The annual Latin Alternative Music Conference (LAMC) is celebrating its fourteenth year bringing artists from throughout the U.S. and Latin America to New York City in a rhythm fiesta like no other in Gotham. Mexico, Peru, Puerto Rico, and Argentina are some of the countries representing sounds from indie rock and electronica to folklore.
This year LAMC flexes heavy on female talent.
Oaxacan folk singer Lila Downs weaves the indigenous Mixtec language into jazz composition and straddles genres and culture alike. Living between Minnesota and Southern Mexico, Downs performs traditional Mexican rhythms of ranchero and son jarocho alongside rock and hip hop.
Bosnian Rainbows is a new band with guitarist Omar Rodriguez-Lopez, formerly of The Mars Volta and At the Drive-in, and ex-Le Butcherettes Teri Gender Bender (né Teresa Suarez) on vocals. The four-piece band with Mexirican roots co-habitates and creates lush post-punk compositions.
Julieta Venegas is the ruling chanteuse of Mexican hip. She pens sassy tunes with marching drums, accordion, and rhythm guitar. Her music fits into the soundtrack of a lovely French chick flick where the heroine discovers her soulmate over cobblestone alleyways.
Peruana Pamela Rodriguez brings upbeat choruses, poppy keys and whimsical style to showcase at LAMC.
Rising to stardom in her native Mexico, Carla Morrison has created hits and seen Grammy wins. Like Lila Downs, she went to school in the U.S. She first performed in Arizona where she built a local following before returning to Mexico.
Cabaret crooning is Natalia Lafourcade’s latest brand of Mexican alternative, pulled off sultry with a swinging band. Performing, she jumps as easily from pop rock to jazz as she does from guitar to piano.
Mima is Yarimir Cabán from Puerto Rico who sings and plays melody on bass live with a full band of island percussion. Melding traditional strings and cool lounge vocals, Mima is the perfect audio cocktail for LAMC concerts in NYC parks and nightclubs.
Julieta Venegas and Carla Morisson play Summerstage July 13, 3pm.
Bosnian Rainbows play Bowery Ballroom July 14th at 9pm.
Credit: Julieta Venegas
