By Fredwill Hernandez
Anticipation and excitement was in the air as fans started to arrive early for Univision’s 2014 Uforia Music Festival, formerly known as the H2O Music Festival held at Exposition Park in Los Angeles, on Saturday, August 16, 2014.
With two stages, 15 artists and 9 hours of music, and performances by the likes of Reggaeton new comer J Quiles, who hails from [Villa Linda] Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, Regional Mexican Social Media sensation Luis Coronel, and returning Bi-lingual Pop sensation Becky G, who was part of the 2013 H2O Music Festival line up, quickly set the stage for what the evening had in store.
During his set the young social media sensation [Coronel] passed out beautiful long stem roses, he personally handed out and threw, and took time out to sign everything from cell phone cases to bobble head style Luis Coronel figures.
“It is beautiful that I was able to come perform and represent the Regional Mexican genre, with artists of others genres performing here today at Uforia Music Festival,” stated Coronel. “It is both a privilege and honor to be part of today’s lineup, and I was pleased with the reception I received, being that many of my fans were here early to support me.”
After finishing a questions and answers [Q & A] from the press, the young social sensation [Coronel] made his way to waiting fans, eager to hug, talk, and take photos with the young singer, who according to Junior Del Villar, founder of Del Records [Sony Music], current home to Coronel through an agreement with Empire Productions, “are attributes his fans love about him.”
Other crowd favorites included Mexico’s Camila, who made an awaited comeback after a three years hiatus from the stage, young Regional Mexican Banda sensation and newcomer El Dasa, and also La Arrolladora Banda El Limon, who are considered pioneers of the Regional Mexican Banda genre with more than 40 years of musical trajectory and over 30 musical productions, countless radio hits in Mexico and the United States, and have been entertaining fans of Mexican regional music long before they debuted their first commercial album in 1987.
During the press Q&A Banda Limon’s singers along with Rene Camacho gave their thoughts about violence that sometimes erupts at Regional Mexican concerts.
“When we perform, we try to bring happiness to our fans, it’s unfortunate when violence erupts at any concert, we try to talk to our fans and diffuse any disturbance or fighting between concert goers which has happened in the past,” explained Rene Camacho of La Arrolladora Banda El Limon. “We try to bring love, peace and happiness through our music, in hopes concert goers enjoy, sing and dance, and at the same time forget and also reflect on their life and struggles. Part of our success has to do with our interaction and the loyal fan base we have acquired through the years.”
On the Anglo side of acts who performed, anticipation was high for both veteran rappers Nelly, and Ludacris, who performed separately with a live band and proved why they became Hip-Hop legends and are considered Hip-Hop royalty. Their performances were sharp, hyped, and powerful, and they [both] beautifully worked the crowd taking attendees through their hits, as if they never had taken any time off.
Other UMF performers included Pedro Capo, Jason Cerda, Sage The Gemini, Kid Ink, Dirty South and Colombia’s reggaeton sensation J Balvin.
As to how the festival progressed through the day and ended with Kid Cudi, anticipation on next year’s Uforia Music Festival is already high.