Ivy Queen and Carnegie Hall executives talk about our friends

Nuestros Sonidos, Carnegie Hall’s ambitious season-long celebration of Latin music and culture, kicked off in spectacular fashion on October 8 under the baton of virtuoso Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel. billboardthis month’s cover star and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Kicking off during Hispanic Heritage Month, the festival boasts an impressive line-up, featuring talent including Mexican singer-songwriter Natalia Lafourcade, Cuban funk artist Cimafunk, Colombian indie pop band Monsieur Perine, salsa legends Grupo Niche and the Chilean jazz virtuoso Claudia Acuña.

One of the festival’s most anticipated highlights is the Carnegie Hall debut of Ivy Queen, the formidable reggaeton superstar known for her fierce advocacy of female empowerment within the male-dominated genre. “Being on this stage allows me to celebrate not only reggaetón, but also the essence of what it means to be Latino, our roots and our global musical influence,” expressed Ivy Queen. Spanish billboard. “It’s an honor to be part of this representation and continue to take our music to every corner of the planet.”

Carnegie Hall Executive and Artistic Director Clive Gillinson and Adriaan Fuchs, Director of Festivals and Special Projects, articulate that Nuestros Sonidos aims to shine a spotlight on the Latin music that has profoundly influenced both American culture and the wider world .

“Latin music was something that has had such a huge effect (not only) on American culture, but on culture around the world,” Gillinson notes. “It was a really important thing to do. We look at who the best experts are in the field to make sure that all the ideas we’re considering and exploring come from people who are leaders in thought, knowledge, experience and background.”

Fuchs adds: “We work with curatorial boards and advisors who help set up these festivals. They include Latin music experts, ethnomusicologists, cultural and social experts in terms of how culture has developed in America. Together with them, we decided that we wanted to cover a range of different genres, such as salsa, reggaetón, Latin jazz, classical music, etc. We wanted to focus on those genres that have played a key role in the American cultural landscape and, in particular, in America.”

As Nuestros Sonidos unfolds throughout the season, it promises a wide variety of Latin musical styles and expressions, inviting audiences to explore the powerful narratives that have shaped the past, present and future of Latin music.

Read our Q&A with Ivy Queen and Carnegie Hall’s Clive Gillinson and Adriaan Fuchs below:

What inspired Carnegie Hall to launch Nuestros Sonidos, and what do you hope to achieve with this initiative?

Clive Gillinson: We try to look at things that are important issues and areas of culture. Last season, we looked at the fall of the Weimar Republic: the fragility of democracy, because we think it’s a very important topic in today’s world. Last year we looked at Women in Music, and before that, Afrofuturism. (In 2021), we analyzed the artists (Voices of Hope) in times of oppression; artists who wrote despite the most horrific circumstances, be it the Holocaust, slavery, the Soviet Union, etc. They were still writing about hope and aspiration.

Latin music was something that has had such a huge effect (not only) on American culture, but on culture around the world. 11 years ago, we did Voices of Latin America, which looked specifically at the music of three Latin American countries. The emphasis was on looking at the influences of Latin music on American culture in particular. We felt it was a really important thing to do, something that maybe hasn’t been seen enough in terms of how people view culture in America.

Ivy, as a pioneering figure of reggaetón and an advocate of female empowerment in the music industry, what does it mean for you, personally and professionally, to debut at Carnegie Hall with the Nuestros Sonidos series?

Ivy Queen: For me, making my debut in such an iconic venue as Carnegie Hall represents both personal and professional validation of the path I’ve taken throughout my career. I have fought to open doors for women in a genre that has historically been dominated by men. Being on that stage not only represents a recognition of my years of work and effort but also shows that reggaetón, a music born from the streets, has a legitimate place in the most prestigious venues in the world. It is an achievement that celebrates the resilience, strength and talent of all the women who have been part of this movement.

How does Nuestros Sonidos aim to impact the local New York community and the wider Latino music scene?

Gillinson: We want this to be meaningful for devotees, advocates and people who come from Latin music to feel represented. He feels that his culture is put in the center. To ensure that all these areas of music also reach people who may not have been their background and where they trust Carnegie Hall as a curator to take them on a journey of exploration.

Fuchs: New York had such an important role to play, in terms of the Latin music that flourished in this country throughout the decade. We wanted to make sure we had programming that addressed all of that. When putting together the concerts at the Hall, we were very aware of the Latin communities that exist in New York City: Puerto Rican community, Colombian community, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Cuba, etc. We made sure we had representative artists. these different cultures, musical genres and styles as part of the festival.