De Musica Ligera: Lollapalooza in Chile

For the first time a version of the Lollapalooza music festival was held outside of the U.S. Kanye West, The Killers, Cypress Hill and Jane's Addition were some of the more internationally-known acts that performed at Lollapalooza Chile last weekend. There were also a variety of Ibero-American musicians present in Santiago including Spanish rapper Mala Rodriguez, groovy Colombians Bomba Estereo and up-and-coming Chilean songwriter Francisca Valenzuela.

One of the groups that performed to crowds of thousands at O'Higgins Park was local group Chico Trujillo. In his detailed and must-read review of Lollapalooza Chile, New York Times music critic Jon Pareles mentioned:

Unlike their Anglo colleagues, the Latin American bands didn’t indulge themselves in self-pity. The Chilean group Chico Trujillo, an overwhelming local favorite, revealed itself as a world-class party band.

Pareles was definitely not kidding:

Pareles concluded in his article that Lollapalooza Chile "might also spur its Anglo visitors to look beyond their own borders." Hopefully one can better appreciate not only the Spanish-speaking acts of the festival but also discover the rich plethora of musical styles and genres throughout the Americas.

Video Source - YouTube
Online Sources - New York Times, Cuaderno Latinoamericano