Karol G made history when she stepped onto the Coachella Main stage last night, and she made the most of it. It was an incredible performance that honored not only Colombian culture, but Latinos everywhere. The visuals, dancing, surprise guests, and the whole production will go down as one of the best headlining acts the festival has ever had.
Her performance came after she made headlines with her Playboy cover and her comments about whether or not she would say “ICE OUT.” “I don’t want to just say ‘ICE Out’ and have nothing come from it. I’m not saying I wouldn’t speak out—I would, and I would do it with my whole soul. But I also want to take a step back and understand what that truly means and what it creates, and what more we can do beyond that,” she told the outlet. After the interview was published, it sparked criticism, with people ready to see what she would do with her platform.
Once on stage, Karol used her platform at the festival to make a speech about her history-making debut and what it represents for the Latino community as a whole. “I want to present myself. I am Carolina from Medellín, Colombia, and today I am the first Latina woman to headline Coachella. And I’m very happy and very proud about this, but at the same time it feels late,” she began. “There have been 27 years of this festival going on, and it’s the first time a Latina girl is headlining Coachella, so I just want to say that before me there were so many great Latino artists, legendary Latino artists, that gave me the opportunity to be here tonight.”
© GettyAs the United States ramps up its deportations with unprecedented tactics that have resulted in multiple fatalities, and hundreds to thousands of detainees missing from the online ICE database, La Bichota showed her support for the community. “This is not just about me, this is about my Latino community, this is about my people. And at the same time, this is for my Latinos who have been struggling in this country lately. We stand for them, I stand for my Latino community, and at the same time, I’m very proud because this brings out the best of us: unity, resilience, and a strong spirit,” she said.
© Getty“We do this because we want everyone to feel welcome to our culture, to our roots, to our music. So, I just want everyone to feel proud of where they come from, please. Don’t feel fear, feel proud, raise your hand, raise your flags,” the “MAMII” singer continued. Going into the weekend, there was already conversation around whether she would touch on what’s been happening to Latino and immigrant communities in the U.S. Some people took a previous interview and ran with it, like she was being told to stay away from certain topics.
© GettyWhile people are still critiquing the statement, saying she should have said “ICE out,” Karol made it clear where she comes from, who came before her, and who she’s standing with right now. The whole performance backed that up, too. It wasn’t just hits back-to-back. It was built around identity, Latin culture, femininity, and tradition.
© GettyFrom the traditional sounds of the gaita hembra, the giant macaw, the mariachi players made up of women, and her surprise guests like Becky G, reggaeton pioneer Wisin, Mariah Angeliq, legendary Cuban trumpeter Arturo Sandoval, and Greg González, Karol G made her history-making performance feel like a love letter to the entire Latino community around the world.
© Chris CornejoThe creative vision was led by Creative Director and Choreographer Parris Goebel, alongside Creative Producer Parker Genoway, with musical direction helmed by Ezequiel “Cheche” Alara, Miguel Gandelman, and Roberto Trujillo.
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