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Winged Ambassadors
Latin pop stars shape public policy with benefit concert
Live Aid. Live 8. For the past 20-odd years, pop stars with a conscience have been saving the world one mega-concert at a time. On May 17, in Buenos Aires and Mexico City, the most glittering stars of Latin pop will perform a benefit for ALAS — which, in Spanish, stands for Latin American in Solidarity for Action, and also conveniently spells out the word for "wings."
Last week, I looked at a good, old fashioned critique of Yankee imperialism and a really fun song produced by Puerto Rico's Calle 13 and Argentina's Vicentico. This week, we see pop stars (including Calle 13) coming up with their own solutions for Latin America's problems.
Founded by artists and entrepreneurs, including Mexico's sometime richest man in the world Carlos Slim Felu, ALAS list of "activists" reads like a who's who of Latin pop, with Wyclef Jean and Michael Stipe thrown in. Here's the list of activist/stars who have signed up for the show so far: Alejandro Sanz, Aleks Syntek, Babasónicos, Calle 13, Chayanne, David Bisbal, Diego Torres, Fito Páez, Gustavo Cerati, Jorge Drexler, Juan Luis Guerra, Juanes, Los Tigres del Norte, Maná, Miguel Bosé, Paulina Rubio, Ricardo Montaner, Ricky Martin, Shakira, and Timbiriche.
Each concert will be held in a huge venue — the 200,000-person Zocalo in Mexico City and the 120,000-person Costanera Sur in Buenos Aires. Now word yet on whether the show will be broadcast on television across the hemisphere or live-streamed at the ALAS site (right now there's only a few landing pages, with a promise of more to come). But 320,000 folks is a pretty good start.
Last week, I looked at a good, old fashioned critique of Yankee imperialism and a really fun song produced by Puerto Rico's Calle 13 and Argentina's Vicentico. This week, we see pop stars (including Calle 13) coming up with their own solutions for Latin America's problems.
Founded by artists and entrepreneurs, including Mexico's sometime richest man in the world Carlos Slim Felu, ALAS list of "activists" reads like a who's who of Latin pop, with Wyclef Jean and Michael Stipe thrown in. Here's the list of activist/stars who have signed up for the show so far: Alejandro Sanz, Aleks Syntek, Babasónicos, Calle 13, Chayanne, David Bisbal, Diego Torres, Fito Páez, Gustavo Cerati, Jorge Drexler, Juan Luis Guerra, Juanes, Los Tigres del Norte, Maná, Miguel Bosé, Paulina Rubio, Ricardo Montaner, Ricky Martin, Shakira, and Timbiriche.
Each concert will be held in a huge venue — the 200,000-person Zocalo in Mexico City and the 120,000-person Costanera Sur in Buenos Aires. Now word yet on whether the show will be broadcast on television across the hemisphere or live-streamed at the ALAS site (right now there's only a few landing pages, with a promise of more to come). But 320,000 folks is a pretty good start.
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