Shakira made a surprise appearance Friday evening in the wild atmosphere of the Coachella festival, in the Californian desert, the highlight of a first day where Latin artists were in tune. Another highlight, headliner Lana Del Rey entered the stage escorted by powerful motorcycles for the opening night of the gigantic musical event, kicking off summer festivals in the United States. Lana Del Rey captivated the crowd with her soaring and ethereal pop, a style that she masters like no one else. In sparkling knee-high boots and a mini-dress, she alternated dreams and sensuality, hits and deeper pieces, while the dancers writhed on stage.
Some were hoping for a surprise appearance from her friend and mega star Taylor Swift, who was rumored to be on a romantic weekend at Coachella with her boyfriend and American football player Travis Kelce. It didn't happen, but the "Swifties" can still hope that she will join the concerts of the Bleachers, the group of her producer Jack Antonoff, or of the Bronx rapper, Ice Spice, with whom she also collaborates.
“Arriba Coachella”
In terms of surprises, it was Shakira who burst onto the stage of the Californian desert to further electrify the set of her sidekick, the Argentinian producer and DJ Bizarrap. Dressed in a short fire-colored dress, she offered a powerful and dancing performance, notably on the duo's joint hit where she takes revenge on her ex, former footballer Gerard Piqué.
“Arriba Coachella”
, shouted Bizarrap, to the explosive cheers of the crowd, while the singer took the opportunity to announce a world tour.
The surprise duo completed a very Latino first day, signaling the increasingly strong domination of Hispanic artists on streaming platforms. Last year, Puerto Rican Bad Bunny made history by becoming the first Spanish-speaking singer to headline the major musical event.
Between virtual and nostalgia
This year, it was Peso Pluma - 5th most listened to artist in the world on Spotify in 2023 - who attracted a huge crowd with his unique style, a fusion of traditional Mexican regional music, Latin rap and reggaeton. While numerous Mexican flags were flying in the crowd, the 24-year-old singer had the headlines of press articles projected alluding to the controversies surrounding his musical genre, narcocorrido, accused of glorifying drug cartels. Peso Pluma claims to speak about reality.
And it wasn't over at the foot of the San Jacinto Mountains. Puerto Rican Young Miko unleashed a wild set on the main stage, with her Latin trap reminiscent of American west coast rap from the 1990s, while Cimafunk became the first Cuban-born artist to perform at Coachella, with his Afro-Cuban funk tinged with brass inspired by New Orleans.
Fans also enjoyed the famous Japanese virtual singer Hatsune Miku, a voice synthesis software personified by the hologram of the teenager with turquoise braids. On stage, the virtual artist was accompanied by a group of live musicians. On Saturday, Tyler, the Creator headlines, while the first weekend ends on Sunday with Doja Cat.
The festival offers a good dose of nostalgia too, with Gwen Stefani's No Doubt who are reforming for the occasion, Vampire Weekend, who has just released their new album, the legendary rockers Blur or the reggae rock group from the 1990s Gorgeous. The festival takes place over two weekends, until April 21.