Ivy Queen and Carnegie Hall execs discuss Our Voice

Nuestros Sonidos, Carnegie Hall’s ambitious season-long celebration of Latin music and culture, got off to a spectacular start on October 8 under the baton of Venezuelan virtuoso conductor Gustavo Dudamel — advertising billboardThis month’s cover star—and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. The festival kicks off during Hispanic Heritage Month with a lineup that includes Mexican singer-songwriter Natalia Lafourcade, Cuban funk artist Cimafunk, Colombian indie-pop band Monsieur Perine, salsa legend Grupo Niche and Chilean jazz musician Claudia Talented musicians like Acuña.

One of the festival’s most anticipated highlights is the Carnegie Hall debut of Ivy Queen, the formidable reggae star known for being a vocal advocate for female empowerment in a male-dominated genre. “Being on this stage, I can celebrate not only reggaeton, but the essence of Latinos, our roots and our global musical influence,” said Ivy Queen spanish advertising billboard. “It’s an honor to be a part of this representation and continue to bring our music to every corner of the planet.”

Clive Gillinson, executive and artistic director of Carnegie Hall, and Adriaan Fuchs, director of festivals and special projects, made it clear that the goal of Nuestros Sonidos is to draw attention to influences that have profoundly impacted American culture and the whole world of Latin music.

“Latin music has had such a huge impact [not just] “We’re not just looking at American culture, but cultures around the world,” Gillinson noted. “That’s a really important thing. We look at who are the greatest experts in the field to make sure that all the ideas that we’re considering and exploring All from people who are at the forefront of ideas, knowledge, experience and background.

Fox added: “We work with curatorial committees and consultants who help organize these festivals. They include Latin music experts, ethnomusicologists, cultural and social experts who study the development of American culture. Together with them, we decided that we wanted to include people A range of different genres to expect, such as salsa, reggaeton, Latin jazz, classical music, and more. We really wanted to focus on genres that have played a key role in the cultural landscape of the United States, especially in the United States.

As Nuestros Sonidos unfolds throughout the season, it promises a diverse range of Latin musical styles and expressions, inviting audiences to explore the powerful narratives that shape Latin music’s past, present and future.

Read our Q&A with Ivy Queen and Carnegie Hall’s Clive Gillinson and Adriaan Fuchs below:

What prompted Carnegie Hall to launch Nuestros Sonidos?

Clive Gillinson: We try to focus on important issues and cultural areas. Last season, we looked at The Fall of the Weimar Republic: The Fragility of Democracy because we think it’s a very significant issue in the world today. The year before that, we looked at women in music, and before that, we looked at Afrofuturism. [In 2021]we watched [Voices of Hope] Artists in times of oppression; artists who continued to write under the most horrific circumstances – whether it was the Holocaust, slavery, the Soviet Union, etc. They still write about hopes and aspirations.

Latin music had such a huge impact [not just] Not just about American culture, but about cultures around the world. 11 years ago we produced Voices from Latin America, which looked specifically at the music of three Latin American countries. The focus is specifically on the impact of Latin music on American culture. We feel like this is a really important thing, but maybe it’s something that doesn’t get enough attention in terms of the way people look at American culture.

Ivy, as a pioneer in reggaeton and an advocate for female empowerment in the music industry, what does debuting the Nuestros Sonidos series at Carnegie Hall mean to you on a personal and professional level?

Ivy Queen: For me, making my debut at such an iconic place as Carnegie Hall represents personal and professional validation of my career path. I’ve been working hard to open doors for women in historically male-dominated genres. Being on this stage not only represents recognition of my years of work and hard work, it also proves that reggae, a music born in the streets, has a legitimate place in the most prestigious spaces in the world. It’s an achievement that celebrates the resilience, strength and talent of all women involved in the sport.

How do Nuestros Sonidos plan to impact the local New York community and the broader Latin music scene?

Gillinson: We hope this is meaningful to fans, advocates and people from Latin music backgrounds and makes them feel like they are represented. They feel like their culture is center stage. To ensure that all of these areas of music are also accessible to people who may not come from their backgrounds, they trust Carnegie Hall as a curator to take them on a journey of discovery.

Fox: When it comes to Latin music booming in this country over the past decade, New York has played a huge role. We want to make sure that our programming addresses all of these issues. When we do concerts at the concert hall, we are very aware of the Latin communities that exist in New York City: the Puerto Rican community, the Colombian community, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Cuba, etc. part.