Gente de Zona, founded by Alexander Delgado in 2000, rose to global fame in 2014 thanks to their collaboration with Enrique Iglesias on the hit “Bailando”. This success brought them global recognition, particularly on the American continent. It was therefore natural that they opened the festival, setting the stage on fire from the first evening with their wild reggaeton rhythms, in front of hundreds of delirious festival-goers.
The second evening highlighted Los Van Van, another emblematic Cuban group created by bassist Juan Formell in 1969. A former member of Elio Reve’s orchestra, Formell was able to modernize the traditional charanga by adding trombones. , a guitar and an electric bass, as well as a synthesizer and drums. The percussionist Changuito contributed to this modernization by inventing the songo rhythm, which evolved into the timba, today the main musical style of Los Van Van.
To close the festival in style, Elvis Crespo, the Puerto Rican merengue singer, gave a memorable performance. Known worldwide for his hit “Suavemente”, from his first self-titled solo album released after his departure from Grupo Mania in 1998, Crespo thrilled the audience with his catchy rhythms. “Suavemente” topped the Latin charts in the United States for six weeks and even ranked on the Billboard Hot 100, making merengue history.
Alongside the concerts, festival-goers were able to benefit from salsa and bachata lessons given by professionals, adding an interactive and educational dimension to the event. A Batucada parade accompanied by dancers also livened up the festivities, bringing a contagious and festive energy. To keep the music ringing in the air, Venezuelan DJ Temazo took over and successfully lit up the dance floors, prolonging the party until the end of the night.
