Bianca OblivionAs a Mexican-American DJ and Los Angeles native, she knows how important it is to perform at Hard Summer, one of Southern California’s biggest electronic music festivals.
“You’re definitely going to have headliners from all over the world,” Oblivion said. “There’s this expression, this position that I’m in now, as a Latino, as someone who’s from here, and as someone who’s in the electronic music scene. I don’t take it lightly.”
Oblivion is among a growing list of local Latin artists scheduled to perform at the festival, which will take place Saturday and Sunday at Hollywood Park. The event returns to LA for the first time in 10 years and is expected to draw an estimated 70,000 attendees each day.
Opening the festival’s Purple Stage, Oblivion mixes UK bass-heavy with Brazilian funk and other Latin top hits. The DJ says she plans to use the city’s musical influences as the foundation of her set list.
“I could feel the vibe and energy that LA really gave me,” she said. “I’m glad I could bring it all home.”
Other Latin singers scheduled to perform on the first day of the festival include Joaqu.n, Dina and Bianca Maieli.
An up-and-coming Mexican-American and Persian-American DJ, mean She found her style in the underground scene, spinning Latin clubs, reggaeton and Brazilian funk. She says performing in smaller, more intimate venues helped her prepare for festivals.
“Expect something upbeat, danceable, and something you’ve never heard before,” she said of the planned set. “I’m really excited to be playing party music.”
Colombian and South Indian artists Myelly For her first appearance on Hard Summer, she plans to mix tech house with Brazilian funk. She made waves with co-founder DJ collective No Nazar, which hosts parties across the country highlighting music from the Caribbean and African diaspora.
“We already have big-name artists playing these tracks,” Myeli said. “But we need to make sure that the people who are really pushing it, the real Latin artists, are being seen and booked.”
CC LoveA Mexican-American DJ from Southern California who has performed at festivals like Electric Daisy Carnival, she said her Saturday afternoon set will feature samples of Latin music and tech-house.
“One thing I’ve noticed about playing Latin music compared to playing other genres of music is that there’s a whole other level of passion,” she said. “Even if it’s a remix, there’s a whole other level of passion that Latin people really enjoy singing their own music and dancing to it and creating a vibe.”
For those who want to hear music from the Dominican Republic with a taste of the East Coast Giselle Peppers On the second day of Hard Summer, she plans to tap into her heritage. The Afro-Latina artist grew up in Paterson, New Jersey, but has called LA her home for more than three years.
“Attendees can expect an electric set that will keep them dancing,” says Peppers. “I’m very much influenced by the vibrant nature of my cultural heritage and the sounds of where I grew up.”
