Chris Den Uijl On the Growth of Baja Beach Fest, Inspiration For Sueños & More | Latin Power Players 2023

2 years ago

Chris Den Ujil, co-founder, La Familia Presenta chats with Isabela Raygoza at Billboard's Latin Power Players event in Miami.

Transcript

00:00 I've been such a very early supporter of Baja Beach Fest

00:03 and just seeing it grow five years

00:05 and the level that it's gotten to on a global scale,

00:08 I mean, hey, like, congratulations.

00:10 How has that evolution been like for you?

00:12 - It's been amazing.

00:14 When we first launched it, the idea was,

00:16 let's bring a festival on the beach, right?

00:20 And let's find a way to celebrate Latin culture,

00:24 bring Mexican-Americans together,

00:26 was really the idea, right?

00:27 Until it really hit us how powerful bringing Latinos

00:32 from all walks of life together really means

00:35 and what it means to the artists as well.

00:37 And so to fast forward five, six years later

00:39 and see just how much it's a part now

00:43 of like music culture as a festival,

00:45 it's incredibly humbling.

00:47 And yeah, I wish Aaron was here to share it,

00:49 but it's been super special.

00:50 - And it is so dope.

00:51 I mean, me, I'm privileged to have gone and seen it evolve,

00:55 but also that I grew up near there,

00:57 but now that you've expanded to Chicago and then in Mexico,

01:00 like tell us about some of the other festivals

01:02 that you're also expanding on.

01:05 - Yeah, look, there's so many people

01:06 that can't come to Mexico

01:08 or don't wanna come to Mexico, right, from the US.

01:12 And we kept getting hit up all the time.

01:14 Bring something to LA, bring something to Miami,

01:17 bring something to New York.

01:18 And, you know, we have friends in Miami

01:20 that do a festival already.

01:21 And I have a lot of history in Chicago

01:25 producing more electronic based and multi-genre shows.

01:28 And we had an opportunity to go to Grant Park.

01:32 And for us, it's all about the location.

01:34 You know, the foundation of every festival for us

01:38 is about the experience.

01:40 It's about how to make people feel.

01:42 And then the lineup is a part of that, right?

01:44 And so Chicago has been an incredible response.

01:47 It was something that I feel like the Latinos need it.

01:52 We have so many concerts servicing Latin,

01:57 just consumers every single day in Chicago,

01:59 but not a festival.

02:00 And it's been amazing.

02:01 Over 50% of the people

02:03 had never even been to a festival before.

02:05 So it was just a new kind of like chapter, right?

02:08 Evolution of what the foundation of people

02:11 like Henry Cardenas and others

02:13 had already put down for us in Chicago.

02:15 - Yeah, no, incredible.

02:16 It was a great panel that you had,

02:18 the art of the festival.

02:19 Congratulations on that.

02:20 Congratulations on being a power player.

02:23 How does that honor feel like?

02:25 - I mean, it's super special.

02:26 You know, like pretty much every single day,

02:30 we're putting just 100% of our heart and soul into this

02:33 and really like just putting it all on the line, right?

02:37 And producing the biggest shows we possibly can

02:39 and really helping elevate every single artist.

02:42 And it's really special

02:44 to just get a little recognition for that

02:46 'cause we're really behind the scenes.

02:47 And you know, my team's not here,

02:49 but they're really just like the vision and the glue.

02:52 And so, you know, without them,

02:54 we wouldn't be where we are.

02:55 - Well, no, congratulations on everything.

02:57 And thank you.

02:58 Thank you so much for speaking with us.

02:59 - Thank you guys.

03:00 [BLANK_AUDIO]

Chris Den Uijl On the Growth of Baja Beach Fest, Inspiration For Sueños & More | Latin Power Players 2023

Category

Transcript

Be the first to comment

Recommended