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< The artists shaking up the industry at the Latin Alternative Music Conference

The artists shaking up the industry at the Latin Alternative Music Conference

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AILSA CHANG, HOST:

Every year, musicians, label executives and journalists come together to envision how the Latin music industry can grow. As NPR's Isabella Gomez Sarmiento reports, the Latin Alternative Music Conference recognizes artists who are pushing the needle forward.

ISABELLA GOMEZ SARMIENTO, BYLINE: At this year's LAMC, thousands of people showed up to see Colombian rock star Juanes play in Central Park SummerStage - so much that the venue had to be shut down.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: (Speaking Spanish).

TOMAS COOKMAN: For the first time in 30 years in the parks, one has closed down Central Park.

GOMEZ SARMIENTO: That's LAMC founder Tomas Cookman. He says it was the conference's biggest year yet, indicating how much Latin music has blown up over the last two decades. And it's not just the explosion of reggaeton.

COOKMAN: Whether it was a punk rock band from Buenos Aires or a hip-hop duo from Panama or a cool pop weird act from Madrid, it was - they always found a place at the LAMC.

GOMEZ SARMIENTO: And the LAMC, in return, uses its Discovery Award to spotlight artists breaking down misconceptions of what Latin music sounds like.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "QUILO")

DAWER X DAMPER: (Rapping in Spanish).

GOMEZ SARMIENTO: Dawer X Damper are a duo of Colombian brothers that play with Afrofuturism, hip-hop, dancehall and a number of influences from Colombia's Pacific Coast. Their music touches on themes of social empowerment, love and family.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "NOSPOR")

DAWER X DAMPER: (Singing in Spanish).

GOMEZ SARMIENTO: They're proudly from Cali, the city with the second-highest Afro descendant population in South America, and shout out el barrio, or the working-class neighborhood they were raised in.

UNIDENTIFIED MUSICAL ARTIST: (Speaking Spanish).

GOMEZ SARMIENTO: The brothers say they have no choice but to rep their neighborhood and the love and creativity that flourishes in their community. The other winner, Usted Senalemelo, is a band that's been friends since they were 12 years old. They released their latest album, "Tripolar," which pays homage to the rich rock tradition of Argentina with a modern psychedelic twist.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "LA VERDAD")

USTED SENALEMELO: (Singing in Spanish).

LUCCA BEGUERIE PETRICH: (Speaking Spanish).

GOMEZ SARMIENTO: Drummer Lucca Beguerie Petrich says that receiving the Discovery Award on the heels of the album release and their first U.S. tour is overwhelming and affirming at once.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "SOL")

USTED SENALEMELO: (Singing in Spanish).

GOMEZ SARMIENTO: The LAMC provided the opportunity for both Dawer X Damper and Usted Senalemelo to play in New York City for the first time, but it won't be the last. Tomas Cookman.

COOKMAN: I think that's the beauty of Latin music today and why it's not so much a Latin boom. This is here forever.

GOMEZ SARMIENTO: Isabella Gomez Sarmiento, NPR News.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "SOL")

USTED SENALEMELO: (Singing in Spanish).

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