Sueños Festival continues to dream big

For the fourth year in a row, Sueños Music Festival took over Grant Park to kick off summertime activities in Chicago. The aftermath of last year’s event led to harsh criticism towards the organisers. Some were warranted (the layout of the festival), while others were out of their control (the terrible weather conditions). The organisers listened to fans’ feedback and promised to work tirelessly with the city to bring an experience that could top any major music festival.

Sueños team delivered on their promise. They expanded the fairgrounds to include two additional stages, La Plaza and La Fuente. They also added more vendors for food tents and shopping areas, and included art installations for photo opps, keeping congestion down and the fun flowing. Lastly, Sueños continues to bring together some of the biggest Latino artists in the world to Chicago, showing why it is becoming the go-to event for Latino music.

The big expansion gave people a reason to step away from the main stage, shop a little, and see more artists. La Plaza stage, located directly across the iconic Buckingham Fountain, focused on highlighting local Latino talent. It was a beautiful sight to behold when the fountain erupted with the Chicago skyline in the background.  La Fuente stage was catered more to DJ vibes. Being the Windy City, DJs like Deorro knew the assignment mixing Raggaeton with Classic House music along with modern EDM and Trap.

One decision that was deemed controversial when the initial artist lineup was announced was the inclusion of Grupo Frontera. Apparently, a relative of one of the band members made a post in favour of U.S. President Donald Trump. The band responded, saying they had no affiliation with any political party after facing backlash. However, Chicago being a sanctuary city, this response wasn’t enough for many, leading to a petition from residents to have the band removed from the lineup.

Organisers refused to back down, as Sueños Music Festival’s message has always been to be welcoming and inclusive. Many worried what the outcome would be when Grupo Frontera took the stage. Like most things on the Internet, it was blown out of proportion. The field was half full, but once the band started playing “Tulum,” fans rushed to the field. Singing from the heart, ignoring the “controversy,” and having a good time. There were no protests, only celebration when they played “Coqueto” or “No Se Va (En Vivo)”. Matter of fact, Grupo Frontera probably gained a lot of new fans.

Last year’s event was sadly cut short on the final day due to an extreme rainstorm. Everyone was disappointed as the main headliner that weekend, Peso Pluma, had to cancel his set. Even his aftershow at a local club was only three songs long before he promptly left; making some wonder if Peso Pluma even liked playing in Chicago. Fortunately, Peso Pluma returned to Sueños this year and gave a performance to remember. When the sun began to set, the city got chilly, but fans waited a year to see Peso Pluma to perform hits like “Luna” so a little cold wasn’t going to stop them. Adorned in a black fur coat, Peso Pluma bellowed as he sang “Bandida” making the crowd cheers echo throughout the field. Hearing “Nueva Vida” live made the wait worth it.

The biggest artist on the lineup this year was none other than Shakira. Fans had suspicions she would not be included this year because her current tour dates for Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran noticeably had Chicago missing. But fans rejoiced once her performance announcement became official. Shakira committed to doing her full two-hour set at Sueños Music Festival, making her set alone worth the price of admission.

Everyone and their mothers were trying to see Shakira. By the time the Grammy Award-winning artist took the stage, the sun was long gone, making the weather in the mid-40s next to the lake. Those of us who prepared had sweaters to endure the cold, while those who didn’t huddled in the crowd to stay warm. It was all worth it once the queen arrived. She wasted little time performing classics such as “Girl Like Me,” and “La Tortura”. The stage production was magnificent with multiple wardrobe changes; dancers with fire and Shakira belly dancing with swords. The hits continued with “Hips Don’t Lie,” “Whenever, Wherever,” “Waka, Waka,” and she still gave fans an encore.

The final night had similar weather conditions to the previous day, and it was difficult to top the brilliance of Shakira. However, the weekend ended with the perfect sendoff from one of Raggaeton’s pioneers, Don Omar. One of the founding fathers of Reggaeton, Don Omar music has stood the test of time. His setlist was a throwback to yesteryear, reminding some of us of our junior high school dances. His catalogue has a plethora of recognisable hits like “Dile,” “Dale Don Dale,” before ending his set with party anthem “Danza Kuduro”.

Sueños Music Festival was a beautiful celebration of all Latino cultures. From the different music backgrounds to the various faces in the crowd, everyone was welcomed and represented proudly. The additional expansion was a welcome change, and though the weather wasn’t the warmest, there were no complaints as Sueños Music Festival knocked it out of the park this year.