After a hit debut in 2008, the Pachanga Music Festival in Austin, Texas, comes back on Saturday, May 30, 2009, featuring ecletic Latin beats with traditional favorites. And like any good pachanga, or lively party, the festival blends Latino music with food and cultural arts programming for kids while overlooking Austin's Lady Bird Lake.
When the Austin City Council declared May Latino Music Month in 2005, it encouraged more events that help promote the diverse genres within Latino music. In 2008, the Pachanga Music Festival became the flagship event for Latino Music Month.
Pachanga Music Festival Line-up
Latino musicians from Texas and beyond make up the 2009 music line-up, which includes some must-see musicians like Charanga Cakewalk and Mexican Institute of Sound.
- Charanga Cakewalk features musician Michael Ramos, a small town Texas native with Mexican roots. His music reflects both contemporary rhythms with old Mexico style. Charanga Cakewalk's debut album Lotería de la Cumbia Lounge brilliantly marries electronica with Latin cumbia beats to create a fresh sound perfect for dancing, relaxing and hip-shaking.
- Mexican Institute of Sound features record executive and DJ Camilo Lara, whose music is as beautiful, urban and chaotic as his hometown of Mexico City. His albums mesh hip-hop, funk and electronica with a twist. He adds samples of old-school Mexican music and even speeches that blend perfectly to create an original sound. His most recent album Soy Sauce released in the spring of 2009.
- Puerto Rican indie rock band Cordero
- Tejano singer/accordionist Michael Salgado
- Austin-based latin funk band Brownout
- Guatemalan soul singer Gaby Moreno
- Afro-beats meet Latino rhythms in Ocote Soul Sounds
Pachanga Festival Information
Check out the Pachanga Latino Music Festival at Fiesta Gardens in East Austin - 2101 Jesse E. Segovia Ave. Doors open at noon and the park's curfew is 10 p.m. Tickets are $15 USD online and $20 USD at the door.
Leave the video camera at home; it's not allowed. Pets can't enjoy the festival either. Small backpacks, blankets, strollers and still shot cameras are all allowed. Children under 12 come in free, as long as they come with an adult.
Children's Activities at the Festival
Children can enjoy the Niños Rock Pachanga program of the festival, which includes a special musician line-up and a Mexican Folk Arts Craft Area. Activities begin at noon and wrap up at 4 p.m.
Thanks to the Austin Children's Museum, children at the festival will learn to create:
- Mexican masks
- Papel Picado or traditional Mexican party flags
- Pinwheels
- Clay Tamales
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