A Mover Se Ha Dicho!

My passion for music was nurtured at a very young age. I can still recall marimba music blaring at family gatherings. The sounds and rhythm filled every room of our Visalia, CA home. The music created new memories and at the same time took us back to family memories of Guatemala. Today, the instant I hear marimba, I am transported back in time as my head fills with great memories of tias, tios, primas y primos. It is the rich culture of the music during my childhood that has made music such an important part of my everyday life.

From The Scenestar blog to FILTER magazine, I consume all things music. As PR practitioners, it is our responsibility to have our finger on the pulse of popular culture – and the music industry is a big part of that. Our clients rely on us to be experts. As such, it is part of our job to follow emerging trends and keep up with what’s current.

I am the epitome of today’s Latino and their taste of music; I express myself through different genres – far from being one-dimensional. Brands in the PR industry understand this. Such was the case with longtime RLPR client Heineken USA. One of the programs our office executed was bringing DJs together to blend songs and beats from Latin genres and mash them with today’s mainstream music including reggaeton, hip-hop, electronic and funk. The mashups were a way for Latinos to identify and to celebrate being multicultural.

I recall when I first moved from my small agricultural town to one of the cultural meccas in the world, Los Angeles to attend UCLA. My first concert in the City of Angels was the cumbia, funk, reggae-infused band Ozomatli at the Grand Plaza in Downtown Los Angeles. That concert was a light-bolt moment that led me to discover the power of music as a universal language that transcends boundaries and bonds people.

It’s been said that music has the power to break barriers and bring people together despite culture, gender or even age. I’m listing a few of my favorite sounds and hope that it will do just that. Enjoy!

1) Kinky – Soun Tha Mi Primer Amor (Mexico): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_wvxbu3vWg&feature=related

2) Ozomatli – Como Ves (US): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TtFaRtvR6g

3) Buraka Som Sistema – Sound of Kuduro (Brazil): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CkXhtw7UNk

4) Nortec Collective presents Bostich+Fussible - Tijuana Sound Machine (Mexico): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAkk3MqxOY8

5) Marimba Ferrocarril de los Altos (Guatemala): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0VGODoRy9o&feature=related

How does music play a role in your life?