music Inc., set the tone for what to expect in the following five days. It was a night filled with fresh interpretations of classic Latin music genres.
Alternative rock band and two time Latin Grammy nominees, Los Mesoneros opened the night with “Caiga la Noche” a theme from their latest album that was released on March of this year. They continued with “Luna” and closed the set with a glorious new version of “Mientras.”
This impromptu remix came about when Los Mesoneros invited Tambor Y Caña, an afro Venezuelan drum and maraca duet, to join them on stage for the stellar performance that got the entire venue to dance and chant at the same time.
But the melodic rock tunes didn’t last long. Right after them, when videos from rappers Akapellah popped up, it was evident that the showcase would provide an eclectic mix of music styles.
Members of Akapellah sent a couple of videos since they couldn’t make it in person. As soon as their video “Milki” came on the screens, the presence of the socioeconomic crisis in Venezuela that has lasted for over five years, became a prominent topic for their songs. Throughout the video you can hear people commenting how unbelievable it is to see the new prices of staple goods.
Elastic Bond came next with truly unique sound that includes influences from different genres. They describe themselves as psychedelic tropical soul singers. Right after them Viniloversus and the popular reggae group, Rawayana took the stage.
Although most attendants tried to leave politics at home, talks of the plebiscite that will take place this Sunday July 15th definitely was a common murmur in the concert. One guest even brought a homemade banner saying “Maduro Sucks!” referring to the current president of Venezuela.
The best reward that these Venezuelan artists could receive, is the opportunity to have all the fans that were in New York this Tuesday along with the millions of expatriates around the world, back together in a concert in their home country which once was a hub for music, art, and creativity.