From Karol G’s Selena Tribute to Regional Mexican, Latinidad Left a Mark at Coachella

As you might have seen just by scrolling through your Instagram feed or by actually attending, last weekend’s Coachella festivities were loaded with Latino artists that made a serious mark. While the festival is a celebration of music in all its forms from countries across the world (and yes, with a dose of #influencerfashion that’s hard to miss), Coachella 2022 put Latinidad on full display and we love to see it.

Acts like Karol G and Grupo Firme hit the world stage and made us feel as orgullosos as ever, with a blend of incredible musicianship and jaw-dropping outfits and stage designs. While Anitta paid tribute to her upbringing in the Honório Gurgel favela in Rio de Janeiro. If you’re curious to see just how good the Latino acts at Coachella 2022 were, look no further than these 9 performances that left us speechless.

1. Karol G

It’s no secret that the “Tusa” singer brought down the house with her set, which included tributes to some of the biggest Latino music icons like Selena Quintanilla, Celia Cruz, Ricky Martin, and Shakira. We are very here for her version of “Gasolina”— and her amazing outfit symbolizing the Colombian flag.

2. Anitta

Another performance no one could get enough of? That of Brazilian superstar Anitta, who brought up artists like Snoop Dogg, Diplo, and Saweetie on stage with her. Singing tracks like “Boys Don’t Cry,” Anitta’s chosen stage design paid homage to the favela she grew up in, and her outfit was all about showing love to her native Brazil. Side note? The Weeknd called out Anitta in his rendition of song “Party Monster”— and it was sort of epic.

3. Grupo Firme

As soon as we saw Grupo Firme was performing at Coachella, we knew this year’s lineup was top-tier. As the band’s vocalist Eduin Caz said in a press conference ahead of the show, “[we’re] bringing a Mexican party to the United States” — and that they did. This was the first time Grupo Firme played Coachella, and we have a feeling it won’t be the last. Viva México!

4. Omar Apollo 

Another singer we loved seeing on Coachella’s stage was none other than 24-year-old star Omar Apollo, who is of Mexican origin. The “Hit Me Up” singer belted out tracks like “Useless” and “Ugotme” in a bright pink suit, even performing the duet “Want U Around” alongside Ruel.

5. Nicki Nicole

We loved seeing Argentinian hit-maker Nicki Nicole perform for the first time at the festival, explaining to the audience, “I never imagined that so many people would come watch my first show in the U.S.” as she held back tears. She told Billboard she felt “so emotional” because she “always dreamt of performing at Coachella,” delivering bangers like “Colocao” and “Baby.”

6. Banda MS

It was Banda MS’s first time playing the Coachella stage, and fans of música regional were just as excited about them as they were about Grupo Firme’s appearance. The “Solo Con Verte” act brought Sinaloa to the festival and left the crowd buzzing — as one Twitter user wrote, “watching banda ms and grupo firme perform at Coachella makes me feel really proud.”

7. Nathy Peluso

Nathy Peluso is another Argentinian star that put her talent on the world stage this past weekend, and neither us or her die-hard fans will ever get over it. Singing hits like “Business Woman,” the Luján-born singer’s performance was so good, one fan declared her “la reina” of Coachella.

8. Jessie Reyez

We’ll always adore Canadian-Colombian Jessie Reyez’ soothing vocals and powerful lyrics, and seeing her up on Coachella’s stage was everything to us. One rendition we absolutely loved? Her version of Dua Lipa’s “One Kiss” — which, plot twist — Reyez actually wrote. 

9. Ed Maverick 

Becoming the first Chihuahuan ever to perform on the Coachella stage, 21-year-old newcomer rocked his performance with songs like “Fuentes de Ortiz.” While some fans were angry Coachella didn’t air it live, fans who saw it in person were all in all blown away.