From KCRW DJ Raul Campos:
(Raul served as the host/MC of LAMC for the 5th year in a row. The annual event features concerts all over the city – including Central Park SummerStage and Celebrate Brooklyn at Prospect Park – as well as an array of panels.)
This was, by far, the best year of the Latin Alternative Music Conference (LAMC) in its 13 year history.
My favorite part about the entire 4-day event in New York was that the bands we predicted would be pushing the genre forward years ago are are now worldwide phenomenons. Once playing to hundreds, bands like Calle 13, Kinky and Ana Tijoux are now touring the globe and doing huge things. Here are a few of my favorite moments.
Game Changer moment:
This year, they turned away more people from Prospect Park than can actually fit inside the park! We got off the subway and were walking through the streets of Brooklyn and seeing the lines of people winding around for blocks both ways. It was packed from the very beginning of the show with performances from Ritmo Machine and Ana Tijoux and then Calle 13 just destroyed the place.
Carla Morrison Takes the Prize:
Carla Morrison was totally stunned when she was presented with the Discovery Award at the Gramercy Theater – as well as all the gifts that came with it. I felt like Bob Barker up there giving prizes away. Check out this song and you’ll see why she took home the award.
Eres Tu- Carla Morrison by mvadolafourcade
Alex Anwandter On The Rise:
Chilean singer Alex Anwandter is a mix of Hot Chip, Michael Jackson and Juan Gabriel (the Mexican equivalent of MJ). His songs on record are great, 80’s inspired pop but his live show is really incredible. His shows are a dance party and even jumped in the middle of the crowd to dance as he was singing. He was highly influenced by the documentary “Paris is Burning” as you can see in the video below.
This was a huge moment for the Latin Alternative Music Conference, when it no longer seemed like the “alternative”. It felt very much like the epicenter of what is happening in music right now, with global superstar DJs like Louie Vega and Jon Cutler, as well as Fania’s Michael Rucker stopping by to check out the proceedings. Every show was packed and it’s been so incredible to watch this genre grow and support these artists here at KCRW.
–Raul Campos